NBA Mitchell Robinson father has been found after having gone missing in Florida since….
Mitchell Robinson said there is a “weight off my shoulders” now that his father has been found after having gone missing in Florida since Feb. 11.
The Knicks center had taken to social media last week asking for help in finding his father, Mitchell Robinson Jr., who has since been located safely in Missouri.
“He could have told us,” Robinson said Sunday in his first public comments since his dad was reported missing. “I guess he needed some time to himself. But I’m happy he was found safe, so I can focus on what I need to be worried about. Weight off my shoulders.”
Robinson, meanwhile, fouled out in 16:35 on Sunday after battling Joel Embiid in the Knicks’ loss to the 76ers. It marked his fourth game fouling out this season and 19th of his career. He had fouled out in fewer minutes three times before, all during his rookie season.
With a rematch against Embiid awaiting on Wednesday in Philadelphia, Robinson knows what he needs to do better against the potential MVP.
“Just be more physical,” Robinson said. “Being in the right spot at the right time. I was out of position a couple of times. … For me I just got to be ready to play and be ready to go all the time.”
Robinson’s new backup, rookie Jericho Sims, also fouled out in 18:25 after recording six points and a career-high 10 rebounds — nine of them in the first quarter.
“I thought the rebounding was really good,” coach Tom Thibodeau said. “Embiid is a lot to deal with. You’re not guarding him individually, you have to guard him with your team. And so I think [Sims] is still learning and I think he’s going to get better in time. But there’s a physicality to that that’s not easy to deal with. [Embiid] is strong and he’s skilled and he’s quick.”
With Robinson and Sims both fouled out by the 8:52 mark in the fourth quarter, Thibodeau opted to use Julius Randle at center instead of bringing Nerlens Noel or Taj Gibson off the bench. Neither veteran has played in the Knicks’ first two games after the All-Star break — signaling a youth movement at the position with Sims getting more minutes, though Noel has also been dealing with plantar fasciitis.