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[Saba Sports News] New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson has struggled mightily at the free-throw line during the playoffs, but many fans believe ESPN went overboard in their portrayal of the situation.
Through nine postseason games, Robinson has made just 28.9% of his free throws — far below his already-poor regular-season career average of 52.2%. Despite the struggles, Knicks fans have tried to rally behind him.
During Game 3 against the Boston Celtics, the Madison Square Garden crowd gave Robinson a standing ovation and cheered loudly when he made his second free throw early in the second quarter.
ESPN shared the moment on social media with the caption that it was “bigger than basketball,” a description that quickly drew backlash.
Critics pointed out that the phrase is typically reserved for situations involving personal adversity, health battles, or off-court challenges — not poor free-throw shooting.
Fans on social media didn’t hold back, mocking the post for its overly dramatic tone. While some of Robinson’s misses have been tough to watch, many argued that struggling from the line is simply a basketball issue — not something that warrants such emotional framing.
With Robinson’s free-throw woes continuing, the Celtics have leaned into the “hack-a-Mitchell” strategy. After blowing leads in Games 1 and 2, Boston rebounded with a convincing Game 3 win to cut the series deficit to 2-1.
While Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla had a strong postgame message, it still wasn’t as overstated as ESPN’s take on the Knicks crowd support.