Mitchell Robinson Reveals Missed Press Conference Due To Family Emergency

Robinson was supposed to be introduced on Tuesday with his two new teammates, I was pulled away after his brother was hit by a car.

Jun 5, 2026; San Antonio, Texas, USA; New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson (23) speaks with the media after the game between the Spurs and the Knicks in game two of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Boston Celtics Center Mitchell Robinson was scheduled to speak at an introductory press conference on Tuesday along with Paul George and Mike Conley. Right before the event was supposed to start, the team announced Robinson would miss the question and answer session to deal with a family matter.

Robinson revealed on Facebook that the family matter was an accident involving his brother who was hit by a car when he was out for a run.

Speaking in a Snapchat video, Robinson said his brother wanted a video made to address comments on the social media post. 

“Yesterday, around 6 a.m. he was hit by a car,”  Robinson said in the video. “He told me to come make a video because he was in the comments and I guess he reads what people say, and I'm just like, bro, don't worry about them.”

Mitchell Robinson confirms that his little brother was hit by a car while going for a run early on Tuesday morning (the same day Robinson was scheduled to speak to the media).

He said on Snapchat that his brother is doing fine and should be back from the hospital soon: https://t.co/irAr195bHU pic.twitter.com/MlzpLCs1K4

— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) September 17, 2026

Without going into specifics, there were comments about Robinson already missing a team event that apparently struck a cord with his brother. Robinson obviously has dealt with a number of injury issues over the years, and he's not expected to play a full season because of those. The Celtics are expected to manage his time on the floor, probably keeping him out of back-to-back games this season. Still it's clear that Robinson’s brother wanted to put out the clarification to stop any social media backlash before it got out of control.

Robinson is very protective of his family, and recently revealed that his broken hand suffered before the playoffs came after an emotional reaction to his brother's car accident. Also posting on his Facebook page, he said, in part, "Without going into details about my upbringing, I am extremely protective of my siblings, whom I care for deeply. Upon returning to New York, I received an unexpected phone call, and my family members contacted me, informing me that my youngest brother had been involved in a car accident. I did not see the messages until I arrived home late that night …

"As the eldest sibling, I felt a deep sense of concern, and I immediately went into panic mode," he added. "I began returning calls and texts, and when I FaceTimed my brother, I thought he was deceased. He was wearing a neck brace, unresponsive, and not speaking. I broke down in tears, feeling like a failure for not being able to protect my siblings. Being 910 miles away, I felt helpless. In a moment of frustration, I banged my hand on my truck."

Robinson is expected back to participate in the team's media day on September 28th. He represents a major upgrade to their center spot, and is expected to compete for a starting spot.

“When these guys all get in the building, again, you can feel their presence,” Brad Stevens said on Tuesday. “And I think Mitch, too. When Mitch came into the building for the first time, first of all it’s kind of jarring how big he is, obviously. It’s good we don’t have to block him out. And that’s part of a new team, and there’s an excitement and anticipation any time there’s a new team.”