Josh Hart may not love seeing Mitchell Robinson in green, but the respect between the two former Knicks teammates is still very much intact.
That was on display after a social media user shared a compilation of moments when Hart was left hanging during his NBA career. Robinson, now the Boston Celtics center, jumped into the comments with a simple show of support: “I would’ve gave you a high five brother,” Robinson commented on Instagram, per the New York Basketball X account.
Hart didn’t let that one go unnoticed. He responded with a line that made the message bigger than any jersey change: “That’s why you my brother,” he proclaimed. The two are opponents now, but the connection clearly hasn’t changed.
Their bond was built during a run that ended a 53-year championship drought in the largest media market in the country, a stretch that tied them together for life. Hart and Robinson were both important pieces for one of the greatest Knicks teams ever put together. Now Hart remains at Madison Square Garden, while Robinson settles in with a new team and a new city.
On the court, Robinson’s value is easy to spot. He’s an elite offensive rebounder and a force as an interior defender, and he showed those traits against the San Antonio Spurs in the 2026 NBA Finals.
Mitchell Robinson: “Josh I would’ve gave you a high five brother ❤️”
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) August 6, 2026
Josh Hart: “That’s why you my brother ✊🏾” pic.twitter.com/qOYlrJzDOR
New Knicks big man Andre Drummond can still attack the glass, but he can’t fully replace what Robinson brought. Hart will be asked to help absorb that loss.
Even with the usual ups and downs that have followed the 2017 first-round pick through a season, Hart has plenty of basketball brothers around him to lean on. Robinson is still one of them, and this exchange made that plain.
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