The New York Knicks' 2026 NBA Championship has given way for fans of the organization to turn any event into a celebration of all things orange and blue. This year's Fanatics Fest gives fans a great stage on which to continue their gloating, with the event once again in New York City.
Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, though, unintentionally produced a bittersweet moment when they hosted an episode of The Roommates Show live from the event on Thursday. The duo and co-host Matt Hillman hosted New York Yankees superstar Aaron Judge on their show to help tip off the weekend's worth of festivities, and fielded a question from the outfielder: who's their funniest teammate?
Brunson provided several answers to Judge's question, but none quicker than Mitchell Robinson. Fans at the Javits Center responded with a mix of cheers, laughs, and sighs as their Captain delivered the sobering reminder that their defensive anchor shipped up to Boston. Most of the discourse about New York's Robinson loss has been about how replaceable the big man might be, but it seems to have ignored the unique impact he had in the locker room — and on the fanbase.
Knicks will have a hard time replacing Robinson's sense of humor
Robinson knew how to keep things light, even in the toughest of times. While the Knicks haven't needed that ability of his much in recent years, it was genuinely valuable when losses piled up faster than the roster could come up with answers.
Brunson prefaced his acknowledgement of Robinson's unique sense of humor, allowing fans to brace for potential impact as he momentarily put a damper on the mood to acknowledge the one-of-a-kind center.
"He's not on the team anymore...Mitch was probably the funniest, by far. Or OG," Brunson told Judge and a vast crowd at Fanatics Fest.
Star wing OG Anunoby is certainly still on the roster, so the Knicks won't have to worry about replacing any aspects of his game (on or off the court). But the loss of Robinson will certainly be felt, both in the paint and in the postgame locker room scrums.
Knicks won't just waltz into replacing Robinson's impact
When it comes to the center position, New York already signed Andre Drummond to replace Robinson on the depth chart — which was previously limited to just one player. Ariel Hukporti technically left for a divisional rival before Robinson, signing for more than the minimum with the Philadelphia 76ers, making it incredibly important for the Knicks to land one of the market's best options.
The problem for their front office, though, was that the market wasn't necessarily strong. The Drummond signing is just as much of a bet on Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Miles McBride to cover up the center's defensive shortcomings as it is on the Mount Vernon, NY native's renowned ability to rebound the basketball.
Karl-Anthony Towns is six All-Star appearances deep into his career, and knocking on the door of being a top-10 player in the NBA regardless of position. But having no one behind him is simply not an option, regardless of position or ability.
The Knicks will definitely want to add another center, on top of Drummond, to the roster for their title defense. It might mean making some tough calls with an impressive rookie, but this team can't get cute. They're trying to become the first NBA Champion in nine seasons to go back-to-back.
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