Many stars in the NBA rise and fall as new records are broken almost regularly. When it comes to the New York Knicks, brilliance marked Carmelo Anthony’s name in the franchise. Melo cemented his status as a lethal offensive shooter with the Knicks. One of his most iconic moments as a Knick came on January 24, 2014, when he erupted for a career-high 62 points against the Charlotte Bobcats (Hornets now). That was a historic night, setting a new Knicks’ single-game scoring record. Melo became the first player to score 60 points in a game at Madison Square Garden since Bernard King in 1984.
Fast forward to today the star center 25 year-old Mitchell Robinson is on track to eclipse Melo’s legacy. At least in terms of the total seasons, they played in the Knicks.
Robinson is set to surpass Melo in terms of tenure
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If Mitchell completes the next season with the Knicks, it will mark his seventh year with the franchise, making him the player with the longest tenure since Allan Houston. Melo played 6 ¹/₂ seasons with the Knicks before being traded to the Thunder in 2017. Robinson’s contract guarantees until 2026, so it’s almost certain that he will make this record.
Mitchell was a second-round pick in the 2018 NBA draft and had a challenging start to his career. He often struggled to last 10 minutes without fouling out as a rookie. So if his name is to be taken in the same breath as Melo’s, there is some work to do.
Robinson putting up decent numbers
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Robinson’s performance in the 2023-24 season so far has been modest. He is averaging 6.3 points per game, with a field goal percentage of 57.1%. When it comes to the rim protection, there is nobody as efficient as him. Mitchell is grabbing 10.7 rebounds per game, which puts him in the current top 10 rebounders list.
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In another mind-blowing stat, he became the first player in history to have 55+ offensive rebounds and less than 18 turnovers through the first nine games of a season. The Knicks are still relying on his defense, who is leading the Knicks in the regular season in most box outs on offense per game.
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His name is not as flashy as Melo yet, but he is just in his 6th year in the league. And it is just a matter of time before his name appears on another record-breaking list.