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A year ago, Mitchell Robinson did not receive millions of dollars to play basketball.
Heck, Robinson was not playing basketball.
Well, unless you count the many games and pickup collections, as well as the days and nights spent in a gym, prepare it for the stadium where it is located.
His questionable decision to drop out of college and spend a year focusing solely on the NBA project now seems to be a distant memory.
Robinson's time has come.
He now plays in New York, where the lights are much brighter and the media microphones are more numerous than he met in Chalmette, where he played basketball in high school just two seasons ago.
But the Knicks 'seven-foot rookie club, which has been voted player of the year as New Orleans' best defender by two years, fits perfectly with the Big Apple's lights.
"I like it," Robinson said. "You can do something every day and you can go to the gym 24 hours a day."
Robinson celebrated his homecoming Friday night as the Knicks traveled to New Orleans to play against the Pelicans.
"It feels good to play against my local team," said Robinson during the shoot on Friday morning.
Before speaking, Robinson spoke with the Chalmette High basketball team, who made the short drive between St. Bernard Parish and Smoothie King Center.
Robinson was captain of the Knicks team, exchanging a handshake and hug midway with Anthony Davis before the start. AD and Roboinson have worked together before in the past.
Robinson hopes someday to become what Davis is: a well-known name in the NBA.
His coach and teammates love what they've seen so far from Robinson. His stellar play in the summer league (13.0 points, 10.2 rebounds and 4.0 blocks) led the Knicks to sign him for a multi-year contract. The transaction would have been $ 4.8 million over three years.
"I knew the NBA was going to be faster and a lot harder," said Robinson. "It's so fast now, you have to get that ball back and go in. It's the biggest adjustment I've had to make."
Once the season started, it took only six games for Robinson to qualify. He has been there ever since.
"I love the kid a lot," said Knicks coach David Fizdale. "He works hard and really tries to do everything you ask him to do, he was a very pleasant surprise and he will continue to get better and better."
Allonzo Trier, one of three rookies to take part in the Knicks on Friday night, calls Robinson a "great dressing room".
"It definitely brings positive energy," said Trier.
Robinson is averaging 5.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.9 blocks for the Knicks. One night when he was plagued by big problems, he scored 7 points and 7 rebounds Friday in a game that the Pelicans rallied and won 129-124.
Robinson's best match took place just six days ago when he blocked nine shots against the Orlando Magic. He set the Knicks rookie record for the blocks and was only a shy on the team record held by Dikembe Mutombo and Joe Meriweather.
"It was a defensive night for me," Robinson said. "I did not score much, but all I have to do to help my team, I do it … Orlando came out hot and I had to slow it down a bit."
His teammates were not surprised.
"The guys do not really know who he is or what he can still do, so they challenge him without realizing it, not realizing that he can go get them," Trier said. "People will quickly realize that you can not just pass the ball over it because it's going to get it."
One of the nine blocks in particular impressed Fizdale.
Robinson was on the ground after a fall and sprinted in the opposite corner to block a shot.
"His way of doing things is so dynamic," said Fizdale. "It's not often that footers cover this kind of terrain.It will be a real anchor point for us in the future, defensively."
But on Friday night, there was not enough defense. The Pelicans overcame a deficit of 19 points allowing them to defeat Robinson's return.
Despite his disappointment, he was happy to be back home, playing in front of 13 family members and residents of Chalmette scattered throughout the arena.
"It was great," Robinson said. "I had a lot of people coming to support me, so it did me good."
Follow Rod Walker on Twitter, @rwalkeradvocate.
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