Conservative activist Charlie Kirk lost his life on Wednesday after he was shot at during a political appearance at Utah Valley University. New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson was among those from the NBA who had publicly reacted to the news, and he expressed sympathy for Kirk's surviving family on Instagram.
"I feel bad for his family."
That act seemingly didn't go down well with some, considering Kirk's controversial views, but Robinson made it clear on Facebook that he stands by what he said.
“I'm never the type to get into the political field, but I just don't get how people get so sensitive and offended about someone else's opinion or beliefs," Robinson said. "Like I respect your mindset and beliefs, but it's not gone change what I believe and stand for. You don't have to like me.
"You can unfollow, unfriend me, whatever you have to do to never see what I do or say," Robinson continued. "I could care less about what you do or think of me! I don't care if you black, white, green, or have stripes like a damn zebra, or even like the same gender. I respect you either way!
"As a father myself, no kid should have to grow up without [their] father or mother at the end of the day," Robinson added. "I don't do the things I do for attention or clout...again I could care less what people think of me...the ones that know me already know what I stand for!"
Kirk married former Miss Arizona Erika Frantzve on May 8, 2021. They welcomed a daughter in August 2022 and a son in May 2024. It was reported that Erika and the two children were on campus when the 31-year-old was shot, but that hasn't been confirmed yet.
Whatever one may think of Kirk the individual, you cannot criticize Robinson or anyone else for sympathizing with his surviving family's plight. The two children are going to grow up without their father, and that's heartbreaking.
Robinson, who averaged 5.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 0.8 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.1 blocks per game in 2024-25, has a daughter named Riley, who was born in 2023. That makes the 27-year-old's reaction all the more understandable, and it's just a shame that some backlash came his way for it.
As mentioned earlier, Robinson isn't the only one from the basketball world to have reacted to the shooting. Michael Porter Jr., Dwight Howard, and Patrick Beverley were all stunned by the incident in Utah.
U.S. President Donald Trump earlier stated that the shooter had been caught. The suspect is reportedly a 22-year-old from Washington, Utah, according to a law enforcement official briefed on the investigation.
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