We all wish we could lend a hand to someone who once helped us.
But we don’t always get a chance to do that.
So when New York Knicks player Mitchell Robinson saw the struggle his high school basketball coach was going through, he offered more than a shoulder to lean on – he offered his home.
Butch Stockton had just lost his wife, Dawn, to cancer. The couple had been married for 31 years.
Stockton coached Robinson at Chalmette High School in Louisiana, and had stayed close to his former student. During a recent Knicks game, he talked about their friendship.
“When my wife was in the hospital, Mitchell came each day to visit her and became very close to myself and my wife,” Stockton said. “After the funeral, Mitchell told everyone that he was going to bring me to New York with him.
And Robinson made good on that promise.
“[Mitch Robinson] said come to New York with me, and enjoy yourself and get your mind back straight.”
– Butch Stockton, Robinson’s high school coach, on staying with Mitch in New York after the passing of his wife. pic.twitter.com/qtY3hfnGLk
— NBA (@NBA) December 1, 2023
“He said, ‘Coach, there’s no reason for you to stay down here in Louisiana anymore’,” Stockton said. “‘You come to New York with me and enjoy yourself and get your mind back straight because you know how much you loved your wife and how much I loved your wife.’ And it’s just been a great situation.”
After Dawn Stockton’s death, a grieving Robinson shared a message.
“Momma I’m sorry so sorry this has happened to you,” he wrote, adding a broken-heart emoji. “I wish there was something I could have done to keep here you been to good to me and coach Stockton you’ll never be forgotten please keep me safe and watching over me like you been doing i love you.”
Robinson said Stockton will likely live with him through 2024.
“He’s a great guy who helped me get to where I’m at,” Robinson said.
So you know, I’m bringing him along with me after everything that happened over the summer.”
The pair said they bond by watching movies together, and Stockton also looks after Robinson’s dogs when he is away.
The 7-foot Robinson became a McDonald’s All-American in high school as one of the best players in the country while training with Stockton. He jumped straight to the NBA after he was selected as the Knicks 36th pick of the 2018 draft.
Mitchell Robinson with Dawn Stockton. Photo courtesy of Robinson
The two bond by watching movies together, and Stockton also looks after Robinson’s dogs.
For Robinson, it all comes back to helping someone who took the time to help him out when he was first playing basketball.
“He looked out for me. He helped me get to where I’m at, I feel like, so it’s the least that I can do. It’s been cool.”
Watch below for a look at this heartwarming gesture by an NBA player.
Sources: Today | CBS Sports
