Knicks Star Mitchell Robinson Invites His Former High School Coach to Live with Him After Coach’s Wife Dies

“It works out for the best,” the NBA player said of his living arrangement with Butch Stockton. “I can help him out like he helped me.”

New York Knicks player Mitchell Robinson has taken his friendship with his former high school basketball coach to a new and heartwarming level.

Butch Stockton, who coached the NBA player when he attended Louisiana’s Chalmette High School, said that Robinson invited him to become his roommate in New York following the recent death of Stockton’s wife, per the New York Post.

“When my wife was in the hospital, Mitchell came each day to visit her,” Stockton said in an interview with MSG Network’s Rebecca Haarlow Thursday night that aired during the broadcast of the Knicks and Detroit Pistons game at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. “[He] became very close to myself and my wife. And after the funeral, Mitchell told everyone that he was gonna bring me to New York with him.”

“He said, ‘Coach there’s no reason for you stay down here in Louisiana anymore. You come to New York with and enjoy yourself and get your mind back straight because you know how much you loved your wife’…It’s been a great situation,” he continued.

According to her obituary published on AL.com, Dawn Stockton died on Sept. 13 at the age of 70 after a battle with metastatic cancer. She and Stockton were married for 31 years.

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“Dawn was a remarkable woman who embodied strength, faith, and a deep commitment to helping others,” the obituary reads. “Her unwavering devotion to her faith was a guiding light in her life, and she found solace in her nightly prayers. Her passion for sports was evident in her unwavering support for her beloved Alabama Crimson Tide and New Orleans Saints. She could often be found cheering passionately for her teams, and her enthusiasm was infectious.”

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The obituary continued: “One of Dawn’s cherished traditions was her phone call to Butch before every basketball game to wish him and his team good luck. The post-game call, with her eagerly asking, ‘Did we win?’ became a cherished part of their basketball seasons. These moments were a testament to her enduring spirit and the bonds she formed with her loved ones.”

According to his bio published on the Chalmette High School’s website, Stockton has coached for more than four decades and is a member of the St. Bernard Sports Hall of Fame. “The victories are great,” he once said, “but seeing kids get better is more important. You can’t just let a good player be good. You have to make him want to be great,”

Following the Knicks’ 118-112 victory over the Pistons Thursday, Robinson said, per the Post, that Stockton will stay with him all year.

“He’s a great guy,” Robinson said. “Bringing him along with me after everything that happened in the summer. It works out for the best. I can help him out like he helped me.”