Mitchell Robinson wore a New York Knicks NBA championship cap when the day started Thursday.

But when St. Bernard Parish president Louis Pomes gifted Robinson a cowboy hat, he switched to it and wore it the rest of the day. For the 7-foot Knicks center they call “Big Country,” the cowboy hat seemed more fitting.

Robinson was in Chalmette, away from the hustle and bustle of the Big Apple and back in the place so near and dear to his heart.

Robinson’s custom orange-and-white monster truck cruised down Judge Perez Drive in Chalmette on Thursday, just like it did a week ago on world-famous Broadway in New York City.

This time, the streets weren’t overflowing with people like at the Knicks’ victory parade. But that didn’t matter, as Robinson’s high school coach Butch Stockton reminded us earlier in the day.

“I don’t think there will be 2 million people, but you will see a bunch pf proud people,” Stockton said.

For the citizens of Chalmette, there was plenty to be proud of as they welcomed their NBA champion back to his old stomping grounds.

Mark Ashby of Chalmette wore a Robinson Knicks jersey to the parade.

“Mitch made me a Knicks fan,” Ashby said.

In Chalmette, a city whose entire population could almost squeeze into Madison Square Garden, pretty much everyone’s a Knicks fan these days.  

The 1½-mile parade fittingly ended at Chalmette High School, where Robinson electrified fans during his junior and senior seasons after moving here from Pensacola, Florida.

Thursday was his day, from the free annual basketball camp he held for the kids in the morning to the proclamations he received from St. Bernard Parish government officials in the afternoon to the parade that night.

Robinson just completed his eighth NBA season, capping it off with the Knicks beating the San Antonio Spurs in five games for the title. That was almost two weeks ago.

“And it still hasn’t sunk in all the way,” Robinson said.

It’ll take a while, much like it took the Knicks a while to get back to the top of the NBA mountain. This was their first title in 53 years.

A few days after winning the title, Robinson went to social media with a simple three-word message.

“Parade in Chalmette?”

Officials in St. Bernard Parish made that wish come true, much to Robinson’s delight.

“Just being back home is amazing,” he said. “I always like to come home and show some love. But to come back as a champion feels a whole lot different.”

Robinson is much different now, too.

That tall, lanky frame he had when he graduated in 2017 holds a lot more muscle now. And the quiet kid that once gave one-word answers during interviews after Chalmette games is shy no more.

“A lot of media training,” Robinson said while flashing a smile. “Over time, I got more comfortable being in that situation. I had to grow up a lot. Going from here to the Big Apple is very different.”

Robinson adjusted just fine, though. He’s been with the Knicks longer than anyone else on the roster, but his future is uncertain as he heads into the offseason as an unrestricted free agent for the first time in his career. A big payday is a sure thing. 

“I’m just going to see what’s out there and we’ll see what happens,” Robinson said.

The market is in demand for Robinson’s skillset. His ability to rebound and protect the rim is coveted by teams all across the league.

His value was seen in the NBA Finals. Robinson was guarding Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama when Wemby missed a potential game-winning shot in Game 2. And it was Robinson’s clutch rebound on a Spurs’ missed free throw that clinched the series in Game 5, setting off a crazy celebration in a city that was starving for a title.

Robinson stayed in the go in the days that followed. His itinerary included everything from an appearance on the “The Tonight Show” with Jimmy Fallon to that massive victory parade in Lower Manhattan.

“That was a hard week to sleep,” Robinson said. “I probably got two hours (sleep) max that week. It was insane. That whole week was outrageous.”

Things were much more mellow Thursday in Chalmette, but Mitchell appreciated it just as much. He may be playing in a big city, but he’s a small-town guy at heart. 

”Just the love and support they show here is unreal,” Robinson said. “They accept me as one of their own.”

And Robinson continues to give back. There were 175 kids at his camp Thursday. 

“I want to give these kids hope and allow them to embrace themselves,” Robinson said. “Get them away form that iPad a little bit.”

Before Thursday’s parade started, Robinson signed autographs while sitting in the back of his monster truck. He sang along to the country music blaring in the background.

This was his element. 

“I ain’t going to compare this to the one in New York,” Robinson said. “New York was just too wild. Nobody went to work. It was 2 million people there. This one isn’t like that. But we are still going to have a great time, though.”

After signing autographs, Robinson hopped onto a float and rode in his second parade in eight days. This one didn’t have celebrities such as Spike Lee in attendance, and it didn’t have Alicia Keys singing “Empire State of Mind” at the end.

But what it did have were some proud folks in Chalmette celebrating a 7-footer wearing a cowboy hat in the place that helped shape him.

Robinson showed his appreciation by holding a sign that read: “Thank You, Chalmette.”

And Thursday, the city of Chalmette thanked him back.