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After six seasons as an NBA journeyman, Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein found the one thing he yearned for throughout his career: stability. Hartenstein inked a three-year, $87 million deal with the Thunder over the summer. In an interview with Andscape, he talked about what factored into his decision to leave the New York Knicks, who offered the 7-footer a less lucrative deal (four-year, $72.5 million). However, for Isaiah, it wasn’t just about the money.
Deciding between staying with the Knicks and starting a new chapter with the Thunder was challenging. While playing at Madison Square Garden, Hartenstein cherished his two seasons with the Knicks. However, teaming up with All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Oklahoma City’s rising team was too good an offer to pass up, per Andscape’s Marc Spears.
“It was hard to leave. It wasn’t easy. I loved being out there, and I loved my teammates,” Hartenstein said. “If I couldn’t go to a place like OKC, I don’t think I would have left. But you also have to think about it being a business at the end of the day. It wasn’t like I’ve had a whole bunch of $100 million contracts before this. I had to make sure my family was straight.
“It was a crazy experience going from a minimum deals and training camp deal with the Clippers. Going from that to this, it’s a good little journey. A lot of times, you don’t get what you’re going through. But now, looking back, I wouldn’t change a thing on and off the court.”
Hartenstein is off to an extraordinary start to his tenure with the Thunder. After posting five consecutive double-doubles, he’s averaging 13.3 points on 12.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game. However, the veteran center’s beginning of 2024-25 wasn’t ideal.
How Mark Daigneault helped Isaiah Hartenstein through injury
Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein suffered a small, non-displaced fracture in his left hand, which forced him to miss the first 15 games of the regular season. To keep his spirits up, Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault gave his new center a sports psychology book to read to help in his recovery.
Daigneault gave him The Obstacle is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials Into Triumph by Ryan Holiday.
“It helped a lot going through the process of [the injury],” Hartenstein said. “Just reading that and going through the process of every obstacle and not wasting time.”
Hartenstein hit the ground running, starting in place of Chet Holmgren on a 16-5 Thunder team with the best record in the Western Conference.
