Latest news with #IsaiahHartenstein
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a day ago
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Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein's ‘funny' response to Stephen A. Smith diss
The post Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein's 'funny' response to Stephen A. Smith diss appeared first on ClutchPoints. After becoming an NBA champion, Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein kept his receipts for those who didn't always believe, including ESPN analyst Stephen A Smith. Smith has been ridiculed for his hometown takes on the New York Knicks, which led to a stray when he questioned the starting center's promotion in New York. It was the season that caught Oklahoma City's eye. The Thunder offered Hartenstein a three-year, $87 million contract. Hartenstein addressed Smith's comments from his days with the Knicks per Podcast P with Paul George. 'The funny thing is when I saw it, it wasn't like I wasn't playing at the time, I was playing; I was a big part of the team at the time,' Hartenstein said. 'I don't know who showed it to me like, 'Yo, you saw this?' I was like, 'What?' Funny thing is he came back to be at the Finals like, 'Bro, I miss you in New York.' So, we cool and stuff but I think just at the time, it was funny.' For Hartenstein, Smith's comments were an example of the entertaining lives NBA analysts lead, which Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault points out regularly to his team. 'That's kind of what Mark, our coach, talks about, a lot, just blending out the machine,' Hartenstein added. 'Most of these people, he said, they put on makeup before they get on set. Most of them don't watch every single game. They're doing what's what best TV. So, it's no hard feelings. We're good.' Averaging 8.1 points on 61.9% shooting, 7.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 0.8 steals per game throughout the postseason, Hartenstein played a critical role for the Thunder. Starting in 20 of 23 playoff games, Hartenstein was a defensive anchor for Oklahoma City and was often remembered for setting some of the toughest screens for his teammates. Isaiah was a consistent thorn in the side of his opponents as Stephen A Smith watched up close. Isaiah Hartenstein on the differences between Thunder, Knicks Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein addressed the differences between the Knicks and Thunder, following his first season with his new team. For Hartenstein, the Thunder are a much closer-knit team, which shows in their approach to playing basketball, he said, per the Rich Eisen Show. 'Yeah, I think it was just a mixture of things. I mean, Sam Presti has a great culture he built out there,' Hartenstein said. 'They were first in the West the year before. Just playing style kind of fit me pretty good. We're moving the ball, playing together.' Hartenstein also admitted that the $87 million contract helped him make his decision to join the Thunder. Related: Tyrese Haliburton breaks down Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander path to becoming MVP Related: Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander joins Stone Cold Steve Austin with rare honor
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a day ago
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Thunder's Isaiah Hartenstein sounds off on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's ‘ego'
The post Thunder's Isaiah Hartenstein sounds off on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 'ego' appeared first on ClutchPoints. Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein reflected on his first season with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the league's Most Valuable Player, scoring title champion, and NBA Finals MVP. In a recent interview with Philadelphia 76ers' Paul George, Hartenstein reflected on winning two seven-game series en route to his and the franchise's first championship, as well as what makes Gilgeous-Alexander such a special player and teammate. Amid Gilgeous-Alexander's accolades, national praise, and ascension to stardom in the 2024-25 season, Hartenstein says the MVP's humble approach to leading the Thunder's offense stands out most, per Podcast P with Paul George. 'He has no ego. There's no I'm just gonna score, I'm trying to make it by myself — it's never that,' Hartenstein said. 'There were even times at the beginning of the season where he threw me a pass, he got trapped, and I threw it to the next man to get a shot. And I'm like, 'Sorry. I'll finish it next time to get you an assist,' and he's like I don't care. I just wanna win. So, do whatever you need. Even if he's putting up those huge numbers, he's not searching them.' Gilgeous-Alexander's effort on defense sets the right example in his role as the Thunder's leader. 'He's trying to make the team as best as possible,' Hartenstein added. 'Him playing on both ends of the court — I think that's something that's super underrated. He plays defense. You can't just go pick on him, and he tries on defense. It's not like I settled for five seconds. I'm tired. I'm gonna just chill on defense. He doesn't do that. When you see that, it just gives us the push, gives us the confidence that he's gonna do it on both sides of the court, for sure.' Shai Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 30.3 points on 44.3% shooting, 5.6 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 1.9 steals, and 1.6 blocks per game in the Thunder's seven-game NBA Finals series against the Indiana Pacers. Isaiah Hartenstein on the Nuggets, Pacers en route to Thunder title Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein addressed Stephen A Smith's old take and why the Nuggets were a tougher series compared to the Pacers in the NBA Finals. 'We were always confident throughout the series,' Hartenstein said. 'I think the only series where we were kind of a little bit against the ropes was Denver — just Jokic. The way they play. They've been there before, and that's probably the only series where we were like, even if we do everything right, they probably still have a chance. Every other series, we were like, if we do the right things, we're good.' Hartenstein helped the Thunder win its first championship in franchise history. Related: Thunder star Jalen Williams roasted by fans for recreating Kobe Bryant injury photo Related: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's 10 greatest accolades, ranked
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a day ago
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Thunder's Isaiah Hartenstein reveals difference between facing Pacers, Nuggets in playoffs
The post Thunder's Isaiah Hartenstein reveals difference between facing Pacers, Nuggets in playoffs appeared first on ClutchPoints. After Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein addressed ESPN's Stephen A Smith for dissing him while he was with the New York Knicks, the veteran center reflected on his postseason journey to becoming an NBA champion. From one grueling seven-game series against the Denver Nuggets to a do-or-die Game 7 in the NBA Finals against the Indiana Pacers, the Thunder earned its title through a pair of must-wins. Isaiah discussed the differences. For Hartenstein, the Nuggets not only pushed the Thunder to the brink but gave Oklahoma City the impression that even at its very best, three-time MVP Nikola Jokic and the 2023 NBA champions still had a chance, he said, while breaking down the differences between the Pacers and the Nuggets, per Podcast P with Paul George. 'I think they were really impressive. They play their style no matter what. I think the biggest one, just playing against them, was Rick Carlisle,' Hartenstein said. 'The main thing for them is just the timely timeouts — the timely adjustments. I think that was the most impressive thing.' Carlisle gets the best out of the Pacers' players. However, Jokic and the Nuggets instilled genuine fear in Hartenstein and the Thunder. 'The whole team plays the same way. They're just never stopping,' Hartenstein added. 'It was definitely a tough series. I think, in general, we were always confident throughout the series. I think the only series where we were kind of a little bit against the ropes was Denver — just Jokic. 'The way they play. They've been there before, and that's probably the only series where we were like, even if we do everything right, they probably still have a chance. 'Every other series we were like, if we do the right things, we're good,' Hartenstein concluded. Isaiah Hartenstein addresses Stephen A Smith after Thunder title Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein inked a $87 million contract for three years last summer, knowing he was joining a championship contender after coming off a playoff run with the New York Knicks. During his stint with the Knicks, ESPN's Stephen A Smith questioned his increased role, which eventually got back to Hartenstein. 'I was a big part of the team at the time,' Hartenstein said of his role in New York. 'Funny thing is, he came back to be at the Finals like, 'Bro, I miss you in New York.' So we're cool.' From a G League standout to starting for a championship team, Hartenstein has come a long way. Related: 3 takeaways from Thunder Summer League Related: Thunder players show off Larry O'Brien trophy in convertibles
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4 days ago
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"Even if we did everything right, Jokic still gave them a chance" - Isaiah Hartenstein says Nuggets were OKC's toughest challenge in the playoffs
"Even if we did everything right, Jokic still gave them a chance" - Isaiah Hartenstein says Nuggets were OKC's toughest challenge in the playoffs originally appeared on Basketball Network. The Oklahoma City Thunder may have entered the playoffs as the league's top seed, but their path to the 2025 NBA championship was anything but easy. Despite a dominant regular season, OKC had to battle through two grueling seven-game series — including the NBA Finals — before hoisting the Larry O'Brien trophy. Reflecting on their title run, Isaiah Hartenstein revealed that the toughest challenge wasn't the Pacers in the Finals, but the second-round clash with the Denver Nuggets — and the reason was simple: Nikola Jokic. "I think the only series we were kind of a little bit on the ropes was Denver. Just Jokic, I mean, the way they play. They've been there before. And that was the only series where we were like, even if we do everything right, they probably still have a chance. Every other series, we were like, if we do the right things, we're good," he said. The Nuggets series was a war After sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs, the Thunder were matched up against the No. 4-seeded Nuggets in the second round. Right from the start of the series, they were in for a dog fight. Behind 42 points and 22 rebounds from Joker, Denver stole Game 1 in OKC and put the pressure on OKC. As expected, the Thunder bounced back with a 43-point blowout win in Game 2. But if they thought that big win took the fight from the Nuggets, they were wrong, as the 2023 champs won Game 3 at their home floor 113-104 with Jokic having another monster double-double with 20 points and 16 rebounds. However, OKC dug deep to win Games 4 and 5 to finally grab the upper hand. Denver held court to even the series at 3-3, but with Game 7 in OKC, the Thunder blew out the Nuggets 125-93 with SGA leading the way with 35 points. But despite an easy close-out win, the series itself was the true test of the young Thunder coaching impressed the Thunder As for the Pacers, Hartenstein gave more credit to their head coach than anybody else. Indiana was coached by 13-year veteran Rick Carisle, who led the Dallas Mavericks to their first-ever NBA title in 2011. According to Isaiah, Carlisle's experience was evident in the Finals. "I think they were really impressive. I mean, they play their style, no matter what. I think the biggest one, just playing against them, I think, is Rick Carlisle. The timely timeouts, the timely adjustments. I think that was the most impressive thing. In general, had great coaching in the playoffs in general. And then the whole team plays the same way. I mean, there's never stopping," he added. Like the Nuggets, the Pacers took the Thunder to the brink, but unfortunately for them, their star player Tyrese Haliburton suffered an injury in the first quarter of Game 7. Carlisle tried to pull all the tricks under his sleeve. Still, it was not enough to deny Hartenstein and the Thunder from winning the 2025 NBA story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 22, 2025, where it first appeared.
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4 days ago
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"You play 10 minutes and whatever you do, it's not good enough" - Isaiah Hartenstein reflects on his Nuggets days as Nikola Jokic's replacement
"You play 10 minutes and whatever you do, it's not good enough" - Isaiah Hartenstein reflects on his Nuggets days as Nikola Jokic's replacement originally appeared on Basketball Network. The story of how the Denver Nuggets stole Nikola Jokic with the 41st pick and shocked the league after he became a three-time MVP and delivered the franchise its first-ever title is already well-known. As a rookie, he didn't get major minutes right away, as Jusuf Nurkic was ahead of him in the rotation. However, it didn't take long for Michael Malone and his coaching staff to realize the value they had in their big man. But just as Jokic was starting to break out and enter MVP conversations, German center Isaiah Hartenstein was also on the roster. At that time, he didn't bring much long-term potential as he was a role player, just one of many bigs in the Jokic era who didn't get much run behind him. Hartenstein recently reflected on that period in a podcast appearance. "Back when I was in Denver, I kept wondering why I wasn't getting more of a chance," he said. "For every guy who's a backup for Jokic, that's probably the hardest job in the world. You play 10 minutes and whatever you do, it's not good enough compared to when Jokic does it. That was the hardest part. After that, I worked on my mental strength and everything started to get better." "I learned how to pass. I was already good, but the details — how he uses his eyes to direct players... I leveled up because I started seeing the game differently, I learned how to manipulate the game. But he's so smart, his intelligence is off the charts. When we were in the playoffs, he was the coach. He told people where to go, what to do..." Hartenstein ended up winning the direct matchup against Jokic Denver clearly didn't show their expertise in evaluating talent in the frontcourt in Hartenstein's case, as he later became an NBA champion with the Oklahoma City Thunder as their starting center. Hartenstein was the perfect connector between the frontcourt and backcourt, slicing through defenses with his passing and being a beast on the offensive glass. Just how good he's become was evident in a seven-game playoff series against Jokic this year, where he more than held his own. Jokic had the worst three-game stretch of his career, shooting just 19-of-63. Not all of that was because of Hartenstein, of course, but credit must be given as he fought like a warrior and ended up winning the direct matchup against Jokic. Still, the task wasn't easy, as the German admitted that Denver was their toughest challenge in the playoffs. "I think the only series where we were kind of a little bit on the ropes was Denver. Just Jokic, I mean, the way they play. They've been there before. And that was the only series where we were like, even if we do everything right, they probably still have a chance. Every other series, we were like, if we do the right things, we're good," he said. Hartenstein has remained humble Despite not getting a real opportunity in Denver because of Jokic and later eliminating him in the playoffs, Hartenstein has remained humble and even praised Jokic for how much he influenced his game. However, when you look at the numbers, he had career lows, outside of his rookie season, during his 30 games with the Nuggets. Back to the beginning — who knows where the Nuggets would have been had they seen the potential in Hartenstein, a player who can easily play alongside another big. They nailed the Jokic pick, no question, but have struggled to find a reliable backup ever since and it's becoming a clear issue. The arrival of Jonas Valanciunas is a serious move. Still, NBA legend Eddie Johnson believes he's headed down the same road as every other Jokic backup and that he should have returned to Europe. "This is going to get ugly," he stated on his X profile. "Again, he will never say it, but he knows his minutes will be minuscule and the critics will run rampant with the blame game. Basically, come back and play eight mins a game and have these Jokic stat nerds blame you with a plus/minus of how you are failing him. He like I am going to Greece!" It's hard to predict how Valanciunas will look coming off the bench for the Nuggets, but it's even harder to imagine him getting significant minutes, given how much Denver has relied on Jokic since he entered his prime. Hartenstein felt that firsthand, but this season, he got a bit of story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jul 22, 2025, where it first appeared.
