Isaiah Hartenstein is enjoying his rise in the NBA

“I wouldn’t change anything”: from extra in the G League to starter in the most important team in the Western Conference

It wasn’t long ago that Isaiah Hartenstein, the new center of the Oklahoma City Thunder, found a source of comfort in a psychology book that could help him overcome the stress and reality of being a professional in the NBA.
Now this reality has allowed the player to breathe a sigh of relief after signing an $87 million contract after six challenging seasons in the league. But being well aware of the situation, all that money would not allow him to dampen the survival mentality that brought him this far. “The moment I signed the contract, it was special”from Hartenstein to Andscape. “I’m just making my way in the NBA. Moving on from the G League with the [Houston] Rockets and be systematically sent back downstairs to prove myself. It’s never been easy. I didn’t feel relief, but excitement. I didn’t feel like I needed to stop pushing. The hard work finally paid off, even if it took a little longer than I thought. I was excited and at the same time motivated by the fact that I had proven my worth.”.

Hartenstein played for the Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, Cleveland Cavaliers, LA Clippers and New York Knicks between 2018 and 2024. The player, 213 cm and 113 kg, also spent the first years of his NBA career playing in the G League with the Rio Grande Vipers. In the Rockets’ June 23, 2020 press release announcing the signing of David Nwaba, the team simply stated at the end: “In a related move, the Rockets cut center Isaiah Hartenstein. He was Houston’s 43rd pick in the 2017 NBA draft and appeared in a total of 51 games as a Rocket.”. No other statistics were included.

On November 30, 2020, the Nuggets signed Hartenstein to a two-year, $3.3 million contract to serve as the backup for All-Star center Nikola Jokić. Hartenstein’s father, former Oregon center Florian, spent time in Denver with his son to offer him support, drive him to practices and even cook meals. Being in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic also contributed to increasing the state of stress. “In general, it was tough to play behind Jokić for about eight minutes a game”ha Detto Hartenstein. “It wasn’t going very well. Denver was probably the hardest time. It was after COVID and it was the first time I thought maybe it wouldn’t work. But I kept training.”.

Hartenstein has always been a voracious reader. Hoping to help himself mentally on and off the field, he searched online for sports psychology books that could give him guidance. He found “The Mindful Athlete: Secrets to Pure Performance” by George Mumford. NBA legend Michael Jordan credited Mumford with helping him become a better leader. Mumford has also helped former Los Angeles Lakers stars such as Shaquille O’Neal, Lamar Odom and Kobe Bryant. Mumford, who roomed with Julius Erving at UMass, is a highly respected speaker and coach who, in the popular book, shares his story, strategies and proven techniques to aid athletic performance. Hartenstein credited “The Mindful Athlete” with helping turn his NBA career around in Denver by giving him deeper “headspace and mental preparation.”

“He understood it for me. I was at a stage where I needed to work more on my mentality, and it worked from there.”Hartenstein said about Mindful Athlete. “The main thing he taught me was to stay present and be more process-oriented. There will be ups and downs, but you shouldn’t go up or down too much. There will be some bad games. Don’t let it drag on over time. Move on to the next thing. Control what you can control”.

Hartenstein played briefly with the Nuggets before being traded to Cleveland on March 25, 2021. With the Cavaliers he proved to be an established NBA player, averaging 8.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 16 games during the 2020-21 season. He subsequently signed with the Clippers on September 13, 2021, despite it being a one-year contract at the minimum salary. Hartenstein came to the Clippers averaging 8.3 points and 4.9 rebounds coming off the bench in 17.9 minutes in 68 games during the 2021-22 season. Hartenstein believes that in his time with the Clippers he has proven himself as an NBA center: “It was the first season I was consistently in the rotation.” I had good months with the Rockets, but the one with the Clippers was the most consistent season.”

The big man was rewarded with his first contract above $2 million, signing a two-year, $16 million deal with the Knicks on July 1, 2022. He averaged 6.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game in 157 games with the Knicks from 2022-24. Notably, Hartenstein was a successful starting center for New York in the regular season and playoffs following Mitchell Robinson’s injury. Hartenstein felt respected and well-liked in the Knicks uniform and loved playing at Madison Square Garden: “It was nice to play in Mecca, to play in important games, especially in the Playoffs. Me and Jalen [Brunson] we got there and in a certain sense changed the cards on the table. It was significant. Playing at the Garden has always been special. Being there on the pitch was a special experience.”.

Hartenstein’s father is black and German, while his mother is white German. He told Andscape in 2017 that he is proud of his roots and that his father taught him African-American history. Hartenstein, who has a lighter complexion, said he dealt with racism during his youth in Germany and encountered people, unaware of his origins, who made racist comments about black people in front of him. He also talked about being black on the podcast The Roommates Showhosted by Brunson and Josh Hart, then his teammates on the Knicks. “It was fun”Hartenstein said about the podcast – “I knew they were doing it. They talked about it all week before.”. And he added: “Andscape was the first to release it to the public. It’s always fun when people find out.”. The Knicks wanted to retain Hartenstein and offered him a four-year, $72.5 million contract. Hartenstein, however, chose to sign a more lucrative three-year, $87 million deal on July 6 to join Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the surging Thunder. Hartenstein had earned a combined total of $22.6 million in his NBA career thus far. This season alone he will earn $30 million.

Looking back, Hartenstein is very proud of what he was able to accomplish after a slow start to his career: “It was hard to leave. It wasn’t easy. I loved being on the field and I loved my teammates. If I couldn’t go to a place like OKC, I don’t think I would have left. But you also have to think that in the end it is a business. It’s not like he had a ton of $100 million contracts before this one. I had to make sure my family was at peace. It was a crazy experience going from minimum wage contracts to even a training camp contract with the Clippers. Starting from that level to get to this has been a great journey. Many times we don’t understand what we are experiencing. But now, looking back, I wouldn’t change anything on or off the pitch.”

Hartenstein’s most critical days in the NBA returned when the Thunder announced that on October 15, in a preseason game against Denver, he suffered a small, non-displaced fracture in his left hand. The good news is that the injury did not require surgery, but Hartenstein’s debut with the Thunder has been postponed. After learning of Hartenstein’s passion for reading, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault gave him the book as a gift “The Obstacle is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials Into Triumph” by Ryan Holiday. The Wall Street Journal’s #1 bestseller is inspired by Stoicism, the ancient Greek philosophy of enduring pain and overcoming adversity with perseverance and resilience.

“He talks about his time in Denver, when he worked hard on his mental approach”Daigneault told Andscape: “I recommended that book to him because he was injured. But it’s a book that’s right for him. He’s a very intelligent boy.”. “Mark gave me the book and helped me a lot during the injury period. Having read it facilitated the recovery process without wasting time”ha Detto Hartenstein.

Hartenstein received a hero’s welcome from Thunder fans when he debuted with 13 points and 14 rebounds in a 109-99 win against the Portland Trail Blazers on Nov. 20. In nine games he reached all-time highs in points (11.6), rebounds (12.8), assists (4.3) and blocks (1.2) for the Thunder, who at 19-5 have the best record in the Western Conference.

“He’s obviously big physically, and last season we had a smaller team that often lost the battle for rebounds with the opponents”Daigneault said – “That’s the main reason why we wanted it. But that doesn’t do justice to what an excellent player he is. He’s not just a big body who can rebound. He’s a great basketball player. He is very good at the most important fundamentals of basketball. He is an absolute glue who improves both sides of the pitch thanks to his dynamism.”

For young people in the NBA who are struggling early in their careers, Hartenstein believes they can find inspiration in his story: “Be process oriented. Sometimes it takes time. Everyone enters the NBA wanting to play right away. Mentally you have to be strong and not be pessimistic. A lot of guys don’t play at first and aren’t good locker room mates. They don’t support their teammates when they aren’t given a chance. You have to stay focused and train hard until you get your chance. Do the little things. Be a good teammate. And be ready when your time comes”.