Oklahoma City Thunder star Isaiah Hartenstein made an interesting decision in the offseason to join the team.
Given the difference in depth between the two conferences, taking the challenge to swap East for West certainly turns the difficulty up a notch for an NBA player.
But when you join the Oklahoma City Thunder, this could be the exception.
Isaiah Hartenstein left the New York Knicks in summer 2024 to sign with OKC, helping his new team to a staggering 68 win regular season.
Now after defeating the Grizzlies, Nuggets and Timberwolves, OKC are into the NBA Finals, set to face the Indiana Pacers.
Isaiah Hartenstein is living the dream right now, set to make his first ever appearance for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Finals.
But the big man accepts there have been some low moments too along the way in his career.
Asked about the biggest challenges he has faced, speaking to the media ahead of the Finals, Hartenstein says the mental side of the game has been the toughest.
He responded: “I think the mental part of it. I think the mental part. I think everyone comes in the league, before ‘you were the guy’. I think especially my role, I had to figure out my role, figure out how can I get on the court, how can I help the team.
“I think the biggest thing for me is I took accountability why I wasn’t playing. The worst thing you can do is blame other people why you’re not playing.”
Hartenstein said he studied tape, not just of his own. He says he watched Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green, and found inspiration.
“I really just sat down, watched a lot of film. Watched a lot of Draymond.
“He helped me a lot defensively, just kind of helping me get better at that because that was one of my weaker points why I didn’t play.”
Isaiah Hartenstein is playing on his sixth different NBA team. He was drafted by the Houston Rockets in 2017.
He later played for the Denver Nuggets, Cleveland Cavaliers and LA Clippers, before the Knicks and then the Thunder.
Earlier this season, NBA legend Vince Carter even said the Knicks may be regretting letting Hartenstein leave.
Hartenstein initially had to prove himself in the G League, and did so spectacularly.
He led the Rio Grande Valley Vipers to win the G League Championship in 2019 and was named the MVP.
Now he is set to play in the NBA Finals. It’s quite a journey, and Hartenstein wants to pay it forward and inspire others.
He told reporters: “Now having an opportunity to be here, having a big role, I think it’s something special.
“I think also a lot of different guys that may be in the G League, may be the guys that are fighting for minutes, can kind of see my journey and build off that and know if you just put in the hard work, you do the right things.”
