Former New York Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein has enjoyed a career year with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Now, he is just one win away from becoming an NBA Champion for the first time in his career.
Isaiah Hartenstein is on the verge of becoming an NBA champion
The Thunder took a commanding 3-2 series lead over the Indiana Pacers in the NBA Finals on Monday, leaving them just one win shy of their first title as a franchise. Hartenstein regained his starting center spot earlier in the series and has made a positive impact for them.
During the Finals, Hartenstein is averaging 4.4 points and 6.8 rebounds while being a +7. He has had a great impact on the glass and defensively, which were two things he excelled at during his time with the Knicks.
Hartenstein had spent the previous two seasons with New York, and it was his second season that landed him a three-year, $87 million contract with Oklahoma City last summer. He took over the starting spot at center for an injured Mitchell Robinson and played tremendously.
Hartenstein’s Knicks tenure helped his career take off
As a starter with the Knicks last season, he averaged 8.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game, posing as an all-around threat inside. This season with the Thunder, he took a notch further by averaging 11.2 points and 10.7 rebounds with 1.1 blocks.
His performance with the Knicks helped his career take off, and now he is one win away from reaching the mountain top of the league.
Hartenstein isn’t the only former Knick who can walk away as a champion after the finals. Obi Toppin of the Indiana Pacers spent his first three seasons with the Knicks from 2020-23, and he will become a first-time champion if the Pacers can win the next two games.