It’s safe to say that Isaiah Hartenstein was loved in New York.
The German-American center was trolled by his former New York Knicks teammates Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson on their “Roommates Show” podcast for leaving the franchise for the Oklahoma City Thunder in free agency, showing the love his teammates had for him (h/t Bleacher Report’s Julia Stumbaugh):
“He’s dead to us,” Hart said lightheartedly.
“He texted me, he was like, ‘Yo bro, appreciate everything killa.’ I was like, ‘Who’s this?'” Brunson added (27:45 mark).
Knicks: Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson clearly cherished their relationship with Isaiah Hartenstein
Neither Hartenstein, Hart, or Brunson played even three full seasons together on the Knicks, but the two campaigns they’ve had overlap during their tenures from 2022-23 to 2023-24 left an indelible mark on them all.
Hartenstein was Hart and Brunson’s center. That means a lot in basketball and not just at the NBA level. A player’s center is one that does the dirty work for them, sets great screens so they can be better positioned to score, rebounds the ball with verve so that new opportunities can be created on offense, and so much more.
Hartenstein’s admirable play and character will be missed in New York
The 26-year-old did all of those things and then some, including in the 2024 playoffs. His teammates took note of it and Hartenstein also did his part to forge a harmonious culture among his troops. He raved about Precious Achiuwa’s performance against the Miami Heat on Jan. 27 while he worked his way back from an Achilles injury. Egos were kept low throughout the year in the Knicks’ frontcourt ranks, so much so that featured center Mitchell Robinson openly declared that he’d be open to a bench role behind Hartenstein at a critical juncture of the season.
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Specifically, Brunson and Hart both acknowledged that Hartenstein’s excellent play last season would garner a massive payday this summer on their same podcast aired on May 31, and they were not wrong (h/t Scott Davis of The Sporting News):
“Isaiah about to break the bank!” Brunson exclaimed.
Hart agreed, saying, “Isaiah’s about to get a bag.”
Now, Hartenstein has joined the Thunder on a three-year, $87 million deal. His former teammates are happy for him but will have to prepare to go to war in 2024-25 without him manning the middle for them.
