Thunder’s Isaiah Hartenstein shares true feelings on Knicks reaching NBA Finals

Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein may have fallen short of winning a second straight ring after losing to the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference Finals, but he will still surely remain invested in the NBA Finals.

The Spurs will battle Hartenstein’s former team, the New York Knicks, in a rematch of the ultimate round in 1999.

After several years bouncing around in the league as a seldom-used pivot, the 28-year-old Hartenstein found a home with the Knicks in 2022. He carved out a role for himself and became a fan favorite because of his attitude and tenacity.

New York suffered back-to-back exits in the second round when Hartenstein was there. Now, he is delighted that the Knicks have finally reached the NBA Finals.

“I’m happy for them. I’d rather be playing against them, but I’m just rooting for them right now. There are a lot of guys I know (there). There are a lot of guys I’m pretty close with. So, I’m just happy for them,” said Hartenstein, as quoted by The Oklahoman’s Justin Martinez.

Hartenstein averaged 6.3 points and 7.4 rebounds with the Knicks.

He parlayed his solid stretch in the Big Apple to a three-year, $87 million contract with the Thunder in 2024, helping them win the championship.

He played a pivotal role against the Spurs, especially in matching up against Western Conference Finals MVP Victor Wembanyama. He averaged 8.3 points and 7.9 rebounds in the seven-game series.

Hartenstein was on the wrong end of a game-changing play in Game 7 after his dunk attempt on the fast break in the fourth quarter was blocked by Luke Kornet.

Game 1 of the NBA Finals is on Wednesday.

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