After admiring from afar, Isaiah Hartenstein will now enjoy a firsthand experience of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s culture for the foreseeable future.
The signing became official on Saturday. Hartenstein spoke to the media about his decision. He mentioned the Thunder’s reputation as one of the selling points to his decision to leave the New York Knicks and ink a three-year deal in OKC.
The 26-year-old disclosed the Thunder’s reputation precedes itself less than a week since it was reported he signed a contract. Even though he’s yet to spend a minute on the court with his new teammates, he easily envisions how much his playstyle meshes with OKC’s.
“The style of play I think really fits me,” Hartenstein said. “I’m a high-IQ player. They have a lot of guys who cut, so I think to me I’m one of the best passers in the NBA.”
Hartenstein mentioned that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander reached out to him. The MVP runner-up welcomed him to OKC. Both players will likely share ample time on the court as pick-and-roll partners.
Hartenstein also said he remembered growing up in Germany watching the old Thunder squads headlined by the trio of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden.
“OKC was always a team I was always excited about,” Hartenstein said.
He even detailed that Westbrook reached out to welcome him to OKC. The former MVP enjoyed the best years of his career with the Thunder from 2008-19. They crossed paths at the Houston Rockets in the 2019-20 season.
“Russ was probably one of the first guys that texted me,” Hartenstein said. “He was like, ‘If you ever need anything — I think he said ‘the O’ or something — just let me know.'”
Asked Isaiah Hartenstein his thoughts on being viewed as the biggest FA signing in Thunder history
Mentioned how when he was in Germany, he used to watch KD/Russ/Harden. Said Russ was one of the 1st guys to text him and told him if he needs anything from “the O” to text him pic.twitter.com/kYM71zRTLx
— Clemente Almanza (@CAlmanza1007) July 6, 2024
That was a surprising namedrop by Hartenstein. Westbrook is obviously looked at fondly by Thunder fans during his time. The future Hall-of-Famer’s ability to relate himself to all of his teammates from up and down the depth chart is well documented.
Hartenstein is the latest example of this. Before he became one of the best backup bigs in the league, he tried to find his footing in the early stages of his career as a 2017 second-round selection.
The reaction to the Westbrook anecdote was largely positive from Thunder fans. Despite not being together for five years, the love between Westbrook and OKC remains strong.
