Basketball: Hartenstein is NBA champion: “Thank you Dirk”

Isaiah Hartenstein really heated up the fans of the Oklahoma City Thunder after the NBA title won with his little son in his arm. The one year -old Elijah slept in the middle of the confetti rain and the hustle and bustle on his father’s arm. “Isn’t there loud enough in here,” Hartenstein joked at the indoor microphone – and drove the mood on the ranks to a new climax.

Kevin Durant also liked the involuntary role of the little Hartenstein as a mood maker, whose mega trade from the Phoenix Suns to the Houston Rockets had become public a few hours before the decisive seventh finale. “The little Hartenstein collapsed 😂😂ask. Congratulations OKC,” wrote the four-time Olympic champion at X to his ex-team.

The 27-year-old Hartenstein reminded a little later how he himself as a teenager pursued the title win of Dirk Nowitzki, who had become the first German NBA champion with the Dallas Mavericks 14 years ago. “I watched that with the whole family and friends somewhere in Quakenbrück,” said Hartenstein, the ski goggles as protection against the champagne and beer splashes at the cabin celebration. “To see him that it was possible, it also gave self -confidence that if he manages to do it, I can do it too. Thank you Dirk.”

Nowitzki has long been a basketball legend, Hartenstein also revered the Würzburgers for the success of his long career. “Dirk has done so much for German basketball and now being in one sentence with him is something special,” he said.

Theis and glue tried it, Hartenstein did it

Daniel Theis stood with the Boston Celtics in the NBA finals, Maxi Kleber with the Dallas Mavericks – but only Hartenstein won the title. And that as a central component of a young team that sometimes played their opponents in the ground in the main round and secured the Western Conference with confidence.

In the playoffs, the Thunder first cleared the Memphis Grizzlies, then the Denver Nuggets and finally the Minnesota Timberwolves before the title of the Indiana Pacers in seven games. In the 103: 91 (47:48) in the decisive last game, Hartenstein contributed seven points and nine rebounds, even when the starting line -up was read, he was cheered loudly by the fans.

Hartenstein does not feel understood in Germany

In his seventh year Hartenstein arrived in the NBA, established and respected for his strong passing, the clever free blocks of his teammates and his assertiveness in the defense and under the basket. The Thunder gave him a contract for three years and $ 87 million before the season.

The way there was long and hard. “I mean: On New Year’s Eve I was always the strange that was in the hall with the Artland Dragons. I was always in the Dragon Center at twelve o’clock. They asked why. And I said that. And I said: I want to come to the NBA, I want to prove myself there, I want to win there.”

Even today, the 27-year-old does not feel completely understood in Germany. “All the victims that I sometimes didn’t play a national team to be here now to bring a title to Germany again is something special,” said Hartenstein. “I mean, if you look back for five years now, I was at a training camp here. Many in Germany did not understand why I don’t play with the national team why I had to do this structure to be here now.”

Former national coach Gordon Herbert demanded that the internationals commit himself to a period of three years. EM bronze and World Cup gold won Dennis Schröder, Franz Wagner and all the other basketball heroes without Hartenstein because he always gave his decisions full and honestly on the NBA career. There is now a second NBA champion in Germany.

“Many in Germany think that I don’t see myself as a German, but I want to give back so much to Germany, and that is sometimes difficult for the national team,” said Hartenstein. He was born in the US state of Oregon as the son of a German father and an American mother and then grew up in Quakenbrück, while his father Florian played for the Gießen 46ers and the Artland Dragons in the Bundesliga.

Hartenstein is extremely important to give Germany a little

Hartenstein feels very connected to Germany despite the previously only distant relationship with the national team. A few months ago, he invested in Ratiopharm Ulm and is extremely happy about the chance to be able to celebrate a German championship in the coming days. Even a trip to Germany seems possible. “I mean, I have to look. But being able to celebrate two titles in Ulm would be something special.”

At the latest in August, Hartenstein is certainly in Ulm, he is organizing a festival there, the Ihart Festival: “I want to try to return as much as possible in Germany, so I do the Ihart festival. That’s why I did it with Ulm.”

Hartenstein’s family came to Oklahoma City. Father, mother, wife, son, sister, nephew-everyone should go to a photo with the golden master cup, the Larry-O’Brien-Championship trophy. Therefore, he answers the question of a possible participation in EM in the way: “No idea, I want to focus on it first, my body hurts. Then we will see.” Hartenstein is not world champion. But as a NBA champion, he would certainly not have to stand in the team in the team.