Isaiah Hartenstein Full Introductory Media Availability | July 6, 2024 | OKC Thunder

Isaiah Hartenstein Full Introductory Media Availability | July 6, 2024 | OKC Thunder

this day feel like for you to to walk into your new home uh super exciting I mean um just being able to experience this with my family too has been great um they’ve been very open armed um even with my family it’s been so it’s been a great experience and it kind of what we kind of always saw from afar how how the culture is is exactly how you expect it and a little better so it’s be great Yeah you mentioned kind of that culture you can probably tell from afar just the camaraderie the group has it seems like you you’ve been a guy that everywhere you’ve been you’ve you’ve developed those types of relationships uh what is it about you that um you’re able to do that and how excited are you to join this group um I mean to me it’s always just about doing whatever the team needs so I mean feel like that also starts off the course so just being a good teammate being a good person so I mean that’s always important to me so just being now in a culture where it’s where it means a lot to them is it’s very exciting isah how how difficult was the decision to leave your situation in New York and just what was it about the thunder organization that Drew you in um I mean if I’m honest it was hard I mean I was um in a situation man I love my teammates out in New York um I really appreciate what tibs and Leon did for me and uh the fans in New York were uh showed a lot of love but um I mean going into the situation um just very excited I mean from afar I always um saw how the culture was especially um me since since they’ve been in OKC how they established the culture um the style of play I think really fits fits me I’m a high IQ player um there have a lot of guys who cut so I think to me I’m one of the best Pastors in the in the NBA and then um and then just the culture I mean again um very family based so um it was just something that was really exciting to me um felt like I can really expand my game here um just especially talking to Mark how open open-minded he is so um it’s really exciting for me and then just defensively I mean I think I can still bring a lot to the team I mean I feel like they were really good really good last year but then bringing uh crucial myself and I think we hopefully will’ll take another step in that and you mentioned T and the Mark I just wonder what those conversations sound like and what might be your expectations in terms of role and minutes next year from what you know now I mean it was great I mean I think um one of the questions would kind of really helped a lot I mean I asked him what what what you think it takes to take the next step to win a championship I mean his biggest thing was the process I mean not skipping steps and so that’s kind of how I approach um every day in my life so him having that same mindset um with the team was very intriguing to me because a lot of people try to tell you a story or oh we we do this to win a championship but him coming in saying we have to take it step by step was great and then roll I mean I’m just here to do whatever team needs to win I mean I’ve been in a lot of different situations I know how to adapt um but again the way they play here is um really exciting for me and um I feel like it can spam my game a lot especially offensively here so Isaiah how does your game complement Chad in your mind um I think um high IQ player um I think both he’s very very skilled um I think we can play really good to together I mean defensively having two the top Rim protectors on don’t know quite at the same time is it’s not easy so um no but I’m really excited I mean that’s that’s one thing I’m really really excited to see how that goes because um he’s very talented and I think with my IQ um I’ll have to do a little bit more of the dirty work so he can he can chill a little bit but um no it’s really exciting I mean he’s to me he’s one of the most talented bigs in the NBA so me and him being on the court together I think is going to be um very deadly so I’m excited about that has anybody reached out to you so far on the team and so what did they say uh Shay I mean I played with Shay at the hoop Summit so I kind of I kind of know him from before so I think people were talking about that I followed Shay but I followed Shay like in 2016 so um no but um he just reached out to say um he’s really excited um I’m really excited to have me and and he doesn’t have to box me out anymore so that’s what we excited about so yeah you you talk about the culture here but just in the last couple years as an opponent just watching the Thunder as a teen the way these guys you know went from nowhere to the play in and then to number one seed in the west what were your thoughts just the way the team was developing um I think they were doing it the right way I mean I feel like they weren’t trying to rush steps um I think every year you kind of saw them take a next step I think how professional they are I mean I think every time you see them go on the court um there’s a there a certain competitiveness always to them um they area excited for each other and I think in the NBA you don’t have that a lot where no matter who’s doing good the whole team is excited for each other and so I’m just excited to come in and help them just take another step so um I think the way they play together I think is very exciting you made 14 of 30 from Deep a couple of years ago yeah um yeah not you hadn’t been shooting that much since is that something you you want to expand on your game yeah I mean that’s definitely something I mean I think um you’re NBA player especially you have to adapt to certain roles and that’s what I to do in New York I mean I think my passing only came came out probably last year so My First Year had to adapt to a certain role so um that was something that I felt like I can really bring bring expand my game while I was talking about before um just getting back to that shooting expect um cuz before I was shooting it so it’s really just getting back to that and being more first at to that’s kind of what the team needs so is Isaiah was there a point during the season or in the last couple years where you thought this could be a reality where you’re going to be a sought after free agent at the level you were is your game really kind of ramped up this year yeah I mean um I always had belief in myself um but I mean I feel like especially after after kind of Mitch went out and I had was starting most of the time I think I showed I was um a high level Center in the NBA so um yeah I mean my biggest thing is just really just kind of approaching everything day by day I’m droing wood carrying water so that was the biggest thing to me so dness season I’m never never really thinking much about free agencies more just trying to get better each day you’re really good rebounder especially on the offensive end yeah how is that what is is is that studying film is that instinct how is it how do it come about it’s mostly just going to go get it um but I mean I study a lot of film I mean I kind of watch the funniest thing cuz I think when I was first came in the NBA it was kind of a weakness so um I I think there was like a YouTube video of Taj Gibson showing how the box out or something like that and so I watched that and it helped a lot but um yeah I mean I think just throughout my career I always grew in stuff what were my weaknesses I mean when I first came into NBA it was more defense and Rebound with my weaknesses and so I tried to get better than that and now it’s my strength so so me defense was more watching watching a lot of film of Draymond um Al Horford so I think film has probably been my my best friend so far is you you used the word Championship a few times I just wonder you know before you join it and now that you’re here like you know how do you how close do you finish team in to to winning a championship uh I mean we’re a great team I mean I feel like again I mean kind of what Mark said before it’s a process I mean you we’re z00 now so so going in saying oh we’re going to win a championship right away um I feel like that’s the wrong approach I mean I feel like when you get when you do that kind of like games slip I mean um so for us is I think the main thing is really just going step by step um knowing we’re a great team having a confidence we can win every game but you just can’t skip skip steps so that’s the main thing what did you learn from tips in your your time in New York that helped you develop um a lot of Defense defensively I mean um um he’s he’s really smart defensively so um just little stuff just kind of kind of more like one-on-one defense how to kind of position yourself so um I mean TB TBS was great I mean he was always always had us really prepared so I’m I’m always always really grateful for that is what what stood out to you about the trip Sam and and you know some of the people from the organization took up to eug and just that whole gesture yeah I mean um I mean say was the biggest thing is just um the culture again I mean I feel like I’ve said it a lot of times but I mean to me it’s really important having a culture where I feel like I can fit in um I feel like my family feels comfortable and then just the belief he had in me knowing that I can help the team and help the team take another step and then with Mark which is again how process Focus he was how open-minded he was um and I just really thought I could help the team a lot and then expand my game so I feel like Mark gave me that kind of it was really comfortable like I knew like I didn’t really have to look over over my shoulder a lot um he gives the guys a lot of confidence and so that was really intriguing to me is you’re you’re kind of seen as the biggest fre agency signing in franchise history here what does that title kind of mean to you I mean it’s some I don’t know uh no but it’s exciting um I mean it’s really it’s really exciting I mean just always looking from afar OKC was always a team where I always was really excited about even watching when I was over in Germany when it was um KD um bruss and James so um really exciting I mean Russ probably was one of the first guys who texted me like if you ever need anything and I think he said the o or something and just just just just let me know so um it’s really exciting Sam reiterate many times how young you are are in your development and stuff like that do you feel like a younger player coming into this group or do you feel like a more veteran I mean I’m young but I think I’m mature I mean I think there’s a difference I mean I feel like also a lot of the guys aren’t as mentally young like I think that’s what you kind of see from afar it’s not like a young group if you kind of know what I mean it’s very mature group I mean age- wise they’re young but I feel like the approach they have to the game I think makes them very mature and that was also exciting to me having a group where I know they take it serious I mean I take this game very Ser serious if it’s from my offseason preparation in season so it’s that was really exciting to me Sam mentioned your desire to continue developing what are those next steps for you in your game yeah I mean um just continue to get my my shot I mean I feel like um especially how they they play here um I feel like I can still get a lot better defensively even though I had a great defensive year last year so um just those little things and just been more more comfortable I think I’m very comfortable with the ball in my hands but especially with this system probably a little bit more so just keep working on those little things anybody else thank you is nice meting you thank you

Isaiah Hartenstein speaks with media as he is welcomed to Oklahoma City.

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