Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein's ‘funny' response to Stephen A. Smith diss
After becoming an NBA champion, Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein kept his receipts for those who didn't always believe, including ESPN analyst Stephen A Smith. Smith has been ridiculed for his hometown takes on the New York Knicks, which led to a stray when he questioned the starting center's promotion in New York. It was the season that caught Oklahoma City's eye. The Thunder offered Hartenstein a three-year, $87 million contract.
Hartenstein addressed Smith's comments from his days with the Knicks per Podcast P with Paul George.
'The funny thing is when I saw it, it wasn't like I wasn't playing at the time, I was playing; I was a big part of the team at the time,' Hartenstein said. 'I don't know who showed it to me like, 'Yo, you saw this?' I was like, 'What?' Funny thing is he came back to be at the Finals like, 'Bro, I miss you in New York.' So, we cool and stuff but I think just at the time, it was funny.'
For Hartenstein, Smith's comments were an example of the entertaining lives NBA analysts lead, which Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault points out regularly to his team.
'That's kind of what Mark, our coach, talks about, a lot, just blending out the machine,' Hartenstein added. 'Most of these people, he said, they put on makeup before they get on set. Most of them don't watch every single game. They're doing what's what best TV. So, it's no hard feelings. We're good.'
Averaging 8.1 points on 61.9% shooting, 7.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and 0.8 steals per game throughout the postseason, Hartenstein played a critical role for the Thunder. Starting in 20 of 23 playoff games, Hartenstein was a defensive anchor for Oklahoma City and was often remembered for setting some of the toughest screens for his teammates. Isaiah was a consistent thorn in the side of his opponents as Stephen A Smith watched up close.
Isaiah Hartenstein on the differences between Thunder, Knicks
Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein addressed the differences between the Knicks and Thunder, following his first season with his new team. For Hartenstein, the Thunder are a much closer-knit team, which shows in their approach to playing basketball, he said, per the Rich Eisen Show.
'Yeah, I think it was just a mixture of things. I mean, Sam Presti has a great culture he built out there,' Hartenstein said. 'They were first in the West the year before. Just playing style kind of fit me pretty good. We're moving the ball, playing together.'
Hartenstein also admitted that the $87 million contract helped him make his decision to join the Thunder.
Related: Tyrese Haliburton breaks down Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander path to becoming MVP
Related: Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander joins Stone Cold Steve Austin with rare honor
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