43rd choice of the 2017 Draft, Isaiah Hartenstein is a great story and a hope for many players. He had a fairly modest start to his career, before gradually showing himself to his advantage, especially in New York last season.
By shining at Madison Square Garden, and under the gaze of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, he attracted the attention of the Thunder, to the point of signing an $87 million contract last summer. Four years after another signing, in Denver in 2020, which will lead him to experience less glorious moments.
“It was hard playing behind Nikola Jokic, only having eight minutes per game. It wasn't great”, he remembers for Andscape. “Denver was probably my hardest time. We were after Covid and it was the first time that I thought that maybe it wasn't going to work for me. But I continued. »
What helped him was a book: The Mindful Athlete: Secrets to Pure Performance, by George Mumford. This former university player, who knew Julius Erving, did not have a career on the court but will retrain by working on the psychological aspect of athletes. He notably shared an experience with Phil Jackson with the Bulls. And his work helped the Thunder pivot.
“It’s a process, and sometimes it takes time. We arrive in the NBA and we want to play right away. You have to be mentally strong and not be negative”
“I found answers in it. I was at a stage where I needed to work more on my mentality. What I remember as a priority is to stay in the present moment, to think about the process,” says Isaiah Hartenstein. “There will be ups and downs, but in both cases you shouldn’t overdo it. There will be bad matches, we must not dwell on them but think about what comes next. Control what you can control. »
That lesson came in handy again this year, when he injured his hand a few days before the start of the regular season. He therefore missed the Thunder's first matches, champing at the bit. This time, it was his coach who slipped a book into his hands. It was The Obstacle is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials Into Triumph, a work by Ryan Holiday that praises Stoicism, a philosophical school of ancient Greece.
“He told me about his time in Denver, when he worked on his mentality. I recommended this book to him because he was hurt,” says Mark Daigneault. “The coach gave me this book, which helped me during my rehabilitation”confirms the former Knicks, who thinks that his experience can be useful to other players.
“It’s a process, and sometimes it takes time. We arrive in the NBA and we want to play right away. You have to be mentally strong and not be negative. Many players who don't play at first become bad teammates. They don't support their teammates when they don't have the opportunity to play. You have to stay the course until you get your chance. Do the little things, be a good teammate and be ready when the time comes”he advises.
| Isaiah Hartenstein | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | L.F. | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Party | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2018-19 | HOU | 28 | 8 | 48.8 | 33.3 | 78.6 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 1.9 |
| 2019-20 | HOU | 23 | 12 | 65.7 | 0.0 | 67.9 | 1.3 | 2.7 | 3.9 | 0.8 | 1.8 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 4.7 |
| 2020-21 * | All Teams | 46 | 12 | 55.0 | 33.3 | 64.8 | 1.4 | 2.5 | 3.9 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 0.4 | 1.0 | 0.8 | 5.1 |
| 2020-21 * | DEN | 30 | 9 | 51.3 | 0.0 | 61.1 | 1.3 | 1.5 | 2.8 | 0.5 | 2.0 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 3.5 |
| 2020-21 * | KEY | 16 | 18 | 58.2 | 33.3 | 68.6 | 1.6 | 4.4 | 6.0 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 0.5 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 8.2 |
| 2021-22 | LAKE | 68 | 18 | 62.6 | 46.7 | 68.9 | 1.7 | 3.2 | 4.9 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 0.7 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 8.3 |
| 2022-23 | NYK | 82 | 20 | 53.5 | 21.6 | 67.6 | 2.5 | 4.0 | 6.5 | 1.2 | 2.6 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 5.0 |
| 2023-24 | NYK | 75 | 25 | 64.4 | 33.3 | 70.7 | 3.3 | 5.1 | 8.3 | 2.5 | 2.8 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 1.1 | 7.8 |
| 2024-25 | OKC | 6 | 30 | 57.4 | 0.0 | 62.5 | 2.7 | 9.7 | 12.3 | 4.2 | 3.5 | 0.7 | 2.2 | 1.5 | 13.3 |
| Total | 328 | 18 | 59.5 | 30.3 | 68.7 | 2.1 | 3.6 | 5.8 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 6.2 | |
How to read the stats? MJ = matches played; Min = Minutes; Shots = Successful shots / Attempted shots; 3pts = 3-points / 3-points attempted; LF = free throws made / free throws attempted; Off = offensive rebound; Def=defensive rebound; Tot = Total rebounds; Pd = assists; Fte: Personal fouls; Int = Intercepts; Bp = Lost balls; Ct: Against; Pts = Points.
