Isaiah Hartenstein (born May 5, 1998) is a German-American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

player for the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associa ...

of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues i ...

(NBA).

Early life

Born in

Eugene, Oregon Eugene ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Oregon. It is located at the southern end of the Willamette Valley, near the confluence of the McKenzie and Willamette rivers, about east of the Oregon Coast. As of the 2020 United States Census ...

, Hartenstein is the son of Florian, a German basketball coach and former professional basketball player of Afro-German descent. His mother is American. His parents met in the United States when his father attended the

University of Oregon The University of Oregon (UO, U of O or Oregon) is a public research university in Eugene, Oregon. Founded in 1876, the institution is well known for its strong ties to the sports apparel and marketing firm Nike, Inc, and its co-founder, billion ...

. In 2008, Hartenstein and his family moved to Germany, where his father was playing professionally.

Professional career

Artland Dragons (2015–2016)

Hartenstein joined the MTV Gießen youth ranks and continued his career at the youth teams of QTSV Quakenbrück/

Artland Dragons QTSV Quakenbrück, representing its professional team as Artland Dragons, is a basketball club based in Quakenbrück, Germany. Their home arena was the Artland Arena, which has room for 3,000 spectators. From 2003 till 2015 the club played in the B ...

, after his father had signed to play with the

in 2009. In the 2013–14 season, Hartenstein led the Artland Dragons' junior team to a German championship in the Under-16 Bundesliga JBBL, while being named Most Valuable Player. He averaged 20.9 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 2.9 steals and 1.9 blocks on the season. His father Florian who served as head coach of the team was named JBBL Coach of the Year. Hartenstein was selected to play in the 2014

Jordan Brand Classic The Jordan Brand Classic is a high school All-Star basketball game played annually in April. The game's rosters feature the best and most highly recruited high school boys in the senior class including alumns like Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, B ...

International Game: He finished the game with four points and five rebounds in 18 minutes. Hartenstein helped the Žalgiris Kaunas Under-18 squad to win the qualifying tournament to the

Euroleague Basketball Next Generation Tournament The Euroleague Basketball Next Generation Tournament is an international boy's youth age basketball tournament that is contested between the best basketball clubs in Europe in the Under-18 age category. The tournament is organized by Euroleague B ...

and was selected MVP. On February 1, 2015, Hartenstein made his debut in Germany's top-tier level

Basketball Bundesliga The Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) (English language: ''Federal Basketball League''), for sponsorship reasons named easyCredit BBL, is the highest level league of professional club basketball in Germany. The league comprises 18 teams. A BBL seaso ...

, seeing 1:12 minutes of action against

Eisbären Bremerhaven Eisbären Bremerhaven ( en, Polar Bears Bremerhaven) is a professional basketball club from Bremerhaven, Germany, that competes in the ProA. The team was established as the professional section of the club BSG Bremerhaven and played in the first- ...

Žalgiris Kaunas (2016–2017)

In August 2015, Hartenstein signed a deal with Lithuanian powerhouse Žalgiris Kaunas, but he remained with the

loan In finance, a loan is the lending of money by one or more individuals, organizations, or other entities to other individuals, organizations, etc. The recipient (i.e., the borrower) incurs a debt and is usually liable to pay interest on that ...

. The Dragons had withdrawn from the Bundesliga, and were

relegated In sports leagues, promotion and relegation is a process where teams are transferred between multiple divisions based on their performance for the completed season. Leagues that use promotion and relegation systems are often called open leagues. ...

to the 2. Bundesliga ProB, Germany's third division. Hartenstein played in 14 games for the

Quakenbrück Quakenbrück ( Northern Low Saxon: ''Quokenbrügge'') is a town in the district of Osnabrück, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Hase. It is part of the ''Samtgemeinde'' ("collective municipality") of Artland. History Qu ...

based side during the 2015–16 campaign, compiling averages of 11.6 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, 1.6 steals and 1.4 assists. In January 2016, Hartenstein decided to leave the Artland Dragons to join Žalgiris Kaunas. Hartenstein made his debut for Žalgiris in Lithuania's top-flight league, the LKL, on September 28, 2016 against Šiauliai and in the EuroLeague against Fenerbahce on October 26. Later in that season, he helped Žalgiris win their first ever King Mindaugas Cup.

Houston Rockets (2018–2020)

In February 2016, Hartenstein attended the "Basketball Without Borders Global Camp" during the NBA All-Star Weekend in

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...

, Canada. On April 7, 2017, he scored 10 points and grabbed three rebounds in 19 minutes of play at the

Nike Hoop Summit The Nike Hoop Summit is an international men's basketball all-star game sponsored by Nike, held once a year since 1995, except from 2001–2003, which features the USA Basketball Men's Junior Select Team against a World Select Team of internationa ...

. Hartenstein declared for the

2017 NBA draft The 2017 NBA draft was held on June 22, 2017, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting U.S. college basketball players and other eligible players, including international players. ...

on April 22, 2017. He was also named an invite for the

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a ser ...

NBA Draft Combine, but he ultimately declined participation for the event. On June 22, 2017, he was selected with the 43rd overall pick in the

by the

Houston Rockets The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston. The Rockets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member team of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Southwest Divisio ...

and subsequently competed for the team in the

2017 NBA Summer League The 2017 NBA Summer League consisted of three pro basketball leagues organized by the National Basketball Association (NBA): the Orlando Pro Summer League, Utah Jazz Summer League, and Las Vegas Summer League. Eight teams participated in the we ...

. In the 2017–18 campaign, Hartenstein appeared in 38 games of the

NBA G League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is the National Basketball Association's (NBA) official minor league basketball organization. The league was known as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL) from 2001 to 2005, and the NBA De ...

, averaging 9.5 points and 6.6 rebounds a contest for the

Rio Grande Valley Vipers The Rio Grande Valley Vipers are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in Edinburg, Texas, and are affiliated with the Houston Rockets. The Vipers play their home games at the Bert Ogden Arena. The Vipers have won fo ...

. On July 25, 2018, the

signed Hartenstein. After being sent down to the

, he was suspended one game without pay after leaving the bench during an altercation in a 132–109 loss to the

Memphis Hustle The Memphis Hustle are an American professional basketball team of the NBA G League based in the Greater Memphis suburb of Southaven, Mississippi, and are affiliated with the Memphis Grizzlies. The team plays their home games at the Landers Cente ...

on December 17, 2019. On February 7, 2019, Hartenstein recorded his first career triple-double after posting 12 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists in a 103–102 road win against Salt Lake City Stars. In the 2018–19 season, Hartenstein scored 33 points and made a career-high 8 3-pointers in the series-clinching game as they won the

championship with the

. He won the NBA G League Finals MVP award. On June 23, 2020, the

announced that they had waived Hartenstein.

Denver Nuggets (2020–2021)

On November 30, 2020, the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...

announced that they had signed Hartenstein to a multi–year contract. Playing behind the All-Star center Nikola Jokic, Hartenstein averaged 9 minutes, 3.5 points and 2.8 rebounds per game.

Cleveland Cavaliers (2021)

On March 25, 2021, Hartenstein and two future second-round picks were traded to the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

in exchange for center JaVale McGee. In his first twelve games with the Cavs, Hartenstein averaged 19 minutes of playing time and 9 points, 7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 blocks per game.

Los Angeles Clippers (2021–2022)

On September 27, 2021, Hartenstein signed with the

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...

New York Knicks (2022–present)

On July 12, 2022, Hartenstein signed a two-year, $16 million contract with the

National team career

Hartenstein represented Germany at the

2014 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship The 2014 FIBA Europe Under-16 Championship was the 28th edition of the European Under-16 Basketball Championship. 16 teams participated in the competition, held in the four Latvian cities of Ogre, Grobiņa, Liepāja and Riga, from 20 to 30 August ...

and the

2015 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship The 2015 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship was the 32nd edition of the FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship. 16 teams participated in the competition, which was held in Volos, Greece, from 23 July to 2 August 2015. Participating teams * * * * (3rd ...

. He also helped carry Germany to a fourth-place finish at the

2016 FIBA Europe Under-18 Championship The 2016 FIBA U18 European Championship was the 33rd edition of the FIBA U18 European Championship. The competition was originally scheduled to take place in Samsun, Turkey, from 30 July to 7 August 2016, but was postponed indefinitely due to the ...

, averaging team-highs of 14.7 points, 9.5 rebounds, 1.7 blocks, and 1.7 steals a contest, which earned him a spot in the tournament's "All-Star Five". In August 2017, he made his debut with the German men's national team and took part in

EuroBasket 2017 EuroBasket 2017 was the 40th edition of the EuroBasket championship that was organized by FIBA Europe and held between 31 August and 17 September 2017. Beginning from 2017, the continental championships take place every four years with a similar ...

, averaging 4.3 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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, 28 , , 0 , , 7.9 , , .488 , , .333 , , .786 , , 1.7 , , .5 , , .3 , , .4 , , 1.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 23 , , 2 , , 11.6 , , .657 , , .000 , , .679 , , 3.9 , , .8 , , .4 , , .5 , , 4.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...

, 30 , , 0 , , 9.1 , , .513 , , , , .611 , , 2.8 , , .5 , , .4 , , .7 , , 3.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U ...

, 16 , , 2 , , 17.9 , , .582 , , .333 , , .686 , , 6.0 , , 2.5 , , .5 , , 1.2 , , 8.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", L.A. Clippers , 68 , , 0 , , 17.9 , , .626 , , .467 , , .689 , , 4.9 , , 2.4 , , .7 , , 1.1 , , 8.3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 165 , , 4 , , 13.7 , , .600 , , .383 , , .682 , , 3.9 , , 1.5 , , .5 , , .8 , , 5.8

Playoffs

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, 2 , , 0 , , 1.0 , , 1.000 , , , , , , .5 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 2.0 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 2 , , 0 , , 1.0 , , 1.000 , , .000 , , .000 , , .5 , , .0 , , .0 , , .0 , , 2.0

Europe

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2015–16 , style="text-align:left;",

ProB The ProB is the third-tier level league of professional club basketball in Germany. The league comprises 24 teams, separated into a Northern and a Southern Division. Officially, the ProB is part of the '' 2. Basketball Bundesliga'', which con ...

, 14 , , 24.0 , , .479 , , .425 , , .543 , , 8.9 , , 1.4 , , 1.6 , , 2.1 , , 11.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2016–17 , style="text-align:left;", Žalgiris , LKL , 29 , , 12.2 , , .490 , , .286 , , .705 , , 3.5 , , .7 , , .9 , , .6 , , 4.7 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="3", Career , 43 , , 18.1 , , .485 , , .356 , , .624 , , 6.2 , , 1.1 , , 1.3 , , 1.4 , , 8.2

References

External links

NBA G League bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hartenstein, Isaiah 1998 births Living people American expatriate basketball people in Lithuania American men's basketball players Artland Dragons players Basketball players from Oregon BC Žalgiris players Centers (basketball) Cleveland Cavaliers players Denver Nuggets players German expatriate basketball people in Lithuania German expatriate basketball people in the United States German men's basketball players German people of African-American descent German people of American descent American people of German descent Houston Rockets draft picks Houston Rockets players Los Angeles Clippers players National Basketball Association players from Germany New York Knicks players Power forwards (basketball) Rio Grande Valley Vipers players Sportspeople from Eugene, Oregon