Isaiah Hartenstein, now ballin’ for the Oklahoma City Thunder, just dropped his take on the New York Knicks’ absolutely wild ride to the 2026 NBA championship. Even though his Thunder squad fell just five wins short of their own back-to-back ambitions, Hartenstein had his eyes locked on the Finals, and not just to see if the San Antonio Spurs would choke. He was watching his old teammates join him in the ring club, and man, did they deliver!
Knicks’ Dominance Was No Joke
Man, the Knicks weren’t playing around. They pulled off one of the most dominant playoff runs in NBA history, going a sizzling 16-3 overall. Picture this: a historic 13-game win streak where almost every single game turned into a blowout. They even gentlemen-swept the Spurs in the 2026 NBA Finals. Seriously, this was an unprecedented run by a team that didn’t even bother with Phil Jackson’s old-school ’40 wins before 20 losses’ rule in the regular season. Just unreal stuff.
Hartenstein’s Bittersweet Memories
Hartenstein knows that Knicks squad well. He had his breakout there, spending two seasons from 2022-24, really showing everyone he could be a full-time starter. That’s what helped him land with the Thunder. Reflecting at the 2026-27 Thunder Media Day, he was genuinely happy for his old teammates. “Yeah, it was great. Again, I played with so many of those guys. You’re with them for so long, you go through so many different things,” Hartenstein said. “It was just great to see that they won and great to see that the work they put in has all worked out. I talk a lot with OG. So it’s cool for me to see him have those big plays and be able to win a championship.” His exit from New York might have shocked a lot of their fanbase back then, but it definitely paid off for him, helping OKC snag one NBA championship and maybe even more.
So, what’s next? Both the Thunder and the Knicks are already stacking up as popular title picks for the 2026-27 season. If these two powerhouses meet up in the 2027 NBA Finals, you know Hartenstein’s whole journey with both organizations is gonna be one of the biggest storylines out there. Get ready for some fireworks.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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