It wasn’t that long ago that Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein found solace in a psychology book that helped him cope with the stress and realities of being an NBA journeyman. The reality now includes stability for the big man and the ability to breathe a sigh of relief after he signed an $87 million contract after six challenging NBA seasons.

But since he knows the fight very well, all that money won’t allow him to relax the survival mentality that has gotten him so far.

“When I signed the contract it was special,” Hartenstein recently told Andscape. “I’m struggling through the NBA right now. Coming to the (Houston) Rockets from the G League and getting sent down over and over again kind of proved me. It was never easy. It wasn’t a relief, but it was an excitement.

“I didn’t feel like I could accelerate. The hard work finally paid off, even if it took a little longer than I thought. I was excited and motivated at the same time that I had proven myself.”

Hartenstein played for the Houston Rockets, Denver Nuggets, Cleveland Cavaliers, LA Clippers and New York Knicks from 2018 to 2024. The 7-foot, 250-pound player also played in the G League for the Rio Grande Vipers early in his NBA career. In a press release from the Rockets on June 23, 2020, in which the signing of David Nwaba was announced, the team ultimately only stated: “In a similar move, the Rockets have waived center Isaiah Hartenstein.” He was the 43rd pick by Houston in the 2017 NBA Draft and appeared in a total of 51 games as a Rocket.” No other statistics were included.

On November 30, 2020, the Nuggets signed Hartenstein to a two-year, $3.3 million contract as the replacement for All-Star center Nikola Jokić. Hartenstein’s father, former Oregon center Florian, spent time with his son in Denver to support him, accompany him to basketball practice and even cook meals. The situation amid the coronavirus pandemic also increased stress.

“In general, it was difficult to play behind Jokić for about eight minutes per game,” Hartenstein said. “It didn’t go so well. Denver was probably the most difficult time. It was post-COVID and that was the first time I felt like it might not work out. But I just kept going.”

Hartenstein has always been a voracious reader. Hoping to help himself mentally on and off the floor, he searched online for sports psychology books that could give him guidance. He found it The Mindful Athlete: Secrets for Pure Performance by George Mumford. NBA legend Michael Jordan once credited Mumford with helping him become a better leader. Mumford also supported former Los Angeles Lakers stars such as Shaquille O’Neal, Lamar Odom and Kobe Bryant.

Mumford, who lived with Julius Erving at UMass, is a widely respected speaker and coach who shares his story, strategies and proven techniques to support athletic performance in the popular book. Credited to Hartenstein The mindful athlete for helping him turn his NBA career around in Denver by delving deeper into “mental space and mental preparation.”

“It figured it out for me. I was in a state where I had to work more (on my mentality) and it worked from there,” Hartenstein said The mindful athlete. “The most important thing I learned from this was to stay present and be more process-oriented.

“There will be ups and downs, but don’t get too high or too low. You’re going to have some bad games. Don’t let it last any longer. Let’s move on to the next step. Control what you can control.”

Hartenstein played sparingly for the Nuggets before being traded to the Cavaliers on March 25, 2021. He showed signs of being a proven NBA player with the Cavaliers, averaging 8.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in 16 games during the 2020-21 season. He next signed with the Clippers on September 13, 2021, although it was on a one-year minimum contract. Hartenstein made it to the Clippers and averaged 8.3 points and 4.9 rebounds in 17.9 minutes off the bench in 68 games during the 2021-22 season.

Hartenstein believes his time with the Clippers proved he is an NBA center.

“This was the first season I was in the rotation consistently,” Hartenstein said. “I had good months with the Rockets, but the Clippers were the most consistent (season).”

The NBA nomad was rewarded with his first contract worth over $2 million per year by signing a two-year, $16 million contract with the Knicks on July 1, 2022. In 157 games with the Knicks, he averaged 6.3 points and 7.4 rebounds per game from 2022-24. Most notably, Hartenstein was a successful starter for New York in the regular season and playoffs after Mitchell Robinson was injured.

Hartenstein felt respected and loved in a Knicks uniform and loved playing at Madison Square Garden.

“It was great to play in the Mecca (Madison Square Garden), in big games, especially in the playoffs,” Hartenstein said. “Me and Jalen (Brunson) came in there and kind of changed it. That was big. Playing in the garden was always special. Being out there was a special experience.”

Hartenstein’s father is black and German and his mother is white German. He told Andscape in 2017 that he was proud of his Black roots and that his father taught him African-American history. Hartenstein, who has lighter skin color, said he struggled with racism growing up in Germany, confronting people who didn’t know he was black and who made racist comments about black people in front of him.

He also talked about being black on the podcast. The Roommates Showhosted by Brunson and Josh Hart, who were his teammates on the Knicks at the time.

“It was funny,” Hartenstein said of the podcast. “I knew they did. They talked about it all week (beforehand).”

He added: “(Andscape) was the first to bring it to the world. It’s always fun when people find out.”

The Knicks wanted to keep Hartenstein and offered him a four-year, $72.5 million contract. However, Hartenstein opted to sign a more lucrative three-year, $87 million contract on July 6 to join NBA All-Star guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the up-and-coming Thunder. Hartenstein had previously earned a total of $22.6 million in his NBA career. He’s making $30 million this season.

Looking back, Hartenstein is very proud of what he was able to achieve after a slow start to his career.

“It was difficult for me to say goodbye. It wasn’t easy. I loved being out there and I loved my teammates,” Hartenstein said of New York. “If I couldn’t go to a place like OKC, I don’t think I would have gone. But you also have to remember that at the end of the day this is a business. It wasn’t like I had a whole bunch of $100 million contracts before. I had to make sure my family was heterosexual.

“It was a crazy experience, starting from a minimum contract and a training camp contract with the Clippers. From then on it’s a good little journey. Often you don’t understand what you’re going through. But looking back now, I wouldn’t change a thing on or off the pitch.”

Hartenstein’s difficult NBA days returned when the Thunder announced that he had suffered a small, non-displaced fracture in his left hand in a preseason game against Denver on October 15. The good news was that the injury did not require surgery, but Hartenstein’s debut with the Thunder was delayed.

After learning of Hartenstein’s love of reading, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault gave him the book The Obstacle is the Way: The Timeless Art of Turning Trials into Triumph by Ryan Holiday. The Wall Street Journal The #1 bestseller is inspired by Stoicism, the ancient Greek philosophy of enduring pain and overcoming adversity with perseverance and resilience.

“He talks about his time in Denver when he really worked on his mental game,” Daigneault told Andscape. “I recommended the book because he was injured. But it’s in his wheelhouse, so to speak. He’s a very intelligent guy.”

“Mark gave me the book and it really helped me get through the process (of the injury). Just read that and go through the process of each obstacle and don’t waste your time,” Hartenstein said.

Hartenstein received a hero’s welcome from Thunder fans when he debuted with 13 points and 14 rebounds in a 109-99 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on November 20. He averages career highs in points (13.3), rebounds (12.3). , assists (4.2) and blocks (1.5) in six contests for the Thunder, who have the best record in the participating Western Conference at 16-5 Wednesday.

“He’s obviously big, and we had a smaller, rebounding team last (season),” Daigneault said. “It’s like the AB explanation (for signing him). But that doesn’t do justice to his quality as a player. He’s not just a big body that can recover. He is a great basketball player.

“He’s great at the most important things on the basketball court. He’s an absolute glue guy who adds value to both sides of the floor because of his dynamism.”

For NBA players who struggled early in their careers, Hartenstein believes they can find inspiration in his story.

“Just be process-oriented,” Hartenstein said. “Sometimes it takes time. We all go to the NBA and want to play right away. Mentally you have to be strong and not be negative. A lot of guys don’t play in the beginning and aren’t good locker room guys. You don’t support your teammates if you don’t get a chance.

“You have to stay here until you get your chance. Do the little things. Be a good teammate. And just be ready when your time comes.”