Fresh off a Skechers endorsement deal, Isaiah Hartenstein arrived at Paycom Center with an outfit universally approved. The Oklahoma City Thunder humiliated the Los Angeles Lakers in a 121-92 win. Before that, though, the seven-footer’s pregame fit received some buzz.

Hartenstein wore a vintage Oklahoma City Hornets jersey. It was Chris Paul’s infamous Valentine’s Day jersey. The future Hall-of-Famer spent his first two seasons in OKC from 2005-07, as the Hornets temporarily relocated to OKC. This was because New Orleans began to recover from Hurricane Katrina.

Many view the Hornets’ successful two-season run in OKC as the first seeds planted for the Thunder’s eventual 2008 arrival. Without that experiment, the NBA likely wouldn’t have felt confident in relocating the Seattle Supersonics to a small market that has no other professional sports teams.

“I always try to find stuff, especially in OKC, to be more part of the community. I do more research on how this franchise really came here. Without the Hornets or the test-run, the OKC Thunder probably wouldn’t be here,” Hartenstein said. “You have to give a lot of props, but also a lot of props to the city. How they treated them while they were here. Always finding stuff in OKC. Any way I can keep being a part of it. Something cool and all”

Only one-plus season into his Thunder tenure, Hartenstein has quickly become a fan favorite. A breakout season last year helped them bring home an NBA championship. He was mostly a starter during their playoff run. He’s one-upped himself and has been a double-double machine this season.

Not just for his play, but Hartenstein’s constant involvement. His foundation has been an OKC staple. He won an NBA community award for his past offseason’s worth of work. Keep in mind, it was the same summer when he won his first championship. He still found time to help his foundation.

The Thunder went out of their way to add Hartenstein. You could say he’s the biggest outside free agent addition in OKC history. It’s been a grand slam since he arrived. Time will tell if they will be able to afford him on his next contract. He’ll be due another huge payday. But regardless of that, he’s been a massive success both on and off the court.

“I always try to find stuff, especially in OKC to be more part of the community…any way I can keep being a part of it. Something cool and all”

– Isaiah Hartenstein on wearing the OKC Hornets Valentines Day jersey last night

S/o to @joe_mussatto for the question pic.twitter.com/SZIA7KsSbL

— The Daniel Bell© (@BasketballGuruD) November 13, 2025