Isaiah Hartenstein has become known for a lot during his little time with the OKC Thunder.
He’s one of two 7-footers in OKC’s starting frontcourt. He’s a pro at playmaking and push shots. And he’s the added muscle that helped lift the Thunder to a 2025 NBA championship in his first season with the team.
But at the Boys & Girls Club at Memorial Park, Hartenstein is simply known by its kids as “I-Hart.” It’s a fitting nickname for the compassionate center, who frequently visits the club and its Northeast counterpart.
“Isaiah Hartenstein has almost become a club member,” Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County president and CEO Teena Belcik said. “He knows many of the kids, and they know him. They want to know when Mr. I-Hart is coming and if he’s going to stay to play basketball with them. He has just blessed us in so many ways.”
From taking kids on shopping sprees for back-to-school essentials and clothes to donating a newly-built basketball court to handing out Thanksgiving meals, Hartenstein has fostered a strong relationship with the local Boys & Girls Clubs. It’s one of the reasons he was named the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award winner for the 2025 offseason.
That recognition isn’t the reason why Hartenstein gives back, though. He’s simply repaying a community that has given so much to him.
“Me and my family, we’re always trying to find new ways to give back to the city,” Hartenstein said. “I think the city has done so much for me and my family, so any time we can find ways to especially help the kids out, it’s always big for us.”
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Isaiah Hartenstein helping others achieve their dream
Hartenstein is used to walking out to a standing ovation in Oklahoma City. He receives a warm welcome from roughly 18,000 fans every time he jogs out of the tunnel onto the Paycom Center floor for his pregame shootaround.
But Hartenstein wasn’t at OKC’s arena when he was greeted by cheers on Sept. 21. He wasn’t wearing his Thunder uniform or carrying a basketball either.
Hartenstein emerged from Dick’s House of Sport in Oklahoma City while wearing a T-Shirt that read “The Hartenstein Foundation.” And he was carrying his then-15-month-old son, Elijah, who wore a matching fit.
Hartenstein was there to surprise 12 kids from the Northeast Boys & Girls Club with a shopping spree. Each one received a $300 gift card to buy clothes, shoes, equipment and more.
“That’s the best center right there,” one kid could be heard saying when he saw Hartenstein.
Hartenstein funded the shopping spree, but he didn’t wait around at the cash register. He roamed the store and gave each kid one-on-one time.
That included Maybelle Moore’s son, Sir, a first-year Boys & Girls Club member. They talked about the Thunder, which Sir is a big fan of. And they talked about martial arts, another one of his interests.
One item Sir used his gift card on was a basketball, which Hartenstein later signed.
“It means a lot,” Moore said of her son’s experience. “For him to meet Isaiah is wonderful. … (Hartenstein) was telling him to keep doing what he wants to do and that he can achieve everything in life.”
That message is important to Hartenstein, who knows all about having big aspirations.
According to FIBA in December 2024, there are over 600 million basketball players worldwide. But there are only 450 standard roster spots in the NBA. And after spending most of his first few seasons in the G League, Hartenstein is now an established player in the league.
Hartenstein hasn’t forgotten about his basketball journey, which dates all the way back to his early playing days in Germany. Now, he’s helping others begin theirs.
Hartenstein and his foundation unveiled a new community basketball court for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County on Sept. 24. He then helped break it in by holding some one-on-one drills with kids from the Northeast Club.
“I was outside on a not-as-nice court as that one, but I had a dream,” Hartenstein said with a smile when looking back at his early playing days. “For me, if I can make someone’s dream possible or even just make a kid have more fun that day, it’s always really important to me.”
Isaiah Hartenstein working to provide food for all
LaNecia Lore describes her son, Alec Peason, smiling as a “rare sighting.” Ironically, that’s pretty common once a kid reaches 13 like he has.
But Lore received a phone call from her son while on her way to pick him up from the Boys & Girls Club at Memorial Park on Nov. 18. And when she answered, she could hear the excitement in his voice.
“Isaiah Hartenstein is here,” he told her right away. “He’s here.”
Hartenstein’s latest visit was for his Hartenstein Foundation Meal Giveaway.
He partnered with another non-profit organization, Mercy Chefs, to put together 400 Thanksgiving meal boxes for the drive-thru event. Each box was made to feed 50 people, bringing the total to 20,000 meals.
Hartenstein handed the boxes out with some help from his wife, Kourtney. It was a heavy workload for the Thunder center, who could’ve easily opted to rest on what marked a team off-day. He’d just racked up 16 points, seven rebounds and six assists in 27 minutes during a road win over the Pelicans the day before.
But Hartenstein showed no signs of fatigue as he helped load boxes into the backseats of peoples’ cars, and he even had the energy to take photos with what must’ve been around 50 kids. One of them was Peason, who walked away afterward with a smile on his face.
“He didn’t just take a photo op,” said Lore, who gave her box to a family member who’s taking care of an aunt on hospice. “The boxes of food were a relief for families, whether it was used for Thanksgiving, that night’s meal or a giving it to someone less fortunate and paying it forward. … I’m sure that one gesture will be a positive memory for the kids and their families for a while.”
Helping is always the goal for Hartenstein.
His unselfish play style is a big reason why he has thrived within OKC’s offense, which moves the ball around freely. Few players at his size can deliver precision passes like him.
And just like his in-game assists, Hartenstein’s timing when helping others off the court is impeccable.
Oklahoma is one of five states in the U.S. where over 15.9% of the population depends on Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits. But SNAP funds were not distributed on Nov. 1 due to the government shutdown, leaving approximately 685,000 Oklahomans in food insecurity.
Hartenstein was one of four Thunder players who held a Thanksgiving event on Nov. 18 to help. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chris Youngblood distributed meals for families at YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City. And Jaylin Williams also visited The Market Eastpoint grocery store to gift turkeys and hams to client families of Restore OKC, an organization focused on the restoration of health, education, residences, and employment.
“For us, it was really important, especially knowing the insecurity with food right now,” Hartenstein said. “Being able to make sure the kids and everyone gets enough food is always really important to us. And working with the Boys & Girls Club again, we just want to keep building that relationship and keep going from here.”
‘It gives me purpose in life’
For players, their lengthy careers are often shortened a Basketball-Reference page. Many people judge their impact by looking at statistics, accolades and nothing more.
That doesn’t tell the full story, though. It only tells what kind of a player someone was, not what kind of a person they were.
Hartenstein will be known for a lot when his basketball career is over. The 27-year-old center will be known for winning an NBA championship. He’ll be known for being a key contributor on one of the most dominant teams in league history.
But more importantly, Hartenstein will be known for his contributions to the community.
“It’s huge,” Hartenstein said of his off-the-court legacy. “Being able to give back to the community and change lives, it gives me purpose in life. That’s something I’m always trying to do more and more of.”
Justin Martinez covers the Thunder and NBA for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at jmartinez@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @Justintohoops. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
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