14 years after Nowitzki
Hartenstein is the second German NBA champion
Updated on June 23, 2025 – 05:05 a.m.Reading time: 2 min.
As the second German basketball professional, Isaiah Hartenstein got the NBA title-14 years after Dirk Nowitzki.
National player Isaiah Hartenstein, as the second German basketball professional after Dirk Nowitzki, has won the championship in the North American basketball pro-league NBA. The Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Indiana Pacers at home in the decisive and clear seventh game of the final series at home 103: 91 and thus won the necessary fourth victory.
Hartenstein steps in big footsteps, so far Nowitzki had been the only German NBA champion. The Würzburger triumphed in 2011 with the Dallas Mavericks.
It is the first championship for the Thunder since moving to Oklahoma City, as Seattle Supersonics had already won the franchise in 1979. The Indiana Pacers, on the other hand, have to wait for the premiere victory. In the NBA it was only the 20th time that it took seven games to make a decision in a final series. Most recently, this was the case in 2016 when the Cleveland Cavaliers around LeBron James won against the Golden State Warriors.
The best thrower in the intensive last duel of the final series was OKC star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with 29 points, plus twelve templates. Hartenstein booked seven points and had nine rebounds. “It doesn’t feel real. So many days with doubts. We have invested so many hours of work. We deserve it,” said Gilgeous-Alexander. “It’s great.”
Nevertheless, the guests were at 48:47 with one point at the break. Both teams met less than half of their throws, OKC mainly suffered from the weak quota for three-point throws. Less than every fourth attempt was a hit. The pressure seemed to be influenced by both teams.
After the break, in addition to the already strong defensive, the Thunder’s offensive, the 34:20 in the third quarter, motivated the fans to do more noise and ensured 13 points ahead of the last round. The Pacers are familiar with comebacks, but without Haliburton it did not succeed in the guests this time – and OKC celebrated.
Hartenstein played a central role in his seventh NBA season on the way to the championship. Before the season, OKC invested a three-year contract worth $ 87 million in the $ 27, who was born in the United States and grew up in Quakenbrück. Hartenstein had a strong season at the New York Knicks, who made a fixture in a good team from the substitute he was at the previous stations.
His skills as a passer and blocker for teammates as well as his strengths in rebounds and in defense are the key for many experts that the Oklahoma City Thunder were the best team in the league this season.