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Isaiah Hartenstein, along with his son Elijah, played a pivotal role in showcasing the jubilant championship celebrations for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
After an intense Game 7 of the 2025 NBA Finals, held at the Paycom Center in front of a sold-out crowd of 18,000 fans, the 27-year-old German-American center’s young son dozed off in his father’s arms. This peaceful moment contrasted sharply with the electrifying atmosphere in the venue. While Hartenstein and his teammates stood at center court to accept the prestigious Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy, Elijah enjoyed a much-needed nap.
It was an unforgettable scene. Efforts to rouse his son by encouraging the fans to make more noise proved ineffective.
Isaiah Hartenstein’s son was completely zonked out during the trophy presentation for OKC. pic.twitter.com/UbKEto9FvB
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 23, 2025
As images of the Hartenstein duo quickly went viral on social media, NBA superstar Kevin Durant, who had just been traded to the Houston Rockets that same day, shared his thoughts on the moment.
“Little Hartenstein is out cold. Congrats to OKC!” — Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) June 23, 2025
In addition to this heartwarming family experience shared with fans and the basketball community, Hartenstein, a former international player for Germany, mentioned that he sought guidance from Alex Caruso—champion with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020—on how to open champagne bottles, adapting to the tradition typically observed in the locker room after championship victories.
“It felt more like we were following YouTube tutorials. We were asking AC for help because no one really had it down yet,” he explained during a postgame press conference.
“When I celebrated my win in Lithuania, we just drank hard tequila with no frills. Straight up hard liquor,” he remarked, reflecting on his championship experience with Zalgiris in 2017.
Across seven appearances in the NBA Finals, Hartenstein averaged 5.6 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game, with his contributions peaking in the decisive Game 7 where he recorded seven points, nine rebounds, four assists, and one steal.
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