Isaiah Hartenstein Says He's 'Cool' with Stephen A. Smith After Snub with Knicks
Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein recalled those shady comments Stephen A. Smith made about him.
But after winning a championship with the Thunder and averaging 8.1 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists during their playoff run, Hartenstein proved Smith wrong—and said the two are “cool” now.
"The funny thing is, when I saw it, I was like—because it wasn’t like I wasn’t playing at the time—I was playing. I was a big part of the team," Hartenstein said on Podcast P with Paul George (5:35 mark) "The funny thing is, he came back to me during the Finals and was like, “Bro, I miss you. I miss you in New York.” So we’re cool and all, but I think just at the time, it’s funny."
The comments in question centered around Smith questioning Hartenstein’s potential—particularly with proven bigs like Mitchell Robinson and Jericho Sims relegated to the bench at the time with injuries.
"Mitchell Robinson is out. Jericho Sims is out. So, I gotta deal with some dude named Hartenstein," Smith said.
The two have since made amends—and Hartenstein now has the championship ring to silence the “loud dude,” as George’s co-host Jacki Long referred to Smith.
