Hartenstein NBA Champion: Second German to Win Title

His right calf had already suffered in the fifth game, but he didn’t want to give up. After all, you are not often in life in the final series of the NBA. But on Sunday in the seventh and decisive game, his body went on strike. Tyrese Haliburton stumbled with the ball in his hand at the sprint towards the basket. It fell to the ground and had to be carried by the square. The diagnosis: an Achilles tendon tear. The building actor of the Indiana Pacers not only had to follow the rest of the game on the television screen in the changing room, he will probably be out of the entire coming season.

Without its most important ball distributor, the team had only a half enough resistance for a half enough to oppose the inevitable: the championship success of the Oklahoma City Thunder, who had been favorites two weeks ago. The team had recommended itself as the second -round team as the number one title.

The loudest fans in the NBA were able to tune in front of the final siren to 103: 91 (47:48) from full throats “We are the champions”. Inspired by a feeling that they had in vain for seventeen years. It was the first title after the team with sack and pack was transplanted by its owners from Seattle in 2008 into which relatively small town of Oklahoma City was transplanted for the conditions in US sports with almost 700,000 inhabitants. And only the second in the history of the franchise.

It was also the first title for Isaiah Hartenstein who signed a three-year contract worth $ 87 million in Oklahoma City after numerous moves across the league last summer. He had previously shown at the New York Knicks how reactions, reliably and energetic, acted both in attack and in defense.

In the seventh and decisive encounter against the Pacers, the center, born in Oregon and grew up in Quakenbrück in Lower Saxony, saw the ideal metaphor for his previous sporty lot: “I think my whole career has been a kind of game so far.” It was always about everything. And there was always a question mark behind everything. No wonder that he and his teammates had no experience with how to open large champagne bottles in order to let the high -spiral mood over the success in the changing room.

At his first big title win 2018 with Žalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania, “they drank tequila, hard alcohol, undiluted,” said Hartenstein after the award ceremony with a smile on their face. That was not the only episode with which the 27-year-old caused clicks on social media. A scene in the confetti rain after playing with his one -year -old son in his arms went directly. Despite the hustle and bustle, little Elijah was simply fell asleep. His father, according to Dirk Nowitzki the second German NBA champion, had contributed seven points, nine rebounds and four assists in just 18 minutes.

Above all, Oklahoma City Thunder, the youngest team in the league, had to rely on another man: the indestructible Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The 26 -year -old Canadian was already recognized as the most valuable player of the season for his performance in the main round and also honored as a MVP for his outstanding performance in the final series. This makes Gilgeous-Alexander the first since LeBron James 2013, which was able to win both categories in one season.

Gilgeous-Alexander came to Oklahoma City from the Los Angeles Clippers in 2019 and currently earns significantly below market value. While the NBA professionals Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers) and Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets) are currently listing the salary list at just over $ 50 million per season, it is only found in 33 (about 31 million euros) per year. His contract runs until 2027.

In the past season, Gilgeous-Alexander led the league basket list to 32.7 points per game. And this, among other things, because he is granted a strikingly large number of free throws. “SGA”, as he is often only named because of his long name, therefore enjoys the reputation of a foul. Maybe a reason why, despite the performance values that have been stable for several years, the label of the superstar has still not been attached.

But there should be other reasons. The former NBA professional Nick Young, who had become champions with the Golden State Warrior in 2018 and had seen how the modest Stephen Curry, because of his circus tires, became the figure of the league, recently emphasized a very specific aspect: Gilgeous-Alexander is missing in a playful way. But “he is concerned with resistance. He doesn’t make a wind around him. He does not pull out a show. He does not duck the ball over others. He doesn’t roar around.” Young compared the Canadian to Tim Duncan from the San Antonio Spurs, who dominated the league in a quiet way twenty years ago, became five champions and twice MVP of the regular season.

Not only is Gilgeous-Alexander not a American, but he also appears in a league in which players are celebrated because of their show performances. In addition, there is the geographical location of the team. Apart from the glamor metropolises on the west and east coast, it is also a shortcoming.

It was typical for him what thoughts went through his head after the triumph on Sunday evening: “As a little boy, you dream like every child. But you never really know whether it will fulfill.

A respect that Gilgeous-Alexander had already paid during the meeting Tyrese Haliburton, his most distinguished adversary. He put his hand on his back and tried to comfort him when the Pacers captain was injured on the hall floor. “My heart was broken,” he said after the game. “You can’t even imagine that something like this happens in the most important game of your life. I just did it so sorry. You can just pray for him.”