New York Knicks' center Isaiah Hartenstein has finally confirmed his ethnicity on 'The Roommates Show' with teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, revealing that he has a Black father.
"Some people are lightskin, I am brightskin. I am above light skin. My dad is black. Every time people find out, y'all know Key and Peele? When Barack Obama is going in and the white man's handshake is different."
Hartenstein said people immediately start treating him differently once they find out his actual ethnicity, with the Knicks center using Josh Hart as an example.
"When they find out I'm black, everything changes. The whole vibe changes, it goes from, 'Hey Zay, how you doing?' To, 'Yo Zay, what up man? You good?' Hart did the same thing, he was like, 'Very nice to meet you.' Then I told him I was black and the whole thing changed."
Hartenstein's ethnicity became a major talking point recently after Patrick Beverley was made a list of white players in the NBA who are black, leaving Hartenstein off the list because Beverley heard he had a Black parent. Naturally, Hartenstein had to confirm it given the social media buzz it generated, and did it on his teammate's podcast.
His father is Florian Hartenstein, a mixed-raced German-American, who enjoyed a relatively successful career in German basketball as a player and then a coach.
Hartenstein is having a strong season with the Knicks, averaging 7.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 2.3 assists, thriving throughout Mitchell Robinson's season-long absence.
Now that Robinson is back and healthy, New York will have to delicately balance how they treat their two centers. Hartenstein has earned a starting role, but Robinson had earned the same prior to injury.
The Knicks Are Dark Horses In The East
The Knicks are probably the second-best team in the East but haven't been able to earn that reputation on the court due to the various injuries that have limited the team's success in recent months. Despite Jalen Brunson pulling out heroic performances, the Knicks need their entire crew of players to be available if they want to have a shot at contending this season.
The team is 15-1 with OG Anunoby in the lineup, with the Anunoby acquisition transforming the Knicks into contenders when it happened in January. Despite Anunoby's absence and the middling record before the trade, the Knicks are 44-28 this season and have taken control of the No. 3 seed.
They can still slide down behind the Cleveland Cavaliers, but head coach Tom Thibodeau won't let his players ease up until the standings are locked. They are genuine dark horses due to their unique defensive ability matching up well against virtually every team.
Their offense is a question mark, especially if Randle isn't back. Jalen Brunson can put up some big individual numbers, but it won't be enough for playoff wins. But a healthy roster could stop virtually every team and the team will hope Brunson's evolution continues and he can carry his offense in the face of playoff defense as well, something he struggled to do in his first few years with the Mavericks.
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