Isaiah Hartenstein surprised his New York Knicks teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart when he set the record straight about his true racial identity during his recent appearance on The Roommates Show, saying that he is actually part black.
“Let’s just jump right into it: Are you black?” Brunson said to Hartenstein.
“I really wanted to cover that,” Hart added. “I’m actually happy about this. Explain your blackness – or level of blackness.”
“You know it’s, like, light skin? I’m bright skin. I’m above light-skinned,” Hartenstein said while trying to contain himself. “My dad is black.”
The New York center caught everyone off guard because many people probably thought he was fully white all this time. Isaiah Hartenstein’s mom, Theresa, is a white American from Oregon, while his dad, Florian, is a half-black and half-white German international.
Isaiah Hartenstein said to Josh Hart and Jalen Brunson that their reactions are understandable, and he even compared the situation to the famous Key & Peele skit of the Barack Obama meet-and-greet, where the former US president only offered handshakes to white people before giving hugs and high-fives to black people.
“Y’all know Key & Peele, the show? So you know when Barack Obama is going in, the white man handshake is different,” said Hartenstein. “When they find out I’m black, the handshake changes, the whole vibe changes.”
“My dad is probably the same skin tone as y’all, but my mom’s genes kind of took over,” he added.
Isaiah Hartenstein is balling for the New York Knicks this season
Isaiah Hartenstein has established himself as a key player for the New York Knicks, as he took the starting center role when Mitchell Robinson sustained a stress fracture in his left ankle last December.
This year, Isaiah Hartenstein is averaging 7.4 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 63.5 percent from the floor.
The New York Knicks are currently third in the Eastern Conference with a 44-28 record as they are on a three-game winning streak.
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