Isaiah Hartenstein delights Boys & Girls Club kids with pizza, gifts, and hoops, showcasing his deep commitment to the OKC community.
Oklahoma City Thunder fans can count on a few certainties every night. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will get 20 or more points. Cason Wallace will get a steal that leads to a fast break dunk. Chet Holmgren will get hit in the face. And Isaiah Hartenstein will host or attend an event to help the OKC community.
On Thursday, the Thunder starting big man stopped by the Northeast location of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County to spend time with the kids. Hartenstein is a frequent visitor to the nonprofit organization. He regularly works to help with both the Boys & Girls Clubs and Positive Tomorrows.
The NBA champion also checked in on the community basketball court, dedicated by the Hartenstein Foundation in 2025. He even spent some time playing basketball with the kids and also came bearing gifts. Hartenstein brought t-shirts and trading cards for every child. The kids received an another fun surprise as the Hartenstein Foundation provided a pizza party. Hartenstein took part in a Q&A session and signed autographs during the visit.
"I think it's always cool to come back, see the kids again, have some fun," Hartenstein said. "We brought some pizzas. The kids had a lot of fun. Signed a couple things. The main thing is being consistent, seeing the kids again, interacting with the kids. It's pretty cool to see the court and see the kids."
Due to his consistent and continuous work with his foundation and personal time spent helping the OKC community, Hartenstein was named the NBA Cares Bob Lanier Community Assist Award Winner for the 2025 offseason. Thunder General Manager Sam Presti was the first to publicly recognize all the work Hartenstein had been doing behind the scenes.
“I gotta say this. I haven’t seen a player become more ingrained in the community this quickly than Isaiah," Presti said back in July of 2025. "It needs to be spoken and said out loud. Incredible commitment from day one. He's done more individual community work than I think I've ever seen a player do. He's just been awesome in that way. So we gotta acknowledge that."
Hartenstein dishes out plenty of assists to his teammates on the court and just as many helpers to those in need in the Oklahoma community.
The Hartenstein Foundation continues to foster its relationship with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Oklahoma County and contribute to the organization’s mission to impact and serve youth in the community.