Isaiah Hartenstein on Germany in Olympics: 'I don't think I'll be invited' / News - Basketnews.com

Isaiah Hartenstein expresses Olympic aspirations with the German national team but hints at uncertainty about being selected: "I don't think I'll be invited to the Olympics under any circumstances."

Credit: Getty Images via AFP - Scanpix, FIBA Credit Getty Images via AFP - Scanpix, FIBA

Last year, Germany surprised the basketball world by clinching the title at the FIBA World Cup 2023, a feat made even more special by the absence of NBAers like Maxi Kleber and Isaiah Hartenstein from the Dallas Mavericks and New York Knicks, respectively.

Isaiah Hartenstein

MIN:23.73PTS:6.31 (61.57%)REB:7.6As:1.69ST:1.11BL:1.09TO:1.11GM:35ProfileNBA2023/2024

Kleber's reported strained relationship with team captain Dennis Schroder and Hartenstein facing stiff competition for a spot in the frontline against Moritz Wagner, Johannes Voigtmann, Daniel Theis, and Johannes Thiemann played a role in their exclusion.

However, Hartenstein has recently elevated his performance with the Knicks, particularly after starting center Mitchell Robinson sustained a long-term ankle injury.

The 25-year-old expressed his desire to play for Germany in the Paris Olympics 2024 and doesn't hold any grudges because of his exclusion last summer. Despite this, he hardly sees himself on the roster.

"I definitely want to play [for the German NT] in the future. If I'm invited and fit, then I'll definitely play," Hartenstein said back in December, via NTV. "But they're doing a good job now, so you can't complain about that. They've now won gold and want to probably perform with the same team again. I don't think I'll be invited to the Olympics under any circumstances."

According to the same report, Hartenstein's last contact with national team head coach Gordon Herbert happened before the World Cup.

Hartenstein has been averaging 6.6 points and 7.6 rebounds for the 2023-24 season and has been posting 7.8 points, 10.0 boards, and 1.8 blocks in the first 13 games since Robinson's injury.

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