The Oklahoma City Thunder may have clinched their first NBA title in franchise history, but it was Isaiah Hartenstein’s baby son, Elijah, who captured hearts during the postgame celebration.
As confetti rained down and the team hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy following their Game 7 win over the Indiana Pacers, Hartenstein stood on the podium cradling his son—who was sound asleep amid the chaos. Despite the deafening cheers of over 18,000 fans inside Paycom Center, Elijah remained peacefully napping on his father’s chest, completely unfazed by the historic moment.
“I don’t know why he’s asleep right now, but I guess it’s not loud enough,”
Hartenstein joked during a live interview, prompting the crowd to cheer even louder in a playful attempt to wake the little one.
Even Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Finals MVP, joined in the fun, gently propping up Elijah’s head as cameras zoomed in on the adorable scene. The moment quickly went viral, with fans and fellow players flooding social media with reactions. Former Thunder star Kevin Durant chimed in on X, writing:
“Lil Hartenstein is slumped 😂😂😂 congrats OKC”.
Lil Hartenstein is slumped 😂😂😂 congrats Okc.
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) June 23, 2025
hartenstein’s baby is all of us pic.twitter.com/zmepmF3HUU
— sarah (@slothanova) June 23, 2025
Shai correcting Hartenstein’s baby’s head while on the FMVP podium is hilarious work pic.twitter.com/zZrk4zp6kF
— KlawWrld (@kawhi_ring) June 23, 2025
This angle of Hartenstein’s baby 😂 pic.twitter.com/gcDREBDdg1
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 23, 2025
Hartenstein’s kid fell asleep on the podium, simply adorable pic.twitter.com/5y6NoUinnq
— Sam Baker (@sam_baker) June 23, 2025