Oklahoma City Thunder center Isaiah Hartenstein is happy to be able to suit up for Germany at this month's 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifiers. Hartenstein hasn't played for Germany since 2018, but is thrilled to be back in the fold.

"I'm really happy," Hartenstein said. "I actually wanted to play for the last two years."

Hartenstein explained his long absence from the German national team was due to getting his NBA career on track.

"For the first four or five years, I had to prove myself in the NBA. It was important to me what the teams thought and how I could establish myself there. I was often told I should stay and train. But now that I'm firmly established in the NBA and have found my role, I've always wanted to play and give something back," Hartenstein said.

Now that he's back, Hartenstein hopes to help an already-strong German team reach new levels.

"I want to help the next generation and push German basketball so that when my son hopefully starts playing someday, the sport will be even bigger. I want people to be able to look back and say, 'We really did something for German basketball'," Hartenstein said of his goals with the defending FIBA World Cup Champions.