Olden Polynice
A durable and towering NBA journeyman center who carved out a 15-year career through relentless rebounding and defensive hustle.
Born 1964 (age 62)·Haitian basketball player·Birthday: November 21·Baby Boomers
Biography
Olden Polynice's path to the NBA was anything but ordinary. Born in Haiti, he moved to New York City as a child and grew into a formidable 7-foot center at the University of Virginia. Selected 8th overall in the 1987 draft, his rights were famously traded on draft day for future Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, a deal that would haunt the Seattle SuperSonics. Polynice, however, forged his own identity as a blue-collar worker. He wasn't a flashy scorer; his value came from setting bone-crushing screens, chasing offensive rebounds, and protecting the paint. He played for five different teams, with his most productive years coming in Sacramento, where he started over 300 games and became a fan favorite for his consistent effort. In a league of stars, Polynice mastered the unglamorous arts that keep teams functioning, proving that longevity can be its own form of success.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Olden was born in 1964, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Olden Was Born
The biggest hits of 1964
#1 Movie
Mary Poppins
Best Picture
My Fair Lady
#1 TV Show
Bonanza
Olden's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1964Born
Civil Rights Act signed; Beatles arrive in America
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $13,450Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"I Want to Hold Your Hand" — The BeatlesBest Picture: My Fair Lady
1969Started school
Apollo 11: humans walk on the Moon; Woodstock festival
Gas: $0.35/galHome: $15,550Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Sugar, Sugar" — The ArchiesBest Picture: Midnight Cowboy
1977Became a teenager
Star Wars premieres; Elvis dies
Gas: $0.62/galHome: $31,800Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Tonight's the Night" — Rod StewartBest Picture: Annie Hall
1980Could drive
John Lennon shot and killed in New York
Gas: $1.19/galHome: $47,200Min wage: $3.10/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"Call Me" — BlondieBest Picture: Ordinary People
1982Could vote
Michael Jackson releases Thriller
Gas: $1.22/galHome: $55,200Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Physical" — Olivia Newton-JohnBest Picture: Gandhi
1985Turned 21
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
1994Turned 30
Nelson Mandela elected president of South Africa
Gas: $1.11/galHome: $90,400Min wage: $4.25/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"The Sign" — Ace of BaseBest Picture: Forrest Gump
2004Turned 40
Indian Ocean tsunami kills over 230,000
Gas: $1.88/galHome: $157,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Yeah!" — UsherBest Picture: Million Dollar Baby
2014Turned 50
Russia annexes Crimea; Ebola outbreak in West Africa
Gas: $3.37/galHome: $160,700Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Barack Obama"Happy" — Pharrell WilliamsBest Picture: Birdman
2024Turned 60
AI reshapes industries; Paris Olympics
Gas: $3.31/galHome: $372,000Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Joe Biden"Espresso" — Sabrina CarpenterBest Picture: Anora
2026Age 62 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played 15 seasons in the NBA, appearing in over 1,000 regular season games for five different franchises.
- Averaged a double-double for the Sacramento Kings in the 1991-92 season with 10.8 points and 11.2 rebounds per game.
- Led the NBA in offensive rebounds during the 1991-92 season with 380.
- Started at center for the Seattle SuperSonics team that reached the 1996 NBA Finals.
Did You Know?
He was traded on draft night in 1987 from the Chicago Bulls to the Seattle SuperSonics for Scottie Pippen.
He is a passionate advocate for humanitarian efforts in his native Haiti.
His son, Olden Polynice Jr., played college basketball for the University of Maine.
“I came from Haiti, and I played in the NBA for fifteen years. That's my statement.”
