Catching Up With The Kings: Olden Polynice
Apr 2, 2020, 9:06 AM | Updated: 9:07 am
(Credit: Jed Jacobsohn /Allsport)
(Credit: Jed Jacobsohn /Allsport)
KHTK is bringing former members of the Sacramento Kings on the air to reflect on their time in the purple and black, talk basketball and much more!
This week on “The Grant Napear Show with Doug Christie”, Grant and Doug had former Sacramento Kings center Olden Polynice on the show to reflect on his time with the organization.
Polynice, 55, played five seasons in Sacramento, averaging 10.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game over 345 appearances.
Interview with Olden Polynice begins at the 19:45 mark
Before playing under the bright lights of the NBA, Polynice grew up in Haiti, playing no basketball for most of his childhood years.
“Basketball was the furthest thing from my mind,” he said. “I came to the U.S. when I was eight years old, and my first trophy that I ever got was a chess trophy. When I was 16 years old, I went from 6’1 to 6’8 over the summer, and the coaches said I need to play basketball. I said that I didn’t even know how to play basketball, and he took it upon himself to teach me himself. The rest is history.”
Polynice grew up in the Bronx, New York, with a front row seat to one of the most legendary basketball courts in the country.
“I actually grew up across the street from Rucker Park. I could see the games; one of my closest friends at the time, his window pointed right into the park, so I would go into his house to watch the games. And this was before I knew how to play basketball, when I started to learn I was out there on the court playing. Thats when I really learned how to start playing.”
Listen to Polynice reflect on growing up in the Bronx, the road to the NBA, his time in Sacramento and more by clicking the play button at the top of the page.
