#656 - Olden Polynice - Former Jazz Player Shares About His 15 Year NBA Career

NBA veteran and human-rights activist Olden Polynice sits down with Jimmy to talk about the “old school” Jazz culture under Jerry Sloan, what he learned from playing alongside legends, and how today’s NBA compares to the 80s/90s. Olden opens up about the realities of fame before social media, wild road stories, the explosion of player salaries, and why he thinks the league’s effort has dipped—and what he’d do as commissioner to fix it. He also shares his improbable start in basketball (he didn’t pick up the game until 16), the professor-level value of listening, and life after the cheering stops: divorce, identity, and why therapy has been a pillar for him since college. We dive into his hunger strike for Haitian refugees, visiting detention centers with TV cameras rolling, and his belief that speaking up—athletes and citizens alike—changes the world one person at a time. 00:00 Introduction 01:20 Life in the Old School NBA with the Utah Jazz 06:30 Comparing Eras: 80s–90s vs. Today’s NBA 10:10 Lessons from MJ, Stockton, and Malone 13:15 From Player to Coach: Growth, Mistakes, and Apologies 16:30 Life After Basketball: Identity, Divorce, and Therapy 20:10 Activism and the Hunger Strike for Haitian Refugees 26:00 Speaking Out on Injustice: Courage and Responsibility 33:10 How to Fix the NBA & Restore Effort 39:20 Outro