Olden Polynice suggests LeBron James underachieved his career potential
Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 12, 2026, 1:35 PM
Last updated Sep 12, 2026

Former NBA center Olden Polynice stated on SiriusXM NBA Radio that LeBron James underachieved throughout his career. Polynice argued that despite James possessing the size and skill to average a triple-double during a regular season, he failed to achieve the milestone before Russell Westbrook. While acknowledging James as one of the greatest players in league history, Polynice contended that James possessed the specific physical profile to chase those statistical marks at a higher level than he did. LeBron James has never averaged a triple-double over an entire regular season across his 23-year career, though he has consistently produced triple-doubles in 22 of those seasons. His highest regular-season total for triple-doubles occurred during the 2017-18 campaign. Russell Westbrook recorded a triple-double average four times during his career, including his 2016-17 season with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
- •Olden Polynice described LeBron James as an underachiever regarding his potential to average a triple-double.
- •Russell Westbrook averaged a triple-double four times during his professional career.
- •LeBron James has produced triple-doubles in 22 of his 23 career NBA seasons.
- •The 2017-18 season marked the highest regular-season triple-double total for LeBron James.
- 1:35 PMYahoo Sports — LeBron James Gets A Surprising Russell Westbrook Comparison From Olden Polynice
"LeBron James has spent more than two decades setting records that once looked out of reach. Yet former NBA center Olden Polynice believes one of the game’s rare statistical feats should have belonged to James long before Russell Westbrook made it his own. Polynice is not questioning James’ greatness. His argument is almost the opposite. [...]
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