Former NBA center Olden Polynice strongly criticized Rich Paul after the agent suggested Kobe Bryant would have supported LeBron James’ decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers, saying no one can speak on Bryant’s behalf.
Speaking on Byron Scott’s Fast Break, Polynice called Paul’s remarks “the most asinine thing” and argued that invoking Bryant’s name to validate LeBron’s free agency decision was inappropriate.
“This goes out to Rich Paul,” Polynice said. “I have nothing but respect for you as far as what you’ve accomplished and how you got there. You worked your butt off. But you need to shut the fu*k up with that statement because that is the most asinine thing.”
Polynice took issue with the idea that anyone could know how Bryant would have viewed LeBron’s move to Philadelphia following Bryant’s death in 2020.
“Number one, we don’t know,” Polynice continued. “You shouldn’t bring up Kobe in any way, shape, or form that he would know what you know, LeBron, you know, the decision LeBron made. That’s some bullsh*t.”
To emphasize his point, Polynice compared the situation to invoking another historical figure without evidence.
“That’s like me walking up and slapping somebody and going, Malcolm X would have understood it,” Polynice said. “I don’t know what the hell Malcolm X would understand. And so to me, don’t do that.”
Paul’s original comments came after LeBron agreed to join the 76ers in one of the biggest moves of the 2026 offseason. The four-time NBA champion signed a two-year, $8 million contract with a player option after ending his eight-year run with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Philadelphia has aggressively reshaped its roster this summer. The franchise acquired Jaylen Brown from the Boston Celtics in a blockbuster trade that sent Paul George, two first-round picks and two second-round picks to Boston. Brown joins LeBron, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey on a roster built to compete for a championship immediately.
The projected starting lineup features Maxey, rookie VJ Edgecombe, Brown, James and Embiid, giving Philadelphia one of the league’s most accomplished collections of talent entering the 2026-27 season.
The 76ers reached the playoffs last season with a 45-37 record, finishing seventh in the Eastern Conference before being swept by the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks in the conference semifinals. Their offseason additions have dramatically changed expectations, with the organization fully embracing a win-now approach around Embiid while hoping the former MVP can remain healthy.
