Olden Polynice believes LeBron James has underachieved during his NBA career despite ranking among the greatest players in basketball history.
Speaking on SiriusXM NBA Radio, Polynice praised James’ longevity and unprecedented production at age 41 while arguing that his combination of size, athleticism and playmaking ability should have produced even more statistically.
“I love LeBron. I really do. I think he’s one of the greatest ever. Ever. What he’s doing right now, we’ve never seen before, and I won’t even get into the off the court. He is by himself over there,” Polynice said.
However, Polynice singled out James’ rebounding and playmaking numbers as an area where he believes the four-time MVP could have accomplished more.
“But at the same time, I can still be critical of him on some things. One in particular, I thought LeBron should have averaged a triple double way before Russell Westbrook,” Polynice said. “That’s my personal opinion, because he’s big, strong, and everything else.”
Westbrook became the first player since Oscar Robertson to average a triple-double for an entire season when he did so in 2016-17 with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He has since accomplished the feat multiple times.
James has come close to averaging a triple-double, most notably during the 2019-20 season with the Los Angeles Lakers. He averaged 25.3 points, 7.8 rebounds and 10.2 assists in 67 games.
He also averaged at least 7.2 assists in seven consecutive seasons from 2015-16 through 2021-22, including a career-high 10.2 assists in 2019-20. James has averaged 7.4 assists and 7.5 rebounds across his 23-year career.
Polynice nevertheless acknowledged that James’ overall achievements make his argument difficult to frame.
“He’s the most talented guy that we’ve seen in a long time,” Polynice said. “But yet Russell Westbrook averaged a triple double and LeBron didn’t. So I can be critical about stuff like that, because I still believe, believe it or not, this is gonna be the weirdest thing ever uttered. I believe LeBron James underachieved.”
James’ career résumé includes four NBA championships, four MVP awards, four Finals MVP awards and 21 All-Star selections. He has also made 20 All-NBA teams, including the second team in 2024-25 and the third team in 2025-26.
The 2025-26 season provided another example of James’ extraordinary longevity. At 41, he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists in 60 games for the Lakers while shooting 51.5% from the field.
His career regular-season averages stand at 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists over 1,622 games. James has also accumulated more than 40,000 regular-season points, making him the NBA’s all-time leading scorer.
