Intro

Welcome to Born to the Game

Growing Up with an NBA Dad

The Challenges of a Basketball Family Life

Navigating Parental Absence and

Childhood Experiences and Family Dynamics

The Impact of Nannies and Personal Growth

Becoming a Full-Time Nanny

From Hobby to Career: The Journey Begins

Unexpected Connections and Career Advancement

Two Truths and a Lie: Chet Hanks and More

The Challenges of Nannying

Lessons from the Trenches: Family Dynamics

The Joy of Nannying: A Personal Journey

Lessons from the Nanny's Perspective

A Future Beyond Nannying

Advice for Aspiring Nannies

Gratitude and Closing Thoughts

Podcast Promotion

In this episode of Born to the Game, Alexis Polynice, daughter of 15-year NBA veteran Olden Polynice, opens up about growing up inside professional basketball culture and the unexpected ways her father's career shaped her identity, relationships, and professional path.

Olden Polynice's basketball journey was remarkable — born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, he played center for the Seattle SuperSonics, Los Angeles Clippers, Detroit Pistons, Sacramento Kings, and Utah Jazz across a 15-year NBA career. But to Alexis, he was also Dad — a figure whose frequent absences for games and travel left a complex emotional imprint she didn't fully understand until adulthood.

Alexis shares her early memories of going to games and feeling embarrassed by the public attention, the assumptions peers made about her lifestyle as an NBA player's kid, and how her parents' separation at a young age shifted the family dynamic. As the second eldest of four siblings, she describes the close-knit bond with her brothers and the unique pressure of navigating life with a famous, often absent father.

The conversation takes a fascinating turn as Alexis discusses her early career in child modeling and pageantry — signed to Ford Models and traveling the country for competitions — and how those experiences contrasted with the traditional path many expected her to follow. She reveals how the nannies who raised her (Cora, Yumi, Barbie, and Fabi) profoundly shaped her life, inspiring her to pursue nannying as a profession.

Alexis offers a deeply moving account of her nannying career, including working for notable families such as Julie and Paul Pierce, and a life-altering experience caring for a 13-year-old whose mother was terminally ill. She shares the lessons she learned about love, loss, and the invisible emotional labor of caregiving — and why she believes nannies are among the most valuable assets in any family.

Looking ahead, Alexis discusses her aspirations to transition into estate management and personal assistant work, her desire to mentor young women entering the domestic staffing industry, and the therapy and self-reflection that helped her recognize subconscious patterns — like exclusively pursuing long-distance relationships — shaped by her childhood.

This is a thoughtful, honest, and emotionally rich conversation about family, legacy, identity, grief, caregiving, and the unexpected ways our earliest experiences write the script for the life we choose to build.

Key Topics Covered:

• Growing up as the daughter of NBA player Olden Polynice

• Early memories of NBA games, public attention, and peer assumptions

• Impact of her parents' separation and her father's frequent absences

• Sibling dynamics and growing up as the second eldest of four

• Child modeling career with Ford Models and the pageant world

• The five nannies who shaped her childhood and inspired her career

• Nannying for notable families, including Julie and Paul Pierce

• Caring for a child whose mother was terminally ill

• The business of nannying and domestic staffing

• Future aspirations: estate management, personal assistant work, and mentoring

• Subconscious relationship patterns shaped by childhood

• Therapy, self-awareness, and personal growth • Advice for aspiring nannies and a message to parents

About the Guest: Alexis Polynice is the daughter of 15-year NBA veteran Olden Polynice. A former child model signed to Ford Models, she has built a career as a professional nanny working with high-profile families. She is currently pursuing opportunities in estate management and personal assistance, with a passion for mentoring young women in the domestic staffing industry.

🎧 New episodes are live on Tuesdays! 🎥 New videos drop on Wednesdays!

Subscribe to Born to the Game for more stories from the families behind the game's biggest names.

In this episode of Born to the Game, Alexis Polynice, daughter of 15-year NBA veteran Olden Polynice, opens up about growing up inside professional basketball culture and the unexpected ways her father's career shaped her identity, relationships, and professional path.
Olden Polynice's basketball journey was remarkable &mdash; born in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, he played center for the Seattle SuperSonics, Los Angeles Clippers, Detroit Pistons, Sacramento Kings, and Utah Jazz across a 15-year NBA career. But to Alexis, he was also Dad &mdash; a figure whose frequent absences for games and travel left a complex emotional imprint she didn't fully understand until adulthood.
Alexis shares her early memories of going to games and feeling embarrassed by the public attention, the assumptions peers made about her lifestyle as an NBA player's kid, and how her parents' separation at a young age shifted the family dynamic. As the second eldest of four siblings, she describes the close-knit bond with her brothers and the unique pressure of navigating life with a famous, often absent father.
The conversation takes a fascinating turn as Alexis discusses her early career in child modeling and pageantry &mdash; signed to Ford Models and traveling the country for competitions &mdash; and how those experiences contrasted with the traditional path many expected her to follow. She reveals how the nannies who raised her (Cora, Yumi, Barbie, and Fabi) profoundly shaped her life, inspiring her to pursue nannying as a profession.
Alexis offers a deeply moving account of her nannying career, including working for notable families such as Julie and Paul Pierce, and a life-altering experience caring for a 13-year-old whose mother was terminally ill. She shares the lessons she learned about love, loss, and the invisible emotional labor of caregiving &mdash; and why she believes nannies are among the most valuable assets in any family.
Looking ahead, Alexis discusses her aspirations to transition into estate management and personal assistant work, her desire to mentor young women entering the domestic staffing industry, and the therapy and self-reflection that helped her recognize subconscious patterns &mdash; like exclusively pursuing long-distance relationships &mdash; shaped by her childhood.
This is a thoughtful, honest, and emotionally rich conversation about family, legacy, identity, grief, caregiving, and the unexpected ways our earliest experiences write the script for the life we choose to build.
Key Topics Covered:
&bull; Growing up as the daughter of NBA player Olden Polynice
&bull; Early memories of NBA games, public attention, and peer assumptions
&bull; Impact of her parents' separation and her father's frequent absences
&bull; Sibling dynamics and growing up as the second eldest of four
&bull; Child modeling career with Ford Models and the pageant world
&bull; The five nannies who shaped her childhood and inspired her career
&bull; Nannying for notable families, including Julie and Paul Pierce
&bull; Caring for a child whose mother was terminally ill
&bull; The business of nannying and domestic staffing
&bull; Future aspirations: estate management, personal assistant work, and mentoring
&bull; Subconscious relationship patterns shaped by childhood
&bull; Therapy, self-awareness, and personal growth &bull; Advice for aspiring nannies and a message to parents
About the Guest: Alexis Polynice is the daughter of 15-year NBA veteran Olden Polynice. A former child model signed to Ford Models, she has built a career as a professional nanny working with high-profile families. She is currently pursuing opportunities in estate management and personal assistance, with a passion for mentoring young women in the domestic staffing industry.
🎧 New episodes are live on Tuesdays! 🎥 New videos drop on Wednesdays!
Subscribe to Born to the Game for more stories from the families behind the game's biggest names.

Welcome to Born To The Game Podcast. Hosted Mariah Woodson, the daughter of NBA great Mike Woodson, and her cousin Temara Payton. This podcast is where the children of legendary athletes, entertainers, businessmen and entrepreneurs share what it’s really like growing up under the lights of legacy. From identity to trust, from pain to purpose, these stories break down what fame can’t protect you from—and what it means to build a name of your own.

Born To The Game Podcast

Welcome to Born To The Game Podcast. Hosted Mariah Woodson, the daughter of NBA great Mike Woodson, and her cousin Temara Payton. This podcast is where the children of legendary athletes, entertainers, businessmen and entrepreneurs share what it’s really like growing up under the lights of legacy. From identity to trust, from pain to purpose, these stories break down what fame can’t protect you from—and what it means to build a name of your own.

 

New episodes every Tuesday!

Welcome to Born To The Game Podcast. Hosted Mariah Woodson, the daughter of NBA great Mike Woodson, and her cousin Temara Payton. This podcast is where the children of legendary athletes, entertainers, businessmen and entrepreneurs share what it&rsquo;s really like growing up under the lights of legacy. From identity to trust, from pain to purpose, these stories break down what fame can&rsquo;t protect you from&mdash;and what it means to build a name of your own.
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New episodes every Tuesday!

Growing Up as NBA Star Olden Polynice's Daughter – Alexis Polynice | Born To The Game Podcast

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/fc3581a2-4aff-4641-b476-b478010de0d9/transcript