Paul Pierce Squashes Rumor About Wheelchair Game in 2008 NBA Finals

Pierce helped give rise to the rumors during a 2019 NBA Countdown appearance.

The 2008 NBA Finals were the peak of Paul Pierce's Hall of Fame career. He and the Celtics beat the Lakers in six games and he earned Finals MVP honors. 

In the third quarter of Game 1, it appeared that Pierce had suffered a serious knee injury after tripping over teammate Kendrick Perkins and was taken into the tunnel in a wheelchair. Less than two minutes of game action later, Pierce reemerged wearing a knee wrap and entered the game.

During a 2019 NBA Finals edition of NBA Countdown, Pierce made a pretty jarring "confession," saying he actually "just had to go to the bathroom." When Chauncey Billups asked why he needed a wheelchair, Pierce said, "Ah, something went down and I had to go to the bathroom."

Pierce had some fun with the situation on Twitter, before pulling the rug out of the entire story.

Sorry to bust y’all haters bubble but the only 💩💩💩💩Ing I did June 5 2008 was on the Lakers #factz #haterzgonnahate #😂😂😂

— Paul Pierce (@paulpierce34) June 6, 2019

That hasn't stopped fans from speculating that the Celtics great might've had an accident during the game, necessitating the wheelchair exit. Beadle asked Pierce during Friday's episode of her podcast for The Athletic, What Did I Miss? with Michelle Beadle. His answer has been making the rounds, for understandable reasons.

“I can’t believe people believe ... so listen to this, I want fans to hear this. If you poop your pants, does it make sense to sit down and mush it in a wheelchair? No," Pierce said. "I would walk back there straight to the bathroom. Why would I need a wheelchair if I pooped my pants? You don’t sit down on your poop.”

feels like once per year or so Paul Pierce flip-flops on the pants-pooping incident

— Rodger Sherman (@rodger) November 19, 2021

Paul Pierce is a Hall of Famer and was honored as one of the 75 greatest players in NBA history last month. And still, for some, this situation remains the most lasting moment of his basketball career. 

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For more news on the Celtics, head over to Inside The Celtics.