The infamous wheelchair incident has long been a defining moment for Paul Pierce’s career, and the former 10-time All-Star finally made a stunning admission regarding the matter.
Speaking before Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday, the current ESPN analyst said the reason he needed a wheelchair in the tunnel was because he needed to go to the bathroom.
Paul Pierce on getting taken off the court in a wheelchair 11 years ago: "I have a confession to make: I just had to go to the bathroom." pic.twitter.com/nKTFXnHnZU
— Dime (@DimeUPROXX) June 6, 2019
To refresh your memory, let’s set the scene. It was Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers in Boston. Pierce was guarding Kobe Bryant in the third quarter and went down grabbing his knee after a Bryant shot.
Pierce was then carried off the court and placed in a wheelchair where he was wheeled into the locker room. About a minute later in the game, he came bouncing out of the tunnel and onto the sidelines, quickly checking back into the game.
The amount of pain he was in and the way he was able to so quickly return did not add up. But Pierce divulging this detail makes so much sense now and places it all into proper context. Plus, factor in the way someone was behind him as he was carried off the court, and the suspicion that the person was shielding viewers from seeing his backside adds up.
What Pierce omitted though is whether he had already pooped himself and was trying to cover it up, which is something people have long speculated. The Truth needs to answer about that part. Oh, and by the way, an athlete pooping his pants in a game is not unusual.
