Is Paul Pierce telling the truth about the infamous wheelchair game? Former Celtics star debunks false rumors
That’s the biggest unanswered question in NBA Finals history: Did Paul Pierce really drop his pants? Okay, maybe it’s not the biggest thing, but people definitely still ask the former Celtics star about the infamous moment all along.
For those unfamiliar with what happened, here’s some context: Pierce left Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals in a wheelchair with a serious knee injury. Fortunately for Boston, he was able to come back and lead the Celtics to a 98-88 win over the Lakers.
NBA League Pass: Sign up to unlock live out-of-market games (7 days free trial)
Pierce and the Celtics went on to win this series, giving the Hall of Famer a big moment and Boston its 17th NBA championship. Then, conspiracy theories started popping up.
Members of the NBA Reddit and Twitter communities have speculated for years that Pierce was uninjured. Instead, he just found the nearest bathroom and cleaned it up himself.
He appeared to support these theories in 2019 when he addressed the rumors in a pre-Final edition of ESPN’s “NBA Countdown.”
“I have a confession to make,” Pierce said at the time. “I just had to go to the bathroom.”
Turns out “Truth” didn’t say, well, the truth. On the most recent episode of “What did I miss?” with Michelle BeadlePierce told his former colleague on ESPN that he never got himself dirty.
“If you pee your pants, does it make sense to sit down and be in a wheelchair?” Pierce said. “No, I’ll walk back there and go straight to the bathroom. Why would I need a wheelchair if I take my pants off? You don’t sit down in your poop, do you? It makes no sense.”
Beadle argued that Pierce probably knew the best way to get off the floor without informing anyone of the situation was in a wheelchair. That could allow him to cover his shorts until he gets into the locker room.
“I wish it was you took your pants off,” Beadle said. “I won’t be embarrassed. We’ve all taken our pants off. Period.”
Pierce replied: “I never took my pants off after three years old. “Maybe on the side of the road, but not my pants.”
Just a classic Friday news dump.
You can watch Beadle’s full interview with Pierce below.
