BOSTON (WHDH) - Longtime Boston Celtics great Paul Pierce wasn’t really hurt when he was pushed off the court in Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers in a wheelchair, he confessed on TV on Wednesday.
In the third quarter of Boston’s 98-88 win, Pierce said it was a serious bathroom emergency that prompted his dramatic exit.
“I have a confession to make: I just had to go to the bathroom,” Pierce said when asked about the iconic moment on Wednesday’s edition of ESPN’s NBA Countdown.
"I just had to go to a bathroom."@paulpierce34 admits the only reason he left the 2008 Finals in a wheelchair was to go to the bathroom 😂 pic.twitter.com/oIUXgzDzT7
— ESPN (@espn) June 6, 2019
Fellow show host Chauncey Billups then asked, “Why did you need a wheelchair to get to the bathroom?”
Pierce didn’t go into detail but he explained that a bathroom problem was hindering his ability to perform on the court.
“Something went down, I had to go to the bathroom,” Pierce said.
Pierce would later return to the game, hit a couple of clutch three-point shots, and finish with 22 points on the night.
It’s unclear whether he was kidding about the reason for the locker room visit.
Boston went on the beat the Lakers in six games. Pierce earned series MVP honors.
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