Paul Pierce is once again trying to clear the air about what happened in Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals when he left the court in a wheelchair before returning shortly thereafter.
Pierce sat down with fellow Boston Celtics legend Kevin Garnett, as well as current Celtics Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum on Showtime Basketball's KG CERTIFIED, and he was asked about that incident. Pierce said he sprained his MCL, and the doctors wouldn't let him put weight on that knee.
"I sprained my MCL," Pierce said. "It was my MCL. Don't believe all them rumors like I had to go to the bathroom."
Garnett needled Pierce about having to use the restroom, and Pierce said that a bathroom break isn't the only explanation for his brief absence after being wheeled off the court.
"Everyone talking about I had to take a s--t," Pierce said. "Get the f--k out of here. I turned my MCL, dawg. You act like you can't play on an MCL. You ain't never did that?"
Pierce also noted that the bathroom story has taken on a life of its own in the era of social media. Pierce was clearly holding his knee as he was taken to the locker room, and he pointed to that as evidence of his MCL injury.
"Everybody knows this, but you know, now that we got social media, everyone can make their own narrative," Pierce said. "I sprained my MCL. What you think I'm holding my knee for? Come on, dog."
Throughout the years, Pierce hasn't exactly done a great job of dispelling the bathroom story. On a 2019 episode of 'NBA Countdown,' Pierce appeared to admit that he had to be wheeled off the court to relieve himself.
"I have a confession to make," Pierce said. "I just had to go to the bathroom."
Pierce later said that was just a joke, but clearly not everyone bought that. The 2008 NBA Finals MVP may never be able to escape speculation that he took a wheelchair to the bathroom in the middle of a game.
