During the late 2000s, the fierce rivalry between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics had regained its fire. Instead of Magic vs. Bird, it was Kobe Bryant up against Paul Pierce. Each clash felt like a playoff battle, the atmosphere roaring and intrigue lurking in the air. It all seemed to be a set-up contest before the NBA Finals. In 2008, when the NBA giants met, it was the Celtics who prevailed due to Pierce’s unwavering resolve. However, fans don’t remember his heroics from the series. Instead, an embarrassing memory is often highlighted.

In reality, it is perceived to be embarrassing. Recently, Pierce debunked the truth of the incident and blamed social media for creating a false narrative around his iconic ‘wheelchair’ game.

Paul Pierce lashes out on social media for misperceiving his 2008 NBA Finals moment

The moment came during a tightly contested Game 1 of the NBA Finals. The Lakers and the Celtics each attempted to take control, but both sides weren’t backing off. It was then that the game came to a standstill. Kendrick Perkins and Pierce combined to stop a Kobe Bryant shot, but only one could sprint back. Pierce lay on the floor in pain after the defensive effort. The injury seemed serious when he had to be escorted to the locker room in a wheelchair.

For years it remained a question fans desperately wanted an answer for. What truly happened? Was Pierce really injured on the possession?

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Years after the moment, Pierce first spoke about it during a broadcast.

“I just had to go to the bathroom,” he said.

Since then, social media has blown the statement out of proportion. The running idea has been that Paul Pierce apparently ‘soiled’ himself. To avoid the embarrassment of the moment, he called for a wheelchair to conceal the truth. However, that is far from the reality. Pierce has spoken about the entire incident on multiple occasions.

Has Pierce come clean on the incident?

His latest confession was during his appearance on the show, It Is What It Is. The Hall of Famer pinned social media for wrongly interpreting the situation and creating an outright false illusion. He even gave a profound explanation as to why the idea didn’t make sense.

“If I s**t myself, why would I jump in a wheelchair and smush it in the wheelchair and roll to the back? Like, come on bro. Like come on that don’t even make sense,” he said.

When asked about what had really happened, Pierce narrated the incident. He revealed he had sprained his MCL and got into the wheelchair on the doctor’s orders.

In the locker room, the medical staff examined him, with Pierce concluding the pain was overbearing. Subsequently, he came back into the Finals three minutes later and played a pivotal role in the Celtics’ win.

Eventually, he would become Boston’s leading star, winning Finals MVP for his remarkable display in a tough series against the Lakers. And only that seems to be ‘The Truth’.

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