Paul Pierce Denies Pooping His Pants in Infamous 2008 NBA Finals Wheelchair Game

Paul Pierce joined The Athletic's Michelle Beadle on her podcast Thursday and once again defended himself against the longstanding rumor that he left Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals on a wheelchair because he pooped his pants, not because he was injured. 

"If you poop your pants, does it make sense to sit down and mush it in a wheelchair?" he told Beadle. "I would walk back there and go straight to the bathroom. Why would I need a wheelchair if I pooped my pants? You don’t sit down on your poop, right? It doesn’t make sense."

Here's the thing, though—in 2019, Pierce said he left the game on a wheelchair because he in fact had to go the bathroom, and very badly:

So which is it?

Is there perhaps a middle ground here? Did Pierce have to go the bathroom so badly that he was in pain and afraid that if he tried to walk himself there he might lose control of the situation? Was he trying to prevent the "pooping his pants" scenario that he's long been accused of?

The more we learn about this situation, the less we seem to know.