On this day in Boston Celtics history, star forward Paul Pierce had to be carried off the court and placed in a wheelchair after having smashed his knee into teammate Kendrick Perkins late in the third quarter of Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The wind came out of Boston’s home arena, the Celtics looking hopelessly outmatched without the Kansas alum’s services being available. But after just a few moments of treatment in the locker room, Pierce reappeared, nailing a pair of 3-pointers. Boston would go on to win the game and the series in six games to secure their 17th and most recent championship, the most in league history.
Rumors persist as to what exactly happened to Pierce on that day — a possibly apocryphal tale the Californian had a bowel movement seems to have been taken up by Pierce as a joke, but might also have been an admission.