Pierce says wheelchair is his normal mode of transportation

BOSTON, MA — Boston Celtics forward Paul Pierce is downplaying the way his teammates carried him off the court, and his use of a wheelchair to get to the locker room after he allegedly suffered a knee sprain in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers.

According to Pierce, he always uses a wheelchair to get around, and this was no different. “You see guys all the time riding Segways around their houses, and on the streets and stuff. Well, I have my own version of a Segway – a wheelchair.”

During the third quarter of Game 1, Pierce went down in a heap, holding his knee in what appeared to be agonizing pain. He had to be lifted off the floor by teammates and trainers, who carried him over to the bench.

Eventually, Pierce was put into a wheelchair and rolled back to the training room. Just minutes later, he returned, with seemingly no ill effects. Skeptics came out of the woodwork almost immediately, and Pierce has had to defend himself against allegations of exaggerating the seriousness of the injury for dramatic effect.

Pierce continued that campaign by insisting that he regularly uses a wheelchair, and that teammates often carry him around.

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“It reduces the chances of some silly injury. And besides, I really don’t like to walk too much,” said the former Kansas Jayhawk. “Before practice, after practice – my teammates are usually nice enough to carry me on and off the court. I take my wheelchair with me from home, and when I drive to practice and games, I just wheel myself into the locker room. From there, four or five guys carry me out to the floor.”

Pierce went so far as to claim that he has been using the wheelchair for about two years as an extra measure to keep him healthy and ready to play. Teammate Kevin Garnett says Pierce is a pro with the wheelchair.

“Oh yeah, he’s got some moves on that thing,” the Big Ticket said. “He can do jumps, wheelies and some other cool tricks. Paul has really mastered that thing.”