NBA players have particularly incredible digestive systems. They need to, obviously, given the labor their bodies have to go through in the lead-up to and during games.
In preparation for their outings, NBA players often have to abide by very specific, and very strict diets.
Sometimes their systems malfunction.
Boston Celtics icon Paul Pierce will forever serve as the poster child for this. He is best known at this point for allegedly faking an injury to cover up a bathroom accident:
But Pierce isn’t the lone victim of a digestive system gone awry. Philadelphia 76ers star James Harden, back when he was with the Houston Rockets, was also once noted having weird spots on his shorts.
In a fascinating column that delved into this phenomenon, Yaron Weitzman of TrueHoop went deep into the ins and outs of NBA players pooping their pants.
Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker, who famously was allegedly embroiled in 7-Suns-Players-in-1-night mess with a groupie, knows his way around messy, dirty situations. That made him the perfect person to weigh in on this subject.
“I’ve seen a couple white shorts where you see someone had a little accident on the back,” he said. “Just ask any equipment manager.”
NBA veteran Lance Thomas agreed.
“That’s definitely a thing,” he said. “Usually when someone’s at the free-throw line you notice it. Especially if they’re wearing white.”
So there you have it – Pierce was not alone in his accident. It is a common occurrence in NBA circles.
Manti Te’o seems to be doing much better these days. https://t.co/7VZFHPZb4b
— Game 7 (@game7__) August 17, 2022
With this newfound understanding of hoopsters pooping their pants, it’s worth watching with a skeptical eye whenever someone goes down with a clearly fake injury.
Are they really under the impression that they need a few moments to recover? Or is it just a cover for needing to use the restroom?
It’s something every fan will have to determine for themselves on a case by case basis.
Related: Natalia Bryant’s Vanessa Bryant TikTok Video Goes Viral
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.