Paul Pierce reveals cause behind hospitalization and gruesome finger injury

Shortly after posting a photo of himself in a hospital bed on Instagram, Paul Pierce was back in studio next to Skip Bayless and Keyshawn Johnson on FS1’s Undisputed.

Pierce posted the hospital photo Friday night, alongside pictures of a gruesome injury that left some of his fingers bloodied and mangled. “Just broke a couple fingers gonna have surgery on one,” Pierce captioned the Instagram post.

In the photos, one fingertip appeared to be pointing in the wrong direction with a deep laceration. But a few days after the injury and surgery, Pierce was back on Undisputed with his finger bandaged up.

Paul Pierce says gruesome finger injury from last week was caused by a gym accident pic.twitter.com/qvEDZXXivg

— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 20, 2024

“No wheelchair today? You’re playing hurt!” Bayless said, referencing Pierce exiting the 2008 NBA Finals in a wheelchair, only to make a triumphant return to the court after less than two minutes of game time passed.

“I’m alright,” Pierce said before describing the injury that required him to receive surgery last week. “I was crushing in the weight room and a plate fell on my hand. I was doing a plank with a 45. You know, nobody can do that really, but true gorillas in the weight room,” Pierce said. “It slid off, smashed my hand, had to have surgery. But I’m here, bright and early Monday morning.”

Apparently, Pierce couldn’t do a plank with a 45lb plate on his back either. At least he couldn’t on Friday, because the attempt sent him to the hospital.

“Finger smashed open, bone came out, I drove myself to the hospital, got the surgery, went home and drunk a cup of coffee,” Pierce added.

Yikes. As bad as Pierce’s description of the injury sounds, the pictures are even worse. If you look at the images, do so at your own discretion because photos of the injury were graphic.

[Undisputed]