Bruce Pearl hilariously aired some dirty laundry about Candace Parker.

Jeff Hauser

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Bruce Pearl aired out some dirty laundry on Candace Parker in hilarious way image

TL;DR

  • Bruce Pearl shared a humorous anecdote about Candace Parker dating a Tennessee player during her college years.
  • Pearl joked he advised Parker not to break up with the player for strategic team reasons.
  • Candace Parker laughed, acknowledging the mature relationship she had with Pearl during her time at Tennessee.
  • Parker led Tennessee to two national championships and received the Naismith Player of the Year award.

Former Tennessee men’s basketball coach Bruce Pearl turned analyst briefly into storyteller Monday night, delivering some dirty about Candace Parker’s college years during TNT’s broadcast of the Volunteers’ win over Rutgers.

Pearl, who coached the Vols from 2005-11, overlapped with Parker’s historic career from 2004-08. The three-time All-American dated a Tennessee player in that period, a relationship Pearl joked carried strategic importance.

“Some stories we can talk about and some stories we can’t talk about, but Candace was a beautiful young student athlete at Tennessee,” Pearl said on air. “She was dating one of my guys and she was talking to two of the others at the same time.”

Pearl recalled intervening for the sake of his lineup. “Candace, you remember there were a couple of times I would come to you and say, ‘Honey, don’t break up with him tonight’, right?" He said. Parker burst out into laughter sitting next to him. “She would be like, ‘OK.’ We had that relationship. Candace was mature beyond her years.”

Parker acknowledged being in Pearl's office and mentioned developing a relationship with him throughout the years. “That will stay in 2004 to 2008,” she stated. 

Parker guided Tennessee to back-to-back national championships in 2007 and 2008, receiving the Naismith Player of the Year award for the 2007-08 season. She posted averages of 19.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.9 steals, and 2.5 blocks per contest for The Lady Vols.

Chosen first overall in the 2008 WNBA Draft, Parker forged an impressive professional career, securing three championships and two MVP honors. She has since moved into broadcasting, becoming a prominent figure on TNT's NBA and college basketball broadcasts. 

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