18-year NBA veteran forward Paul Pierce announced today he plans on signing a retirement contract with the Boston Celtics next summer after the upcoming campaign, his final season, ends.
Pierce made the announcement on SiriusXM NBA Radio.
“I would love to do that,” said Pierce on the possibility of ending his career with Boston. “You know, I think I’ll always be remembered as a Celtic. I had all of my glory days, all of my prime was pretty much as a Boston Celtic. I think I owe the fans and owe myself that much. Just to be able to put that uniform on one more time and go out that way, to say I retired a Boston Celtic.”
Pierce, who spent 15 seasons with Boston during his career, scored 22,321 points, grabbed 6,651 rebounds, and made 1,823 threes wearing a Celtics jersey.
Pierce was a player on the 2008 NBA champion Celtics team that won a league-best 66 games. He was named Finals MVP in a grueling series against fellow legend Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, averaging 21.8 points per contest.
“I think it’s important (Pierce retires as a Celtic),” coach Doc Rivers told reporters last month. “I think we have to do that. And I think we will. Danny [Ainge] and Mike [Zarren], we’ve already talked. The day he retires he’s going to retire a Celtic. He has to. Paul’s a Celtic. So when he retires he’s got to retire as a Celtic. I don’t think anyone disagrees with me.”
He represented Boston in the NBA All-Star Game 10 times, and won the annual All-Star Three Point Contest as a member of the team in 2010.
The Celtics drafted Pierce No. 10 overall in 1998.
