Boston Celtics great Paul Pierce has spent the last few seasons — the last few seasons of what will presumably be a Hall of Fame career — playing for franchises other than the Boston Celtics. But after finishing the upcoming NBA season, which Pierce has said will be his final NBA campaign, the man known as “The Truth” says he plans to go out in green.
Paul Pierce confirmed to us on @SiriusXMNBA that he'll retire as a Celtic after the season… Said he owes it to himself and the fans.
— Justin Termine (@TermineRadio) October 12, 2016
Pierce spent his first 15 NBA seasons as a member of the Boston Celtics, logging 10 All-Star appearances and winning the 2008 NBA Finals MVP as he teamed with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to help the Celtics win their first NBA title in two decades. As a Celtic, the 6-foot-7 forward Pierce posted career averages of 21.8 points per game and 6.0 rebounds per game.
To help jump-start their rebuilding process, the Celtics traded Garnett and Pierce to Brooklyn in the summer of 2013, where the Nets were going all-in to win immediately. That experiment lasted only one season, however, and Pierce spent the 2014-15 season with the Washington Wizards, where he showed his ability to knock down big shots in the postseason.
Last summer, Pierce reunited with former Celtics coach Doc Rivers in Los Angeles, as Pierce returned to the town where he played high school basketball in order to join the Clippers. The 37-year-old Pierce averaged a career-low 6.1 ppg in 68 games for the Clippers last season.
Pierce decided this summer to return for one last season with the Clippers, and Rivers has previously said Pierce should retire as a member of the Celtics.
