Paul Pierce spent the vast majority of his career with the Boston Celtics, and in 2008 was a core member of the Big 3 that brought the city its first NBA championship since the late 80s. The Celtics were an Eastern Conference powerhouse for years after, eventually returning to the Finals in 2010, where they would lose their rematch with the Los Angeles Lakers in an epic seven-game showdown.
But as age and injuries finally took their toll, the Big 3 dispersed, with Ray Allen defecting to the Miami Heat and Pierce and Kevin Garnett being traded to the Brooklyn Nets. Garnett has since retired, while Pierce has played complementary roles with the Wizards and Clippers in recent years. He signed on this summer to play one more season in LA, but Doc Rivers has gone on record that he believes Pierce should eventually return to Boston so he can retire as a Celtic.
Now, it appears Pierce plans to do precisely that, as he indicated to Justin Termine of the SiriusXM radio show NBA Today:
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
It would be the perfect way to bookend a career that will surely land the 10-time All-Star in the Hall of Fame. Boston’s revamped roster appears poised to establish themselves as force in the East for the foreseeable future, and there’s no reason why bringing Pierce back in a nominal role should upset their equilibrium. It should be a relatively easy decision for Celtics brass.