Paul Pierce Says He’ll Probably Retire If The Clippers Win The Title This Year

After the Washington Wizards lost a hard-fought, heartbreaking series with the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, many wondered if Paul Pierce – who played brilliantly in those six games – would call it a career. It wouldn’t have been a surprise to see the 17-year veteran walk away from the game, but it would have been hard to say goodbye. Fortunately, we didn’t have to, as Pierce signed with the Los Angeles Clippers this summer, reuniting with his former Celtics coach, Doc Rivers. Yet that goodbye might still be coming, as Pierce said during the Clippers’ media day that he’ll likely retire if the team wins it all this year.

This is the deepest, and probably most talented, Clippers squad in… well… ever. They’re still probably a notch below the Cleveland Cavaliers, San Antonio Spurs, the Golden State Warriors and maybe the Oklahoma City Thunder, but that doesn’t mean they should immediately be discounted as contenders. They nearly advanced to the Western Conference Finals with a nearly nonexistent bench, and if everything breaks their way, they could find themselves back in that position, only better equipped thanks to the additions of Josh Smith, Lance Stephenson and Pierce this summer. The West will be a torture chamber, as always, and the Clippers might just have enough to survive. They’re not favorites, but the possibility exists, which means the possibility also exists that this is the Truth’s last year in the league.