Paul Pierce has announced that the 2016-2017 season will be his last in the NBA.
In a piece he wrote for The Players’ Tribune on Monday, Pierce said he has decided to chase one last championship with the Los Angeles Clippers.
“It’s time to move on from the game of basketball,” he wrote. “Just like any difficult decision, I think you’ve got to be at peace with yourself. I’m at peace with retiring, but I’ve got one more ride left. One more season. One more opportunity.
“With the Clippers, in the city where I grew up, I feel like I have that opportunity on a great team. We’re hungry. We want to win a championship.”
Pierce played sparingly last season, averaging just 6.1 points while playing 18.1 minutes per game — both career-lows by a wide margin. He’ll turn 39 in October, and he is obviously fine with being more of a role player under Doc Rivers.
“After 18 NBA years, it’s hard to believe I’ll be playing in each arena for the last time,” Pierce continued. “So I’m going to enjoy every practice, every bus ride, every team dinner, every time running out through the tunnel. I’m going to do my part to give us a shot at the ultimate goal.”
Rivers has already said that Pierce will technically not be retiring as a member of the Clippers, so it remains to be seen how all that will be handled. Pierce’s next stop will be the Hall of Fame after he hangs it up.
