Star point guard Kyrie Irving announced his intention to re-sign with the Boston Celtics next summer, and Celtic legend Paul Pierce thinks the All-Star floor general is making the right move. Pierce believes Irving understands having a legacy with the Celtics is something that can't be matched by any other franchise in the NBA.
Paul Pierce on Kyrie Irving’s resigning announcement: "I think that’s huge. I think he has an understanding after being here a year it’s all about legacy. To have a legacy here in Boston, it could be like none other in the NBA."
— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) October 4, 2018
More Paul Pierce on Kyrie Irving declaring he intends to re-sign w/ #Celtics: He’s a smart player, a smart guy. He understands that a championship window doesn’t last that long. He had his run in Cleveland. He sees a future here in Boston that it could be truly something special.
— Scott Souza (@Scott_Souza) October 5, 2018
Irving said last week he wants to have his No. 11 jersey retired in Boston one day. The electric scorer is going to have to win a championship with the Celtics to make that happen. Like Pierce says, though, the Celtics have one of the brightest futures in the league with Irving, Gordon Hayward, Al Horford, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown as the team's main cogs. Now that LeBron James is in the Western Conference, Boston is the clear favorite to win the East for the next few years.
Pierce knows better than anyone what it's like to win in Boston and be loved by the Celtics fans. He's one of the best players to ever play for the Celtics and has his No. 34 jersey in the rafters at the TD Garden. The Celtics are one of the staple organizations in the NBA and winning a title in Boston holds more weight for a players' legacy.
Irving, 26, will make $20.1 million this season. He will become an unrestricted free agent next offseason if he declines his 2019-20 player-option. The former No. 1 overall pick averaged 24.4 points and 5.1 assists per game last season while shooting 49.1 percent from the field and 40.8 percent from beyond the arc.
Follow Us
Subscribe