After spending the first 15 seasons of his career with the Boston Celtics, Paul Pierce is retiring as a member of the 17-time champions after signing in free agency. Originally the 10th overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, Pierce averaged 21.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists.
Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca revealed Pierce's No. 34 jersey will be retired for the 2017-18 NBA season and will announce the date of the ceremony at another time according to Adam Himmelsbach of Boston Globe:
Celtics co-owner Steve Pagliuca said that Paul Pierce’s No. 34 will be retired this upcoming season.
“It’s going to be fantastic,” Pagliuca said. “For our era, the most recent era, he embodied the Celtics’ leadership, the Celtics’ brand and was the MVP of the championship team. So it’s going to be fantastic to see that happen.”
With Pierce's jersey, it will be the 22nd number to hang in the rafters at TD Garden. While he helped the team win the 2008 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, he was traded to the Brooklyn Nets five years later for four future first round draft picks, which included Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.
After a successful stint with the Celtics, Pierce played for three different teams in his final four seasons including the Brooklyn Nets, Washington Wizards, and Los Angeles Clippers.
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