Having seen Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan, and Kevin Garnett all retire over the course of the summer, fans of the NBA probably had their hearts in their mouths when they saw Paul Pierce trending yesterday. However, the Los Angeles Clippers man has revealed that he will instead retire next summer, making the 2016/17 season his final in the game's elite league.
Announced via The Players Tribune, Pierce announced that whilst it was a 'difficult decision', he is 'at peace with retiring'.
The small forward will turn 39 before the start of the new season, and has seen both his minutes and points steadily drop since his departure from the Boston Celtics in 2013.
Pierce's return of 6.1 points off 18.1 minutes of play was comfortably the worst returns of his 18-year NBA career, although he still proved to be a vital cog in the Clippers' set-up.
The former Kansas Jayhawk spent 15 seasons with the Celtics, claiming the 2008 Finals MVP award during his only championship-winning season.
He was also named as an NBA All-Star on ten occasions, whilst also making a single appearance in the All-NBA second team in 2009.
Since his departure from Boston, Pierce has played for the Brooklyn Nets and the Washington Wizards, before joining the Clippers in 2015.
One last hurrah?
"We’re hungry. We want to win a championship."
Those were Pierce's words on his upcoming final season with the Clippers, who have as good a shot as ever at winning their first ever championship. In fact, it could potentially be their last shot for some time. If the Golden State Warriors' gamble on Kevin Durant does crash and burn then the Clippers will be right up there with the San Antonio Spurs this season. Even if the Warriors do, as predicted, kick on, the Clippers are still within a very realistic shout of finishing as the third seed, which could go a long way during the postseason.
With Blake Griffin heading for a potential free agency and Chris Paul also possibly following, it could championship or bust in Paul Pierce's final season as an NBA player.