Paul Pierce says he’ll probably retire if Clippers win a championship

In his 18th season in the NBA, Paul Pierce would like to play in front of his family and friends and bring a championship to his hometown. If he accomplishes that, he’s ready to walk away from the sport that made him a legend.

“If we win a championship this year, I’ll probably be done with basketball, just to be honest,” Pierce said at Clippers media day on Friday.

Pierce, a 10-time NBA All-Star and a 2008 championship winner, signed with the Clippers in July. He attended Inglewood High and said he wants nothing more than to carry the trophy down Manchester Avenue.

“If I didn’t think this team had a chance, no matter home or not, I probably wouldn’t even have decided to be a Clipper,” Pierce said. “It’s just the perfect time, I believe.”

His teammates couldn’t agree more.

Said Jamal Crawford: “If you look over the last 10, 15 years, you’ll say Paul Pierce’s name is one of the clutch performers in the NBA, along with Kobe Bryant. He brings some of the swagger and confidence to the game that some of the greatest players in history have.”

Added J.J. Redick: “I’m really excited to get to play with Paul and to get to experience not only his leadership but his competitiveness.”

Pierce adds championship experience to a locker room devoid of that kind of success. He’s a household name and a guy whom current superstars will respect.

Pierce, who has a career average of 21 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists a game, said he knows that at this stage in his career, he’s not going to run the show anymore, and that’s OK with him.

“Whether he plays me as a starter, whether he plays me off the bench, whether he plays me 15, 16 minutes, I’m willing to take on any role as long as we win a lot of games,” he said.