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Clippers’ Paul Pierce: ‘This is it, my final season’

Clippers forward Paul Pierce will retire after having played 19 seasons.
(John Raoux / Associated Press)
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Paul Piece, the smooth-shooting small forward who was one of the NBA’s best trash-talkers, announced Monday on the Players’ Tribune that 2016-17 will be his final season after almost two decades of memorable moments made mostly playing for the Boston Celtics.

Pierce will retire after having played 19 seasons – 15 with the Celtics.

“It’s time to move on from the game of basketball,” Pierce wrote on the Players’ Tribune. “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.”

Pierce played in just 68 games last season with the Clippers, averaging career-lows in points (6.1), field-goal percentage (36.3%) and minutes played (18.1).

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Pierce, who was a star at Inglewood High before he attended the University of Kansas, had returned to his hometown of Los Angeles with the goal of helping the Clippers win a championship.

It didn’t materialized last season for Pierce or the Clippers, who lost in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs to the Portland Trail Blazers after injuries to Chris Paul (broken right hand) and Blake Griffin (injured left quadriceps tendon).

But Pierce has one last shot with the Clippers, who have their media day Monday and open training camp Tuesday at UC Irvine.

Pierce signed a three-year, $10.5-million deal with the Clippers during the summer of 2015 to reunite with Coach Doc Rivers, whom he won an NBA championship with in Boston. Pierce will make $3.527 million this season.

“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 wrote.

Pierce was drafted 10th overall by the Celtics in 1998, and that’s where he had the most success.

He won the championship with Boston in 2008 and was named the Finals’ most valuable player. He played for the championship again in 2010, losing to the Lakers.

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Over the first 18 years of his career, Pierce averaged 20 points, 5.7 rebounds and 3.6 assists. He shot 44.5% from the field, 36.9% from three-point range and 80.7% from the free-throw line.

His career playoff numbers are equally impressive.

Pierce averaged 19.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 3.5 assists in the postseason. He shot 43.3% from the field, 35.5% from three-point range and 83% from the free-throw line.

Pierce left Boston after the 2013 season, and along with Kevin Garnett, was traded to the Brooklyn Nets, where he played just one season before joining the Washington Wizards.

Pierce is a 10-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA selection.

Pierce was nicknamed “The Truth” by Shaquille O’Neal because of his exploits.

Known as one of the NBA’s most boastful players, Pierce delivered one of his more memorable lines when he played for the Wizards.

After his last-second shot banked in to give the Wizards a victory over the Atlanta Hawks in a 2015 playoff game, Pierce was asked during his postgame interview on the court if he called bank.

“I called game. Game!” Pierce bellowed.

“After 18 NBA years, it’s hard to believe I’ll be playing in each arena for the last time,” Pierce wrote. “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.”

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broderick.turner@latimes.com

Twitter: @BA_Turner

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