Doc Rivers: Paul Pierce “has to” retire as a Celtic

Doc Rivers and Paul Pierce go way back. Rivers was Pierce’s coach for years in Boston, including the Celtics’ 2008 championship. And he’s his coach again in Los Angeles, where Pierce appears set to return for one more season with the Clippers. Once Pierce does retire, though, Rivers is adamant that the 2008 Finals MVP needs to sign a one-day contract with the Celtics so he can retire with that organization. Via ESPN.com’s Chris Forsberg:

Doc Rivers on why he’ll encourage Paul Pierce to sign a one-day contract with the Celtics before whenever he does retire: “I think it’s important. I think we have to do that. And I think we will. Danny [Ainge] and Mike [Zarren], we’ve already talked. The day he retires, he’s going to retire a Celtic. He has to. Paul’s a Celtic. So when he retires he’s got to retire as a Celtic. I don’t think anyone disagrees with me.”

Rivers is right. Pierce has played for the Nets, Wizards and Clippers in the later part of his career, but his defining years were with the Celtics and he is undoubtedly going to have his jersey retired in Boston one day. It would only be right that when he decides to hang it up, he does so with the team that drafted him and that he won his only NBA championship with.