Celtics to Retire Paul Pierce’s Number Next Season

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.”

Pierce’s 34 will be the 22nd number to hang in the rafters at TD Garden. The Celtics will soon announce the date of the ceremony.

The Celtics selected Pierce with the 10th pick of the 1998 draft. The 10-time All-Star averaged 21.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game over 15 seasons in Boston and helped guide the team to the 2008 NBA title.

Pierce was traded to the Nets in 2013 as part of the massive deal that netted Boston four future first-round draft picks, two of which have been used on potential rising stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.

Source: Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe