Paul Pierce Comments on Future After Retirement, Playing vs. Celtics and More

Los Angeles Clippers forward Paul Pierce said a lot of emotion will be running through his body Sunday afternoon when he's scheduled to play in Boston for the final time.

The 39-year-old longtime Celtics superstar announced on The Players' Tribune back in September the 2016-17 season would be his last in the NBA. On Saturday, the 10-time All-Star told reporters he wasn't sure what to expect for his Boston finale, per Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com:

The storied franchise selected Pierce with the 10th overall pick in the 1998 NBA draft. The Kansas product proceeded to spend the first 15 seasons of his future Hall of Fame career playing on the parquet floor, winning the 2008 NBA Finals with the C's in their first championship since 1986.

While Sunday's game at TD Garden will probably be a whirlwind, there's one thing the California native wants to make sure he does: "I want to give Lucky [the Leprechaun logo at midcourt] one last kiss," he said, according to Forsberg.

Looking ahead, The Truth should have no shortage of options once his playing days come to a close.

He's charismatic enough to take on a television role. His basketball smarts and his enthusiasm for the game would make him a promising coaching prospect. And he's been around the sport long enough to understand the inner workings for a front-office role.

A. Sherrod Blakely of Comcast SportsNet noted Pierce said returning to the Celtics in some capacity will "definitely" be something he considers.

That's a decision-making process for another day, though. Both the Clippers and the Celtics are well on their way to securing playoff berths. L.A. sits fourth in the West, and the Celtics are trying to chase down the Cleveland Cavaliers for the top seed in the East. 

Of course, that could mean Sunday's game might not be the Celtics legend's final stop in Boston after all. The sides could still face off in the 2017 NBA Finals, though it's a long shot.