2016 NBA Rumors: Is Paul Pierce Now Ready to Retire?

Jun 10, 2016 12:33 PM EDT

With 18 seasons under his belt, NBA superstar Paul Pierce is surely nearing his retirement age. But, according to the Los Angeles Clippers small forward, there are still a lot of factors he has to consider before deciding to leave the league.

Pierce has been in the NBA since 1998 after joining the Boston Celtics. He stayed with the team until 2013 before signing with the Brooklyn Nets.

Right now, he has two more years to go in his contract with the Clippers. But, it is not yet clear if he will go through these two seasons.

According to Pierce, he's already thinking about his retirement and has been consulting with his family about the matter. But ultimately, he noted that the decision to retire will come from him.

"Well, we always say it's 51-49," he told the Boston Globe. "I get 51 percent of the vote and the rest of [the family] gets 49. [My wife's] input carried a lot of weight. We'll figure out some things. I know I don't want to be sitting at home, whatever I do, regardless."

"If I come back, it will be one more [season] and that will be it," he added. "No doubt."

Like all professional athletes, Pierce noted that his decision to retire will be significantly affected by how much he still wants to be in the game. The drive to play is also a big factor as well as his role with the team.

"Really, it's all about how I feel mentally, getting up and I'm thinking about the grind," he said. "People don't understand, I think a lot of guys retire because of what it takes to [get on the court] each season. You can take the grind once you are in it, but getting ready for the grind is the hard part."

"I thought I had one more good year [this past season], but obviously I didn't like how it all went with my role," Pierce added. "I'm still just trying to figure it out. A lot has got to do with my role I'm going to play. To come back and sit 82 games, I don't know if I can do that."