First, Celtics captain Paul Pierce confidently proclaimed - presumably somewhat half-heartedly - that he is the best basketball player in the world; now, he's relayed that he would like to remain in a Celtics uniform for the next 5 years.

From Pierce (asked if the winning of the 2007/08 Championship signaled "the end of this black period"): I hope so, at least for as long as I am on the team. I will play there for the next five years and I hope to win each year, or at least as much as possible.

Pierce will be 31 years old in October and his contract expires after the 2010/2011 season, at which time he'll conclude the season at the age of 33, turning 34 in the offseason. Does that mean he wants to sign a 2-year deal with the C's after his current contract expires then retire? Or maybe - gasp - move on to another team (possibly his hometown Lakers, whom he grew up rooting for)? Whatever the case, I'm sure Pierce hasn't mapped out the remainder of his career just yet, so the prospect of The Truth departing after the 2012/13 season and joining another team isn't anything to lose sleep over. Plus, he made these comments immediately following his "best player in the world" remarks, so we probably should consider the context and not take his comments 100% at face value.