"Paul Pierce clearly is being pulled in different directions as the NBA lockout drags on into its 143rd day.

He is committed to doing what he believes is the right thing for the players, but as his side takes the owners to court, he knows a lost season could mean the end of the Celtics line for his team's veteran core.

"That's a great possibility, because we're not getting any younger," Pierce said after taking part in a pickup game for charity at Harvard last night. "KG (Kevin Garnett) and Ray (Allen) are on the last year of their deals, so we really don't know the future after this year, especially with those two guys.

"Me and (Rajon) Rondo are locked in for a couple more years after that, but who knows the direction the team is going to want to go in after that. So that's a huge concern.""