Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce was arrested in Los Angeles earlier this week on suspicion of driving while under the influence.
The California Highway Patrol announced on Thursday that Pierce was arrested late Tuesday night after he was found asleep behind the wheel of his car on the freeway. Officers discovered Pierce asleep in his Range Rover after responding to a multi-vehicle crash on the northbound side of the 101 freeway in the San Fernando Valley, according to a news release.
Traffic lanes were closed so the crash could be investigated. When police gave the go-ahead for the highway to re-open, they observed Pierce’s SUV stopped in a traffic lane south of where the accident had taken place.
“When officers approached, they found the driver, later identified as Paul Pierce, asleep at the wheel,” the CHP said in a statement, according to NBC 4 in Los Angeles. “Officers noted signs of alcohol impairment and conducted a DUI investigation.”
Police believed that Pierce was under the influence of alcohol and took him into custody. He was cited and released.
Pierce, 47, is a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame. He was a 10-time All-Star and an NBA Finals MVP. He averaged 19.7 points per game during his career, which was spent mostly with the Celtics.
Pierce has worked in media since he retired from the NBA in 2017. He was with FOX until his FS1 show “Speak” was canceled in July. Pierce also worked for ESPN but was fired in 2021 after he shared an inappropriate video on social media.
