October 30, 2025
The former Boston Celtics great was charged with one count of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Former NBA player Paul Pierce was hit with one count of driving under the influence of alcohol and one count of driving with .08% blood alcohol content after police officers said they found him asleep in his car in Los Angeles nearly three weeks ago.
According to TMZ Sports, the Boston Celtics legend was arrested Oct. 7 by California Highway Patrol (CHP) officers while he was on U.S. Highway 101 in Los Angeles. When officers found him in his Range Rover, they claim Pierce showed signs of alcohol impairment.
Pierce provided the officers with a blood test.
“At about 10:38 p.m. on Oct. 7, CHP officers responded to a multi-vehicle crash on northbound US-101, south of Lankershim Boulevard,” a spokesperson told People. “Officers closed four of six lanes to investigate the crash and began reopening them around 11:35 p.m. As traffic lanes reopened, officers saw a Range Rover SUV stopped in traffic lanes south of the crash scene.
“When officers approached, they found the driver, later identified as Paul Pierce, asleep at the wheel.”
Two days after the incident, Pierce offered his version on Threads.
“Imagine being stuck in stand still traffic for 45 mins and falling asleep 🤦🏾♂️ I took this picture that night because I never been in stand still traffic for this long. I’m old, I’m tired, and I fell asleep 🤷🏾♂️I’m good y’all thanks for the love.”
Pierce was infamously fired from his analyst job at ESPN in 2021 after he was seen on Instagram Live partying with strippers while playing poker with friends.
Two years later, while appearing on a podcast, I Am Athlete, he still felt he should not have been let go.
“I got fired for having some entertainment,” Pierce said. “I’m playing cards. It’s my boy’s birthday. It’s girls dancing, and we’re blowing some trees. I mean, what did I do wrong?”
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