LOS ANGELES — Former NBA player Paul Pierce was arrested Tuesday evening on suspicion of driving under the influence on a Los Angeles freeway after he was found asleep at the wheel, state police said.
California Highway Patrol officers responded around 10:40 p.m. to an unrelated multi-vehicle crash in the northbound lanes of U.S. Highway 101, closing four of six lanes to investigate, the agency said in a news release.
When they reopened the lanes about an hour later, they saw a Range Rover SUV stopped on the road, south of the crash. Officers saw Pierce asleep at the wheel and “noticed signs of alcoholism,” so they conducted a drunk driving investigation, the news release said.
He was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence of alcohol, which will be investigated by the Los Angeles City Attorney.
Pierce did not immediately respond to a message for comment, and his additional contact information could not immediately be found.
Pierce played for the Boston Celtics for 15 seasons, and most recently for the LA Clippers before retiring in 2017. He also played for the Brooklyn Nets and the Washington Wizards.
The 10-time All-Star and 2008 NBA Finals MVP was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.
Pierce was most recently co-host of “Speak,” a sports talk show on Fox Sports that was canceled in July 2025.
