Paul Pierce Arrested for Driving Under the Influence
Former NBA player Paul Pierce was arrested Tuesday night on suspicion of driving under the influence on a Los Angeles highway, state police reported. California Highway Patrol officers responded to an unrelated traffic accident involving multiple vehicles on the northbound lanes of US Highway 101 around 10:40 p.m. This led to the closure of four of the six lanes for investigation. Upon reopening the lanes approximately one hour later, officers found a Range Rover SUV stopped on the road, south of the accident site. Officers observed Pierce asleep at the wheel and “noticed signs of alcohol impairment,” so they conducted a DUI investigation, according to the press release. He was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence of alcohol, which will be reviewed by the Los Angeles city attorney. On Thursday, Pierce shared on his Instagram account that he had fallen asleep while stuck in stopped traffic.Pierce played for the Boston Celtics for 15 seasons and, more 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.Recently, Pierce co-hosted “Speak”, a sports talk show on Fox Sports that was canceled in July 2025.