Former NBA champion and Hall of Famer Paul Pierce was arrested late Tuesday night on suspicion of driving under the influence (DUI) after being discovered asleep in his vehicle on a major Los Angeles highway.
According to the California Highway Patrol (CHP), officers were initially responding to an unrelated multi-vehicle crash on the northbound lanes of U.S. Highway 101 around 10:40 p.m., which forced the temporary closure of multiple lanes.
Found Asleep at the Wheel
When traffic lanes were reopened roughly an hour later, CHP officers spotted a Range Rover SUV stopped in the road, a short distance south of the original crash site.
Upon approaching the vehicle, police found the driver, identified as the 46-year-old Pierce, asleep at the wheel. The CHP press release stated that officers “noticed signs of alcohol impairment” and subsequently conducted a field sobriety test.
Pierce was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence of alcohol. He was released following his booking, and the case will now be reviewed by the Los Angeles City Attorney’s office for potential formal charges. No injuries or further incidents were reported in connection with the arrest. Pierce has not publicly commented on the incident.
Complicated Post-Retirement Chapter
The arrest marks the latest controversy for the decorated former Boston Celtics star, whose life after basketball has seen turbulence. Pierce, a ten-time NBA All-Star who earned Finals MVP honors leading Boston to the 2008 Championship, was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.
Since his retirement in 2017, Pierce has worked in sports media, most recently as a co-host on the Fox Sports talk show Speak before its cancellation in July 2025. This is not his first public controversy; in 2021, he was dismissed from ESPN following a viral social media live stream showing him drinking and partying.
The legal proceedings from Tuesday’s misdemeanor DUI charge will now determine the next chapter for “The Truth.”