Celtics legend Paul Pierce was arrested Tuesday night in Los Angeles on suspicion of driving under the influence, according to authorities.
From the Associated Press:
California Highway Patrol officers responded at about 10:40 p.m. to an unrelated car crash involving multiple vehicles on the northbound lanes of U.S. Highway 101, closing four of the 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 in the road, south of the crash. Officers saw Pierce asleep at the wheel and “noticed signs of alcohol impairment,” so they conducted a DUI investigation, the press release said.
He was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence of alcohol, which will be reviewed by the Los Angeles city attorney.
Pierce played the first 15 of his 19 NBA seasons in Boston, earning 10 All-Star selections and helping lead the Celtics to an NBA championship in 2008. He ranks second in Celtics history in career points behind John Havlicek and third in games played behind Havlicek and Robert Parish. The team retired his No. 34 in 2018, and Pierce was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.
After retiring in 2017, Pierce worked as an analyst for ESPN and FOX Sports. He most recently co-hosted the sports talk show “Speak” on FS1, which was canceled in July.