Celtics great Paul Pierce reportedly arrested on drunken driving charges in Los Angeles

Boston Celtics great Paul Pierce was reportedly arrested on suspicion of drunken driving in Los Angeles on Tuesday, the California Highway Patrol told multiple news stations in California and Boston.

Pierce, 47, was allegedly found sleeping at the wheel of his car on a Los Angeles highway after 10.30pm on Tuesday. Officers were initially called to the scene to investigate a multi-vehicle crash that occurred in the northbound lanes of Highway 101. While investigating the crash, officers noticed a Range Rover SUV stopped in one of the highway lanes south of the crash site.

Announcement

Pierce was reportedly found asleep behind the wheel of the Range Rover. Officers said they noticed signs of impairment in Pierce and began a DUI investigation. He was arrested on suspicion of driving while intoxicated. Pierce’s case will be “presented to the Los Angeles City Attorney for review,” according to WCVB.

Although Pierce spent nearly his entire NBA career in Boston, he was born – and raised – in California. Pierce was born in Oakland and played high school basketball in Inglewood. He was a standout player in high school, playing in the 1995 McDonald’s All-American Game.

Pierce played college basketball at Kansas before the Celtics selected him with the No. 10 overall pick in the 1998 NBA Draft. Pierce put together a Hall of Fame career in Boston, leading the team to a championship during his 15-year career with the Celtics.

Toward the end of his career, Pierce also played for the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards before spending his final two seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers.

Announcement

After his playing days, Pierce worked as an NBA analyst at ESPN from 2017 to 2021. He was released by the network after streaming video of a party.

Pierce began working for FS1 in 2024. He found himself in the headlines in May when he walked 20 miles to work after a bold prediction about the Celtics backfired.