After arrest, Paul Pierce says he was just 'old' and 'tired,' not drunk

"Pierce, 47, was allegedly found sleeping in the driver's seat of a Range Rover SUV stopped on U.S. Highway 101, California Highway Patrol said in a news release obtained by the Associated Press. Troopers had previously closed four of the highway's six lanes while responding to an unrelated car crash around 10:40 p.m., CHP said. They purportedly noticed Pierce's SUV stopped in the road south of the crash upon reopening the lanes about an hour later."

"Officers elected to conduct a DUI investigation after they "noticed signs of alcohol impairment," according to CHP. Pierce was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence of alcohol, the Associated Press reported. Taking to Instagram Thursday, the NBA Hall of Famer thanked fans for their concern and said he wasn't drunk, just "old" and "tired." "Imagine being stuck in stand still traffic for 45 mins and falling asleep 🤦🏾‍♂️"

Paul Pierce, 47, was found asleep in the driver's seat of a Range Rover stopped on U.S. Highway 101 and was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence. California Highway Patrol troopers, who had closed four of six lanes responding to an unrelated crash, found the SUV stopped about an hour after reopening lanes and reported signs of alcohol impairment. Pierce was booked on a misdemeanor DUI charge. On Instagram Pierce thanked fans, saying he was not drunk but "old" and "tired" after lengthy standstill traffic. Pierce spent 15 years with the Celtics, won 2008 Finals MVP, played for Brooklyn, Washington and Los Angeles, joined ESPN after retiring in 2017, was fired in 2021, and now hosts "The Truth After Dark" podcast.

Read at Boston.com