LOS ANGELES (AP) \u2014 Former NBA player Paul Pierce was arrested Tuesday night on suspicion of driving under the influence on a Los Angeles highway after he was found asleep behind the wheel, state police said.<\/p>\n
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 press release.<\/p>\n
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 \u201cnoticed signs of alcohol impairment\u201d so they conducted a DUI investigation, the press release said.<\/p>\n
He was arrested on a misdemeanor charge of driving under the influence of alcohol, which will be reviewed by the Los Angeles city attorney.<\/p>\n
Pierce did not immediately respond to a message for comment, and additional contact information for him could not be immediately found.<\/p>\n
Pierce played for the Boston Celtics<\/a> for 15 seasons, and most recently for the LA Clippers before retiring in 2017. He also played for the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards.<\/p>\n The 10-time All-Star and the MVP of the 2008 NBA finals was inducted into<\/a> the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021.<\/p>\n