47-year-old Paul Pierce took to Threads to explain his side of the situation after he was arrested by the California Highway Patrol(CHP) on suspicion of misdemeanor driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol.
The Celtics’ Hall of Famer was found sleeping on the wheel during a massive traffic jam. The Patrol officers were responding to a multiple-vehicle crash on the US Highway 101, and while investigating and opening up the clogged lanes, they found Pierce’s Range Rover stopped in the middle of the highway, south of the crash site.
“Imagine being stuck in standstill traffic for 45 minutes and falling asleep. I took this picture that night because I had never been in standstill traffic for this long. I’m old, I’m tired, and I fell asleep. I’m good, y’all, thanks for the love,” Pierce posted on threads.
Pierce was found asleep at the wheel, and the officers noticed signs of alcohol impairment, which led to the initiation of the DUI investigation. But none of the details of his case were revealed to the public, so it is unclear what really happened. As per reports, this is the first DUI he has had in the public domain and has not been involved with such behavior in the past, at least as per the information available.
His previous social media activity did land him in trouble when his contract with ESPN was suspended following some questionable videos surfacing online. Pierce is still a regular in basketball media and, during the season, is seen on different platforms and podcasts discussing his stance on the NBA. But the offseason gives ample time to pursue other interests.
The CHP is expected to present the case to the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office for review and charging decisions. After being cited, he was released from custody, implying he did not spend a lot of time in there.
NBA Fans React To Paul Pierce’s Arrest And Clarification
At first, when only the news of his arrest came out, NBA fans started trolling him vehemently over all his past transgressions and missteps, while some wanted him to introspect and reflect.
“A man can’t even take a nap in the middle of the highway anymore?”
“We may never see PP on network television ever again. We will strictly see how on podcasts”
“Ain’t no suspicion with P if you’ve seen him on those live streams lmao.”
“Time for Paul to confront his substance issues. You can’t change what you won’t acknowledge.”
But when he explained his side of the incident, he was met with some support from fans. Many of them quickly came out with polarizing takes on the situation, and some of them were too hilarious not to add in the following:
“If this LA traffic, I lowkey believe him. LA traffic is no joke, I’d been tired af too just waiting and moving bumper to bumper lol”
“I actually believe him, lmfaooo”
“My boy got receipts lol”
Paul Pierce is currently not working with any TV Network after his last show, Speak, was canceled in July this year. He hosts his podcast, The Truth After Dark, on YouTube, but is probably looking to make a return to the basketball world on TV.
