NBA Hall of Famer Paul Pierce is breaking his silence regarding his recent arrest on suspicion of DUI, but his explanation is only fueling more concern. In a new post on Instagram, the 47-year-old attempted to downplay the severity of the situation. However, his statement has prompted a flood of comments, urging the former NBA star to seek help. Pierce received a similar reaction in 2021 when he was fired from ESPN after sharing a risqué video of himself hanging with exotic dancers during a vacation with friends.

On Friday, October 10, Pierce posted a photo of himself sitting in busy Los Angeles traffic with a caption that read, “Imagine being stuck in standstill traffic for 45 mins and falling asleep.”

Pierce continued, “I took this picture that night because I never been in standstill traffic for this long.”

“I’m old,” he added. “I’m tired, and I fell asleep. I’m good y’all. Thanks for the love.”

As previously reported by The Blast, Pierce was taken into custody by the California Highway Patrol earlier this week when officers found him asleep behind the wheel of his Range Rover.

According to the police report, officers were responding to a separate crash on the freeway. After clearing those lanes, they noticed a single Range Rover remained stopped in the roadway.

“When officers approached, they found the driver, later identified as Paul Pierce, asleep at the wheel,” the CHP stated. “Officers noted signs of alcohol impairment and conducted a DUI investigation.”

While Pierce attempted to downplay his arrest, his explanation did little to quiet the noise online. In fact, it prompted a fresh wave of concern from social media users who believe there could be something seriously wrong with the former Celtics star.

“Bro, you need help,” someone wrote, while another commented, “Bro, stop it. You were sippin and smokin.”

“The Truth better be telling the truth,” a third wrote, prompting a fourth to add, “Maybe don’t drink and drive you clown.”

The initial news of his arrest was met with similar messages, with one user writing, “Sometimes you need to reach out to your friends when you see them struggling.”

This isn’t the first time Pierce has been involved in public controversy. In 2021, he was famously fired from his role as an NBA analyst with ESPN after a viral video showed him drinking, smoking, and partying with exotic dancers.

“I got fired for what?” he said during an appearance on the “I Am Athlete” podcast. “I got fired for having some entertainment. I’m playing cards. It’s my boy’s birthday. It’s girls dancing. We’re blowing some tree. What did I do wrong?”

“I don’t ever go live either, I was just feeling my [hair] cut or something, and then it was popping behind me,” he said.

Following his firing, the NBA legend shared a cryptic video message on Instagram, assuring followers he would bounce back.

“Yo, I just want to thank all my supporters, I want to thank my haters and everything. Look, but check it out, bigger and better things coming, baby,” he said in a video. “Don’t worry about it, fall twice you get up three times.”

Pierce is a 19-year NBA veteran who spent the majority of his career with the Boston Celtics.

After graduating from Inglewood High School, he spent three seasons at the University of Kansas before becoming a 10-time NBA All-Star, an NBA Champion, and the 2008 NBA Finals MVP.

He retired with the Celtics in 2017, calling it an “honor” to end his career with the organization that “made me one of their own.”

Since retiring from the league, Pierce has started his own podcast, “The Truth After Dark,” where he speaks with his co-host, Azar Farideh, about a range of topics, including relationships and trending topics.

It’s described as a show “where no topic is off-limits and real talk takes center stage.”

“Expect raw conversations, candid advice, and unfiltered insights guaranteed to spark meaningful dialogue,” the show’s bio reads.