Paul Pierce Breaks Silence On DUI Arrest, 'I Fell Asleep'

Paul Pierce is opening up on his DUI arrest ... and he's chalking the whole ordeal up to being "old" and "tired."

The NBA legend was taken into custody late Tuesday night ... after the California Highway Patrol said officers found him asleep at the wheel of a Range Rover SUV in the middle of U.S. Highway 101 in Los Angeles.

Pierce said in a statement on Threads on Thursday the CHP's decision to close lanes for nearly an hour to investigate a crash is what led to the whole issue.

"Imagine being stuck in stand still traffic for 45 mins and falling asleep 🤦🏾‍♂️," he wrote. "I took this picture that night because I never been in stand still traffic for this long."

"I’m old, I’m tired, and I fell asleep 🤷🏾‍♂️," he continued. "I’m good y’all thanks for the love."

In the photo Pierce attached to his post, several rows of cars with their brake lights on can be seen.

Pierce, however, did not address the allegations he had been drinking prior to dozing off.