Paul Pierce Charged With DUI

Paul Pierce has been formally hit with two criminal charges stemming from his arrest in Los Angeles earlier this month, TMZ Sports has learned.

Court records we've obtained show prosecutors charged the NBA legend with one count of driving under the influence of alcohol and one count of driving with .08% blood alcohol content ... just 14 days after he was taken into custody on suspicion of DUI.

Pierce, you'll recall, was accused of wrongdoing by cops back on Oct. 7 -- after he had allegedly fallen asleep at the wheel of his Range Rover SUV while in standstill traffic on an L.A. freeway.

The California Highway Patrol claimed once officers approached Pierce for questioning, he exhibited signs of alcohol impairment. Cops told us the former Boston Celtics superstar provided a blood test.

Pierce appeared to deny on Oct. 9 that he had been drinking and driving ... writing in a statement on Threads the whole matter stemmed from him being "old" and "tired."

"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."