Paul Pierce is just the latest celebrity to fall prey to Los Angeles' burglary epidemic ... the former NBA superstar's home was broken into Friday night, and the perpetrators got away with luxury watches and over $100k in cash.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Sports the 46-year-old 10x NBA All-Star's pad was hit when Pierce wasn't home, and a mind-boggling amount of personal treasure was stolen.

Amongst the burglarized items were expensive watches, 6 figures in cash, and a safe ... which police are currently trying to track down.

As for the criminal investigation, we're told cops have been combing through video from the scene, hoping to find a critical piece of evidence that'll crack the case.

No arrests have been made.

While he's the latest, he's not the first big-named star to have their personal spaces violated, and their belongings stolen ... it's been an issue in the City of Angels for years.

Post Malone, Bella Thorne, Yasiel Puig, Rihanna, Quentin Tarantino, Drake and so many other stars have fallen victim.

In fact, the LAPD recently talked about "burglary tourists" from South America who travel to Los Angeles solely to target luxurious mansions.

Police say the rings sometimes use high-tech equipment like jammers to bypass security systems.

It's unclear if one of these rings is behind the Pierce burglary.