WASHINGTON, Feb 17 (Reuters) - Former pro US basketball star Paul Pierce has agreed to pay more than $1.4 million to settle charges he illegally promoted digital assets, Wall Street's top regulator said Friday. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission said Pierce promoted crypto tokens sold by EthereumMax on social media without disclosing he was paid to do so, and made misleading statements about the product. The settlement with the former Boston Celtic and NBA Hall-of-Famer marks the latest move by the SEC to crack down on celebrity endorsements of crypto products. Pierce settled the charges without admitting or denying them, agreeing to pay $1.1 million in fines and another $240,000 representing the disgorgement of ill-gotten gains plus interest, according to the SEC. Last year, the SEC penalized several celebrities, including reality TV star Kim Kardashian and former boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr for their roles in improperly promoting crypto tokens through social media.

---