Former NBA star Paul Pierce says he is struggling financially after losing his income from Fox Sports, with court documents stating that he is finding it difficult to meet his child and spousal support obligations.
Pierce said his final payment from the broadcaster arrived in August. He claimed his average monthly income had previously been about $119,000, but that his Fox Sports income had since fallen to zero.
He said he earned roughly $23,000 last month through partnership interests in other business ventures.
Paul Pierce’s monthly support payments
Pierce told the court that he pays approximately $28,000 a month in child support and a further $20,000 in spousal support.
He claimed to have about $300,000 in the bank and property worth $3 million. His reported monthly expenditure of around $48,000 includes $8,000 on childcare, $5,000 on groceries, $7,000 on eating out, $3,200 on utilities, $1,000 on clothes and $3,500 on entertainment.
In a filing, his lawyer said Pierce would have “great difficulty” paying further legal costs following the termination of his Fox Sports contract. The lawyer added that Pierce was “drowning financially” and struggling to keep up with his financial obligations.
Pierce is asking the court to reject his ex-wife Princess Santiago’s request for $40,000 in legal fees and a further $10,000 for a forensic accountant.
Santiago had alleged that Pierce was not being forthcoming about his financial records and sought an expert review of his finances. Pierce’s request comes after he was ordered to pay her $100,000 in legal fees and $8,508 a month in temporary child support for their son, King.
Pierce reportedly earned about $200 million during his NBA career.
