Paul Pierce made millions playing basketball. His latest court filing describes a much tougher financial picture now that one of his biggest sources of income is gone.
The former NBA star says he is struggling to keep up with support payments and other expenses after losing his Fox Sports job, according to court documents obtained by TMZ.
Pierce said his last Fox check arrived in August. He previously reported average monthly income of about $119,000, but said that income has stopped. He separately reported earning roughly $23,000 last month from interests in other businesses.
His attorney described Pierce as “drowning financially” and said additional legal expenses would cause him “great difficulty.”
The filing comes as Pierce opposes a request from his ex-wife, Princess Santiago, for $40,000 in legal fees and $10,000 for a forensic accountant. Santiago has questioned his financial disclosures and wants an expert to examine his finances, per TMZ.
Pierce says he pays approximately $28,000 in child support and $20,000 in spousal support each month. He also listed roughly $48,000 in monthly bills, including childcare, groceries, dining out, utilities and entertainment.
Those are substantial expenses by just about anyone’s standards. Pierce reported about $300,000 in the bank and $3 million in property, so his claim concerns his ability to meet ongoing obligations rather than having no assets.
TMZ noted that Pierce reportedly earned around $200 million during his NBA career. His current argument to the court is that those career earnings don’t reflect the money coming in today, especially with the television checks having stopped.
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