Paul Pierce says he has just $300,000 left in the bank, telling a court he is tapped out financially after his Fox Sports income dried up. The Hall of Famer, who reportedly earned around $200 million over his 19 seasons in the NBA, laid out his finances in court documents obtained by TMZ as part of his ongoing support battle with ex-wife Princess Santiago.
According to the filing, Pierce’s last check from Fox Sports came in August. His average monthly income had been about $119,000, and he says it is now zero. The only money coming in, he says, is roughly $23,000 he made last month from his stakes in other business ventures.
Meanwhile, the bills keep coming. Paul Pierce says he pays about $28,000 a month in child support and another $20,000 a month in spousal support, which is money paid to a former spouse to help cover living expenses after a split. Outside of the $300,000 in cash, he lists about $3 million in property.
The filing is his response to Santiago asking the court for $40,000 more in legal fees and $10,000 to hire a forensic accountant, an expert who digs through financial records to track down income and assets. Santiago claims Pierce has been playing games with his financial records and wants an outside expert to review everything.
Pierce’s attorney pushed back, telling the court that Pierce would have great difficulty covering those fees since his Fox Sports contract was terminated. The attorney described him as drowning financially and struggling to keep up with what he already owes. The filing does not say why the Fox Sports deal ended.
This is not the first money fight between the two. The court previously ordered Pierce to pay Santiago $8,508 a month in temporary child support for their son, King, along with $100,000 toward her legal fees.
Paul Pierce built one of the most decorated careers in Celtics history. He won the 2008 NBA championship and Finals MVP in Boston, made 10 All Star teams, and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2021. After retiring, he moved into television, first at ESPN, which parted ways with him in 2021 after he went live on Instagram from a party with exotic dancers, and later at Fox Sports.
Santiago has not publicly responded to his latest filing, and the court has not yet ruled on her request.
