Paul Pierce is officially off the hook for more than $8,500 a month in child support.
A California judge has ordered the former NBA star to pay $8,508 per month in support for his infant son, King Rafael Santiago Pierce, according to court documents reported by TMZ.
The ruling comes after the child’s mother, Princess Santiago, reportedly requested nearly $30,000 a month in child support. Pierce pushed back on that amount, asking the court to set his payments at roughly $4,145 per month.
He argued that his current financial situation has changed since he played in the NBA.
Pierce retired from basketball in 2017, and according to court documents, he reported earning approximately $1.5 million in 2025.
He also said his income is expected to decrease significantly once his remaining Fox Sports 1 payments end in September.
Pierce says he already has some serious financial responsibilities. The former Boston Celtics star reportedly pays $20,000 a month in spousal support and another $24,000 a month in child support for four other children. That’s $44,000 every month before factoring in the new court-ordered payment.
Pierce has also reportedly been voluntarily sending Santiago $5,000 a month for their son before the court made its ruling.
But the child support battle isn’t the only issue between the two. Pierce is seeking joint legal and physical custody, while Santiago has requested sole custody.
The court also ordered Pierce to pay $100,000 toward Santiago’s legal fees and another $10,000 for a forensic accountant.
While Santiago didn’t get the nearly $30,000 a month she requested, the final number is still a significant monthly obligation for Pierce.
At the end of the day, though, this isn’t really about a retired NBA star’s wallet. It’s about making sure his child is financially supported — and the court has now put an official number on what that support will look like.
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