Paul Pierce has been ordered to pay $8,508 a month in child support for his infant son, King Rafael Santiago Pierce, whom he shares with Princess Santiago.
According to court documents obtained by TMZ, the retired NBA star must also pay $100,000 toward Santiago’s legal fees and another $10,000 for a forensic accountant. The child support order is temporary and can be adjusted as the case moves forward.
The ruling comes after Santiago filed a paternity case in California in January. In March, she sought $29,811 per month in child support and sole legal and physical custody of King. She also requested $100,000 in legal fees and asked Pierce to pay half of the $18,846 she said she incurred in pregnancy, birth and post-birth expenses.
Pierce acknowledged in April that he is King’s biological father and asked for joint legal and physical custody.
The former Boston Celtics star opposed Santiago’s proposed child support amount, arguing that his income has declined significantly since his NBA career ended in 2017. While Pierce earned nearly $200 million during his NBA career, he reported earning $1.5 million in 2025.
Pierce also said payments from Fox Sports were scheduled to end in September, which would reduce his income by nearly half.
The former NBA star told the court that he already has significant financial obligations, including support for four other children. According to his filing, he pays $20,000 per month in spousal support and another $24,000 per month in child support.
Pierce said he had been voluntarily paying Santiago $5,000 per month for King and proposed that the court set his monthly obligation at approximately $4,145.
Santiago, however, argued that Pierce could afford the amount she requested based in part on his NBA career earnings.
The two have also disagreed over Pierce’s involvement in their son’s life. In court documents filed this summer, Santiago included alleged text messages between herself and Pierce.
In one April exchange, Pierce reportedly told Santiago that he had received confirmation King was his son and asked if he could see him. Santiago responded that Pierce had the opportunity to establish paternity earlier and had not been present during her pregnancy.
Their custody and support case remains ongoing.
