Former Los Angeles Lakers forward Trevor Ariza says he has hit hard times financially, and he is asking for low monthly child support payments.
“Ex-Lakers star Trevor Ariza told the court he is in the process of reducing his monthly expenses — because he can no longer afford his once lavish lifestyle after retiring from the NBA, RadarOnline.com has learned,” wrote Ryan Naumann of RadarOnline.com.
“According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, Ariza, who retired in 2022, said he currently has no average monthly income.
“Trevor played in the league for over a decade and made over $116 million with his salary alone.
“Ariza and his estranged wife Bree Anderson are in the middle of a nasty divorce. She has demanded he pay her monthly child support for their two kids.
“Bree said the support should be sufficient so that she could maintain the extravagant life she had while married.
“She said during the marriage they had private chefs, a household staff, Rolls Royce vehicles, real estate and business holdings, and a massive 5-bedroom, 7-bathroom residence in Playa Vista.”
Although Ariza claimed his income has dried up, Anderson pointed out that he has millions of dollars saved up, as well as property that could be liquidated.
The former NBA forward says he only has about an average of $4,000 a month in income from rental properties, and that he recently got a one-time payment from the NBA of just over $400,000.
He says he is paying $13,000 a month in child support payments for his other kids, and he claimed he has some highly monthly expenses other than that.
“He listed his monthly expenses as $13k for his mortgage, $1,400 in maintenance, $8,900 for child care, $1,500 on groceries, $3,000 on eating out, $800 on laundry, $3,500 on clothes, $3,200 on his kid’s education, $14k on various cars and $19k on other,” wrote Naumann.
“The ‘other’ includes $4k to his personal assistant, $5,700 for basketball training for his kids, $400 on massages, $500 on boxing classes, $900 on manicures/pedicures, $2,500 to his girlfriend.
“‘I am in the process of reducing my monthly expenses as I am now unemployed & cannot maintain my former lifestyle,’ Trevor wrote in his declaration.”
Anderson recently got a restraining order against Ariza after she alleged he had abused her when they were together and showed up at her home unannounced.
As recently as last season, Ariza was still in the NBA and playing for the Lakers.
He signed with them as a free agent during the summer of 2021 when they traded for Russell Westbrook. It was thought that the arrival of Westbrook would make them legitimate championship contenders, but instead, the season turned into a big embarrassment.
Although Westbrook failed to fit in, the team’s poor roster construction was arguably as big a reason it missed the playoffs as Westbrook’s lackluster play.
In his final NBA season, Ariza averaged a career-low 4.0 points per game while shooting just 33.3 percent from the field and 27.0 percent from 3-point range, and his defense was virtually non-existent.
He is one of several members of last year’s Lakers roster who hasn’t played in the NBA this season.
But many years ago, Ariza was a key member of a Purple and Gold squad that fans have fond memories of.
He arrived in L.A. early in the 2007-08 season as the team was undergoing a metamorphosis from a mediocre squad to a contender. Head coach Phil Jackson quickly molded Ariza into an active, versatile defender, fast-break finisher and timely 3-point shooter.
The following season, the team won the NBA championship with Ariza as its starting small forward. He left via free agency that summer and would enjoy a long and productive career with several other teams, most notably the Houston Rockets.
Ariza also happens to be a native of the Southland. After being born in Miami, he attended Westchester High School and he then played one season of college ball at the University of California, Los Angeles, after which he became the 43rd player chosen in the 2004 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks.
