Career
Klay Thompson started his career, like Marcus Trufant, at Washington State University, making the Pac-10 All-Freshman Team his first year.
As a sophomore, he led the Cougars to the Great Alaska Shootout Championship and was named its Most Outstanding Player.
That year, he also became the third-fastest Cougar to reach 1,000 points, earning him Pac-10 Player of the Week honors twice in a row.
When he was a junior, he became the third player in Cougar history to win first-team all-district honors twice during his career.
After recording 43 points during the 2011 Pac-10 Tournament, he declared himself for the 2011 NBA Draft to begin his professional career.
His Early Years
Klay Thompson was selected 11th overall by the Golden State Warriors, the same team that helped make Kevin Durant so wealthy.
His first season with the team saw his skills improve exponentially, and he was voted to the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
In 2013, head coach Mark Jackson said that Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry made the best shooting duo in NBA history.
Curry and Thompson combined made 483 three-pointers, the most ever scored by an NBA duo at that time.
Thompson signed a four-year contract extension with the Warriors in 2014, and the next day, scored a career-high 41 points.
Shortly after, he set an NBA record by scoring 37 points in a single quarter, also a league record at the time.
By the end of the season, with Thompson’s help, the Golden State Warriors won the NBA Championships for the first time in 40 years.
Nothing But Net
Thompson opened the first six games of the 2016 season and became the first Warrior to score 60 points since Rick Barry in 1974.
Aside from that, Thompson also helped the Warriors win their second championship in three years, becoming the first in history to start the playoffs 12-0.
His winning streak extended to the 2017 season when the Warriors went on to sweep the series, earning a third NBA Championship title.
In 2018, he hit the NBA record of 14 threes, breaking Curry’s former record of 13, and he was named to the NBA All-Defensive team for the first time.
Unfortunately, after enjoying consecutive successful seasons, at the end of 2018, he suffered from a torn ACL that sidelined him.
Due to losing such a star player, the Golden State Warriors went on to lose the series in a 114-110 defeat to the Toronto Raptors.
While many of the highest-paid athletes in the world have dealt with game-ending injuries, it was certainly a blow to Thompson.
Injuries And Comebacks
Klay Thompson opted to stay with the Golden State Warriors in 2019, signing a five-year contract for $190 million.
The next day, he underwent surgery on his ACL, though recovery forced him to miss the entirety of the 2019-20 season.
While he returned to practice in September 2020, it was announced in November that he would miss the upcoming season due to an Achilles tendon injury.
Shortly after, Thompson was assigned to the Santa Cruz Warriors, Golden State’s NBA G League affiliate, for rehab.
Despite missing two seasons, Klay Thompson made his comeback in January 2022 in a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
In Game 3 of the playoffs, he scored 26 points and passed Hall of Famer Ray Allen for third on the NBA playoffs all-time three-pointers list.
Making his comeback even sweeter was that, shortly after, he passed LeBron James for second on the NBA Finals all-time three-pointers list as well.
Thanks to Thompson’s return on the court, the Golden State Warriors went on to win another NBA Championship, the fourth of his career.
No Sign Of Stopping
At the start of 2023, Thompson became the only player in NBA history to record multiple games with over 12 three-pointers in a season.
In April, at the end of the 2022-23 season, he made his 300th three-pointer in a runaway victory against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Entering the 2023-24 season, he started off strong, nailing five three-pointers during a 106-95 win against the Houston Rockets.
However, during a game in November, he was involved in a brawl on the court with Timberwolves center Jaden McDaniels, which spiraled out of control.
Both players, along with Draymond Green, who put Rudy Gobert in a headlock, were fined $25k each for their part in the altercation.
Despite this hiccup, in December, Thompson made NBA history again, earning 14,455 career points total, putting him ahead of Rod Strickland on the All-Time Scoring list.
Although he has been playing for over a decade, it’s obvious that Klay Thompson hasn’t lost a bit of the skill that’s helped make him successful.
While he could retire now and enjoy his wealth, so far, he has made no mention of stepping away from the court any time soon!
Vanilla Ice Wiki/Biography
Born on 31 October 1967, Vanilla Ice’s age is 56 Years Old as of 2023. He was born in Dallas, a large city in Texas, USA. He was reared in Miami and Dallas, respectively. He is presently a resident of Florida in the United States. He holds an American nationality and has his belief in Christian religion. His horoscope’s birth sign is Scorpio.
Vanilla Ice Childhood Pic
The Vanilla Ice Alma Mater appears as follows. He began his elementary schooling at a Dallas neighborhood school. After finishing primary school, he enrolled in a middle school in Miami.
| Name | Vanilla Ice |
| Full Name | Robert Matthew Van Winkle |
| Net Worth | $12 Million |
| Date of Birth | 31 October 1967 |
| Age | 56 Years Old |
| Birth Place | South Dallas, Dallas, Texas, United States |
| Currently Live In | Florida, United States |
| Profession | Rapper, Vocalist, Performer, Presenter, Producer, Dancer and Television Personality |
| Debut | TV Series: The Vanilla Ice Project (2010)Music Video: Play That Funky Music (1990)Film: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze (1991) |
| Years Active | 1985 – Present |
| Nationality | American |
| Religion | Christian |
| Ethnicity | German and English Descent |
| Hometown | South Dallas, Dallas, Texas |
| Zodiac Sign | Scorpio |
| School/High School | RL Turner High School in Carrollton, Texas |
| Education Qualification | Dropped Out School |
Did Vanilla Ice and Laura have kids together?
Over the years the rapper, whose real name is Robert «Rob» Van Winkle, has kept himself busy between making music and hosting various television shows like The Vanilla Ice Project, which ran from 2010-2019 on HGTV.
While he might be a busy man that did not stop him from having kids.
During his marriage to Laura, Rob welcomed daughters Dusti Rain and KeeLee Breeze. He then welcomed a third daughter, Priscilla Love, in 2018 with his longtime girlfriend Kirra.
Like Laura, Kirra also stays out of the spotlight but she’s made a few appearances on Rob’s social media pages over the years.
WHERE’S THE MONEY?
FKA Twigs says she underwent ‘psychotherapy exam’ in Shia LaBeouf assault case
2
Vanilla Ice is a rapper, actor, and television hostCredit: Getty
What is Vanilla Ice’s net worth?
Due to Rob’s successful career, he has been able to amass a fortune over the years.
As of January 2023, his estimated net worth is $12million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
This estimate comes from various revenue streams, including music and television.
He is arguably best known for the 1990 hit Ice Ice Baby, which was the first hip hop song ever to reach No 1 on the Billboard charts, Celebrity Net Worth notes.
Career Decline
During interviews and in his official biography, Ice by Ice (1991), Vanilla Ice discussed his difficult youth and his time on streets. He also indicated that he had won numerous motocross events as well. As the press investigated these stories, it turned out that many of these claims were exaggerations of the facts, or completely false. Vanilla Ice later tried to blame his manager for these errors, and also said that he changed some of the information about himself to protect his family. Whatever the case, Vanilla Ice’s credibility and career took a serious hit over the controversy.
Vanilla Ice also received a lot of negative comments from critics. Many found Vanilla Ice’s lyrics to be «inane,» and lacking in creativity and originality. Some called him the «Elvis of rap» because he was capitalizing on a predominantly African American music style. At the time, more socially and politically challenging rap acts such as Public Enemy were having a hard time getting played on the radio, while pop-oriented rap like Vanilla Ice and M. C. Hammer dominated the charts.
Taking on his first lead acting role, Vanilla Ice starred in Cool as Ice (1991). The film was a commercial and critical failure, taking in less than $1 million at the box office. In another sign of his fading appeal, Vanilla Ice scored only a minor hit with the film’s soundtrack and its title song.
Recent Work
Vanilla Ice, once described as «one of the most ridiculed performers of all time,» did not abandon his music. In 2005, reality television helped boost his next album, Platinum Underground. He appeared on an episode of Hit Me Baby One More Time, which had former pop stars competing against each other. For the program, he sang «Ice Ice Baby» as well as his own take on Destiny’s Child’s big hit «Survivor.»
While he has never recaptured the stellar success of his early career, Vanilla Ice continues to record new material and to tour. Today he says that «the music is for myself, not to be rich or famous.»
In August 2016, Vanilla Ice announced he would be part of Season 23’s cast of Dancing With the Stars.
Vanilla Ice now lives in Florida with his wife Laura and their two daughters.
QUICK FACTS
- Name: Vanilla Ice
- Birth date: October 31, 1967
- Birth State: Florida
- Birth City: Miami
- Birth Country: United States
- Best Known For: Vanilla Ice is a rapper and TV reality show personality whose song «Ice Ice Baby» put him on the map in 1990.
- Industries
- Film
- Sports
- Music
- Television
- Astrological Sign: Scorpio
- Schools
R.L. Turner High School
Early Life
Rapper Vanilla Ice was born Robert Van Winkle on October 31, 1967 (some sources say 1968), in Miami, Florida. The son of a music teacher, Vanilla Ice grew up in South Florida and Texas. Music, however, was not his first passion. Around the age of eight, Vanilla Ice began participating in motocross races. He also became interested in break-dancing in his early teens. He attended R. L. Turner High School in Carrollton, Texas, but he left before graduation.
At first, Vanilla Ice was better known for his dance moves. «Everybody knew him for his feet. He would demolish other dancers,» Earthquake (Floyd Brown), one of the songwriters that worked with Vanilla Ice, explained to The New York Times. He frequented a Dallas nightclub called City Lights, which had a largely African American clientele. There Vanilla Ice caught the attention of the club’s owner, Tommy Quon, who became his manager.
Vanilla Ice Parents, Siblings & Family
Vanilla Ice’s parents are William Basil Van Winkle and Camilla Beth Dickerson. Vanilla Ice’s father’s name is William Basil Van Winkle, Vanilla took up his stepfather’s name. Vanilla’s stepfather was possibly a professional auto dealer
Vanilla Ice’s mother’s name is Camilla Beth Dickerson. Vanilla, on the other hand, was never known to his biological father. After Vanilla’s birth, his mother began to have marital difficulties. She made an effort to maintain the connection but failed. So, in 1971, they were divorced. His mother was a housewife.
In the case of siblings, Vanilla has a brother and a sister. His sister is Alisha Beth Mino, and he has a brother named James Kipley Hins. They were all brought up according to Christian principles in Miami and Dallas.
| Father Name | William Basil Van Winkle |
| Mother Name | Camilla Beth Dickerson |
| Brother Name | James Kipley Hins |
| Sister Name | Alisha Beth Mino |
Who is Vanilla Ice’s ex-wife?
Vanilla Ice was married to Laura Giaritta for nearly 20 years.
They tied the knot in 1997 but she ultimately filed for divorce in 2016 after five years of separation.
It was later finalized in November 2019, according to TMZ.
Outside of her previous marriage, little information is available on Laura’s personal life because she often stays out of the media.
THAT’S A RAP
Who is Pusha T’s wife?
Did Vanilla Ice and Laura have kids together?
Over the years the rapper, whose real name is Robert «Rob» Van Winkle, has kept himself busy between making music and hosting various television shows like The Vanilla Ice Project, which ran from 2010-2019 on HGTV.
While he might be a busy man that did not stop him from having kids.
During his marriage to Laura, Rob welcomed daughters Dusti Rain and KeeLee Breeze. He then welcomed a third daughter, Priscilla Love, in 2018 with his longtime girlfriend Kirra.
Like Laura, Kirra also stays out of the spotlight but she’s made a few appearances on Rob’s social media pages over the years.
WHERE’S THE MONEY?
FKA Twigs says she underwent ‘psychotherapy exam’ in Shia LaBeouf assault case
2
Vanilla Ice is a rapper, actor, and television hostCredit: Getty
What is Vanilla Ice’s net worth?
Due to Rob’s successful career, he has been able to amass a fortune over the years.
As of January 2023, his estimated net worth is $12million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
This estimate comes from various revenue streams, including music and television.
He is arguably best known for the 1990 hit Ice Ice Baby, which was the first hip hop song ever to reach No 1 on the Billboard charts, Celebrity Net Worth notes.
What is Vanilla Ice’s net worth?
Due to Rob’s successful career, he has been able to amass a fortune over the years.
As of January 2023, his estimated net worth is $12million, according to Celebrity Net Worth.
This estimate comes from various revenue streams, including music and television.
He is arguably best known for the 1990 hit Ice Ice Baby, which was the first hip hop song ever to reach No 1 on the Billboard charts, Celebrity Net Worth notes.
Rob’s television credits include Saturday Night Live (1991), The Vanilla Ice Project (2010-2019), Dancing With the Stars (2016), Celebrity Family Feud (2018), and Celebrity Wheel of Fortune (2021).
Favorite Quotes from Vanilla Ice
“One thing I didn’t understand in life was that I had $100,000,000 in the bank and I couldn’t buy happiness. I had everything: mansions, yachts, Ferraris, Lamborghinis, but I was depressed. I didn’t know where I fitted in. But then I found family and friends and I learned the value of life.” – Vanilla Ice
“Listen, if you don’t talk the big game, you never get anywhere. If you don’t think big, you don’t get big. Some people call it egotistical, some people call it high hopes, some people call it confidence. It’s all in how you want to dissect it.” – Vanilla Ice
“When ‘Ice Ice Baby’ was selling a million records a day, I bought several properties: a home next to Michael J. Fox in L.A., a palace in Miami and a mountain cabin in Utah. Then, a few years later, I took a break from touring, saw that my properties had cobwebs, so I sold them, and – to my surprise – I made a huge profit!” – Vanilla Ice
“This was totally influenced by me and the direction that I am writing about and the stuff that I am writing about. There is just no way that you can be as intense as what I have been through in my life over a drum beat machine, sample, or loop; it’s just not going to happen.” – Vanilla Ice
View our larger collection of Vanilla Ice quotes!
Vanilla Ice Wife & Relationships
As of 2023, Vanilla Ice’s marital status is divorced. However, before this, he had a few numbers of girlfriends on his list. Vanilla’s first romantic relationship was with Rowanne Brewer, an American model, and performer. They had a few lovely months together while dating in 1988 before ending their romance.
Vanilla Ice’s Ex-Girlfriend (Rowanne Brewer)
Following that, Vanilla and Connie Hamzy Parente first connected at one of his shows in 1990. Connie was a well-known American media figure. She was rumored to be Vanilla’s follower during his gigs. However, Vanilla has never been questioned about his friendship with Hamzy. They might have a romantic relationship for just one month.
The legendary pop diva Madonna Louise Ciccone was the next to fall in love with Vanilla. In the dressing room of one of his performances in 1991, they first spoke.
Vanilla Ice with his Ex-Girlfriend (Madonna Louise Ciccone)
Despite their age differences, they continued their discreet dating. They stayed for approximately a year and were frequently spotted wearing a disguise. However, things did not go as planned, and they broke up in 1992. Vanilla made a statement and emphasized how old Madonna was at the time of the separation.
Also Read:
Comeback Attempts
He tried to revamp his image with 1994’s Mind Blowin, taking on a funk-influenced rap style. Fans and critics were not impressed, and the album failed to make the music charts. In July 1994, after receiving a flurry of negative reviews, he tried to commit suicide by a drug overdose. He was shaken by this near-death experience and stepped away from his Vanilla Ice persona for a time. Returning to extreme sports, the rapper started jet-skiing competitively using his real name. In 1996, he even opened a sporting goods store called «2 The Xtreme» in Miami Beach.
In 1998, Vanilla Ice ended his self-imposed exile from the music scene with Hard to Swallow. He called the album «my much-needed therapy session» and even included a song about his troubled childhood called «Scars.» Working with producer Ross Robinson of Limp Bizkit and Korn fame, Vanilla Ice moved toward a more hardcore rock style. «The new sound is . . . much harder and darker because of the issues I am writing about,» Vanilla Ice wrote on his website.
Despite lukewarm reviews, Vanilla Ice persevered with his music career. His next two efforts, 2001’s Bipolar and 2003’s Hot Sex, came and went with little notice or fanfare. He did, however, find an audience on television, appearing in several reality shows. In March 2002, Vanilla Ice took on Todd Bridges from the sitcom Diff’rent Strokes on Celebrity Boxing. Bridges defeated Vanilla Ice in three rounds. Vanilla Ice moved in with a group of other B-List stars for the second season of The Surreal Life in 2004. For about two weeks, he had his every move filmed as he lived with the likes of adult-film star Ron Jeremy and former televangelist Tammy Faye Messner.
Around this time, Vanilla Ice also returned to the world of motocross. He auditioned for the 2002 X Games in the freestyle division and placed seventh at the 2003 Suzuki Crossover challenge, according to Sports Illustrated. He told the magazine that the track «is where I’m happiest.»