Weekend that changed his life came inPhoenixtwo years ago, when Rice was still with theMiami Heat, which had drafted him No. 4 overall in 1989 and for which he averaged 19.3 points in six seasons. The story begins, as usual, with Rice’s jump shot, which he used to win the three-point shooting contest. When Rice returned toMiami, teammateMatt Geigerthrew a party to celebrate. It was there that Rice met Cristina Fernandez, a high school special-education teacher. “I told the guys she was going to be my girlfriend,” Rice says. But he wasn’t nearly as bold around Fernandez. He was so shy that he had to send teammate Kevin Gamble over to ask, on his behalf, if Fernandez would like to dance.
She agreed to dance, but she didn’t want anything else to do with Rice, who was separated from his wife and on his way to a divorce. But after several three- and four-hour phone conversations, Fernandez agreed to go out with him. On the day they were to have their first date, Rice scored a career-high 56 points against theOrlando Magic. “I had to do something to impress her,” he says.
Before long Fernandez saw that Rice wasn’t the stereotypical self-absorbed athlete, but surprisingly quiet and conservative. She introduced him to sushi, Spanish and salsa dancing. And she consoled him on Nov. 3, 1995—the day after Rice says Heat president and coachPat Rileytold him not to pay any attention to trade rumors—whenRileycalled to inform him that he had been dealt toCharlottewithGeigerand guardKhalid Reevesforcenter Alonzo Mourningand two other players. “I was on my way to practice when I got the call,” Rice says. “I just went back inside, sat down on my living room floor and cried.”
The tears were over moving away from his sons, Glen Jr., now 6, and G’mitri, 4, of whom his ex-wife, Tracey, has primary custody. They were over leaving the Miami fans, for whom Rice felt such affection that he wrote an open letter of thanks to them, published in The Miami Herald. And they were over leaving Fernandez. In Charlotte, Rice's play didn't suffer—last season he averaged 21.6 points and made his first All-Star team—but his appetite did. His weight dropped from 220 pounds to 205 as he sat alone in the hotel room in which he lived, playing video games night alter night. "Matt and Khalid would tell me I had to come to Charlotte, that he wasn't eating, that his new nickname was Slim," Fernandez says.
She finally moved in with Rice in Charlotte near the middle of last season—they plan to be married in September in Miami—and became his strongest supporter and toughest critic. "She may not know everything about basketball, but she knows me," Rice says. His scoring surge this season began after Fernandez told him he wasn't being aggressive enough on offense.
“As a Miami native who is beyond proud of her roots, Cristy’s sassy Latina flair is evident in everything she does. Recently divorced from NBA superstar Glen Rice, Cristy has entered a new phase of her life, being single and living out loud. When she’s not out dancing at night or dealing with relationship drama, Cristy’s life is jam-packed with being a single mom to her three children and running her own clothing store.”
Sunny news, Real Housewives fans: Make way for the Real Housewives of Miami – and soon.
Six ladies join the cast of the just-announced show, which will premiere Feb. 22 (10 p.m. ET), and they promise to supply plenty of heat this chilly winter. Though Bravo had initially announced that the Real Housewives of New York City would be premiering its fourth season in mid-February, the show is now expected to debut in the spring.
Who are these ladies that will be causing all the drama? Meet the cast of the Real Housewives of Miami:
Lea Black has a 9-year-old son with her lawyer husband. A strong supporter of President Obama, the Texas-born Housewife is invested in her own charitable endeavors.
Larsa Pippen is married to basketball star Scottie Pippen and was known as the "Hottest NBA wife." A mother of four, Pippen boasts that she's successful at everything she does.
Marysol Patton is a Miami native who runs her own PR firm, the Patton Group. A divorcee, Patton is known for throwing bashes around town and loves to spend time with her mother, Elsa, who considers herself a "seer" and offers spiritual guidance people in town.
Alexia Echevarria is the executive editor of Venue magazine, where she covers fashion and celebrity culture. She lives on Miami Beach with her husband Herman and has two sons from a previous marriage.
Cristy Rice was recently divorced from NBA star Glen Rice. The show will follow her single life as she juggles business (she owns a clothing store) and being a single mom.
Adriana DeMoura-Sidi is fiery and flirtatious and ... newly engaged. Her personality lands her in trouble and the subject of much gossip among the ladies.
Snooki was just a warm up. Miami now has its own "Housewives" series.
Eonline is reporting that the "Real Housewives of Miami" has already been shot and is ready to roll out to the masses. But just like anything dealing with South Beach, this version of the popular Bravo series will have an interesting twist.
One of the featured "housewives" will be Elaine Lancaster, the drag queen extraordinaire of South Beach.
Joining the diva known in male form as James Davis will be Scottie Pippen's wife Larsa and Christy Rice, ex- wife of former Miami Heat star Glen Rice. Other women getting in on the reality TV fun are Adriana Sidi, Alexia Echeverria, Marysol Patton and Lea Black.
