- Dwayne Schintzius
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Dwayne Schintzius No. 24, 42, 33, 55 Center Personal information Date of birth October 14, 1968 Place of birth Brandon, Florida Nationality American High school Brandon Listed height 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) Listed weight 260 lb (118 kg) Career information College Florida (1986–1990) NBA Draft 1990 / Round: 1 / Pick: 24th overall Selected by the San Antonio Spurs Pro career 1990–2003 Career history 1990–1991 San Antonio Spurs 1991–1992 Sacramento Kings 1992–1995 New Jersey Nets 1995–1996 Indiana Pacers 1996–1997 Los Angeles Clippers 1999 Boston Celtics 2001–2002 Mobile Revelers (NBA D-League) 2003 Brevard Blue Ducks (USBL) Career NBA statistics Points 587 (2.7 ppg) Rebounds 536 (2.5 rpg) Stats at NBA.com Stats at Basketball-Reference.com MedalsMen’s basketball Competitor for 
United StatesFIBA U19 World Championship Silver 1987 Bormio Team competition Dwayne Kenneth Schintzius (born October 14, 1968) is a former American college and professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the University of Florida, and was selected by the San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the 1990 NBA Draft. Off the court, he is known for his performance as a Russian basketball player in the 1996 Whoopi Goldberg-starred comedy film Eddie and for his distinctive mullet haircut, also known as "The Lobster".[1]
Contents
Early years
Schintzius was born in Brandon, Florida. He attended Brandon High School, where the seven-foot center was a finalist for Florida's Mr. Basketball award and was recognized a high school All-American by McDonald's and Parade magazine in 1986.[2]
College career
Schintzius received an athletic scholarship to attend the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida, where he played for coach Norm Sloan's Florida Gators men's basketball team from 1987 to 1989. Schintzius started at center for the Gators beginning early in his freshman season. By the end of his junior season (1988–89), he had led the Gators in scoring, rebounding, and free-throw percentage over at least one full season. He also owned the school record for career blocked shots, with his season totals ranked 1-2-3 in school history at the time.[3]
Florida had never been invited to the NCAA basketball tournament, but they made the field during each of Schintztius' three full seasons with the team, advancing to the Sweet Sixteen in 1987. During his junior year, the Gators won its first ever regular season SEC championship. Schintzius was recognized as a first team All-SEC player after that season and was included on multiple All-American lists.[4]
However, Schintzius' college career was marred by disciplinary problems. He occasionally clashed with coach Norm Sloan, including one instance in which he refused to re-enter a contest late in a Gators loss during his sophomore season. He also had minor incidents with opposing players, fans and mascots, and with others off the court.[5]
During his junior season, he allegedly assaulted a person and a car with a tennis racket outside of a Gainesville nightclub. Schintzius was not formally charged with a crime, but was nonetheless suspended for four games by Coach Sloan. In the first game after he returned from that suspension, Florida traveled to Memorial Gymnasium to face Vanderbilt in a crucial Southeastern Conference matchup. With two seconds left and down by two points, Florida turned the ball over, seemingly sealing a loss. At that point, someone in the stands threw a tennis ball onto the court resulting in a technical foul on the home team. Schintzius, who led the Gators in free throw percentage that season, hit both free throws to send the game into overtime. Florida won and eventually captured their first SEC title by one game over Vanderbilt.[6]
Sloan was fired just before Schintzius's senior season of 1989–90 and was replaced on an interim basis by Don DeVoe. Schintzius was not happy with this turn of events and skipped DeVoe's first practice with the team along with fellow star Livingston Chatman.[7] Soon after, he was suspended for alleged involvement in a fraternity house fight. He would never play for the Gators again.
DeVoe told Schintzius that in order to rejoin the basketball team, he would have to maintain his playing weight, go to class consistently, and get a haircut.[7] In a statement released January 25, 1990, Schintzius claimed that he had done all these things, but was nonetheless quitting the team due to conflicts with his new coach. The statement read, in part:
No one can argue that Coach Sloan and Coach Towe (Monte Towe, Sloan's assistant) were easy to play for, and to them you had to accept the coach as the absolute authority and their word as final; but that does not mean I must sail under the authority of Captain Ahab. If you can play for Coach Sloan, you can play for almost anyone, almost anyone.[7]
Professional career
Despite his personal issues, Schintzius was regarded as a good NBA prospect due to his performance on the court. He was chosen as the 24th pick of the first round by the San Antonio Spurs in the 1990 NBA Draft. He injured his back during his rookie season and was traded to the Sacramento Kings for Antoine Carr on September 23, 1991. He later revealed then Spurs GM Bob Bass disliked his distinct haircut and told him to shave it, which he did. Schintzius then sent him the shavings in an envelope.[8] The Kings waived Schintzius during the 1991–92 season, and the New Jersey Nets signed him on October 1, 1992.
Schintzius had several injuries and several surgeries over the next several years as he went from team to team.[9] He spent three seasons with the Nets, a year with the Indiana Pacers, and then a year with the Clippers. After missing the entire 1997–98 season due to injury, he played with the Celtics in 1998–99 before retiring from the NBA. He later came out of retirement to play in the minor leagues, last appearing for the USBL's Brevard Blue Ducks in 2003.[10]
Off the court
Schintzius played Ivan Radovadovitch, a fictional Russian player for the New York Knicks, in the 1996 movie Eddie. Several other actual NBA players were also featured as members of the Knicks and other real NBA teams in the film. He has since appeared in local commercials.[9]
Schintzius testified in the trial of his former New Jersey Nets teammate Jayson Williams that he witnessed Williams killing his own dog with a shotgun.[11]
In November 2009, Schintzius was diagnosed with leukemia. With a bone marrow donation from his brother Travis, he had bone marrow transplant surgery at the Moffit Cancer Center in Tampa on January 12, 2010. The surgery was considered a success,[12][13] but Schintzius struggled through several difficult rounds of chemotherapy until being declared cancer free in July 2010[14]
Notes
- ^ Curry Kirkpatrick (1989-01-16). "The long and short of it is that mangle-maned Dwayne - 01.16.89 - SI Vault". Vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com. http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1126470/2/index.htm. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
- ^ "Schintzius Could Make a Big Difference" - Orlando Sentinel
- ^ Florida basketball record book
- ^ Gator bios
- ^ Much ado about a 'do from Sports Illustrated Retrieved on 2009-04-12
- ^ "Fanatics at Work: Ten Most Intriguing Things Thrown on the Field". SI.com. 2006-05-04. http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/mark_bechtel/04/05/scorecard.daily/index.html. Retrieved 2007-03-16.
- ^ a b c Newspapers, Regional (1990-01-27). "BASKETBALL; Schintzius Walks Out And Slams the Door - The New York Times". Nytimes.com. http://www.nytimes.com/1990/01/27/sports/basketball-schintzius-walks-out-and-slams-the-door.html?sec=&spon=. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
- ^ Johnston, Joey (24 July 2011). "As baseball's trade deadline nears, anxiety rises". The Tampa Tribune. http://www2.tbo.com/sports/prep-sports/2011/jul/24/4/as-trade-deadline-nears-anxiety-rises-ar-246041/. Retrieved 30 July 2011.
- ^ a b Harry, Chris (2007-03-14). "All Grown up Dwayne Schintzius". South Florida Sun-Sentinel. http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/sun_sentinel/access/1232294691.html?dids=1232294691:1232294691&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&date=Mar+14%2C+2007&author=Chris+Harry&pub=South+Florida+Sun+-+Sentinel&edition=&startpage=C.1&desc=ALL+GROWN+UP+DWAYNE+SCHINTZIUS+SHOWS+A+SOFTER+SIDE+THAN+HE+DID+20+YEARS+AGO+WHEN+HE+STORMED+ONTO+THE+BASKETBALL+SCENE+AT+THE+UNIVERSITY+OF+FLORIDA. Retrieved 2009-04-12.
- ^ "Blue Ducks News". Brevard Blue Ducks. http://www.brevardblueducks.com/News-2003/News-Schintzius-5-9-03/news-Sch-5-9-03.html. Retrieved 2007-03-16.
- ^ "Former Net renews claim that Williams shot own dog". CourtTV.com. 2004-05-05. http://www.courttv.com/trials/jaysonwilliams/050504_ctv.html. Retrieved 2007-03-16.
- ^ Helin, Kurt. "Dwayne Schintzius fighting for life - ProBasketballTalk - Basketball - NBC Sports". Probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com. http://probasketballtalk.nbcsports.com/2010/02/dwayne-schintzius-fighting-for-life.php. Retrieved 2010-02-19.
- ^ "Ex-UF star, NBA player Dwayne Schintzius battling cancer". .tbo.com. http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/feb/17/ex-uf-star-nba-player-dwayne-schintzius-battling-c/sports-colleges-gators/. Retrieved 2010-02-19.
- ^ http://www2.tbo.com/content/2010/jul/13/130200/sp-schintzius-is-grateful-to-be-alive/
External links
1990 NBA Draft First round Derrick Coleman · Gary Payton · Chris Jackson · Dennis Scott · Kendall Gill · Felton Spencer · Lionel Simmons · Bo Kimble · Willie Burton · Rumeal Robinson · Tyrone Hill · Alec Kessler · Loy Vaught · Travis Mays · Dave Jamerson · Terry Mills · Jerrod Mustaf · Duane Causwell · Dee Brown · Gerald Glass · Jayson Williams · Tate George · Anthony Bonner · Dwayne Schintzius · Alaa Abdelnaby · Lance Blanks · Elden CampbellSecond round Les Jepsen · Toni Kukoč · Carl Herrera · Negele Knight · Brian Oliver · Walter Palmer · Kevin Pritchard · Greg Foster · Trevor Wilson · A. J. English · Jud Buechler · Steve Scheffler · Bimbo Coles · Steve Bardo · Marcus Liberty · Tony Massenburg · Steve Henson · Antonio Davis · Kenny Williams · Derek Strong · Cedric Ceballos · Phil Henderson · Miloš Babić · Tony Smith · Stefano Rusconi · Abdul Shamsid-Deen · Sean HigginsCategories:- 1968 births
- Living people
- American basketball players
- Basketball players from Florida
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- Florida Gators men's basketball players
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- New Jersey Nets players
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