Dwayne Schintzius was one of the original characters in the history of the Spurs franchise.
Old-school fans still remember his mullet haircut and his free-throw shooting woes during his brief one-season stint with the team. He was the Spurs’ No. 1 choice in the 1990 draft, but played only 42 games with the team before he was swapped to Sacramento after his rookie season.
Schintzius believes his mullet-style lobster haircut he wore during his season with the team was the major reason for the trade.
It seems that then-Spurs general manager Bob Bass didn’t like the haircut and wanted his prized rookie to trim his locks.
“He told me to cut it,” Schintzius (hat tip Project Spurs.com). “So I got it cut and sent him the shavings in an envelope. I’m not sure he appreciated that. And then, away I went.”
Schnitzius was swapped for Antoine Carr. It began a journey that saw him play for six teams in an injury-plagued, nine-season NBA career.
Those frequent trades were something that Schnitzius told Johnson he accepted as part of being a professional athlete.
“After the first time, it wasn’t a big deal to move around,” Schintzius said. “Whoever signed my check, as long as I got paid, I was good.
“You’re always moving, finding a new place to live, new places to eat and shop, making new friends. All of the above. But you just say, ‘Oh well. It is what it is. I’m a professional athlete.’ It’s part of the deal.”
Even if his hair might have caused the first swap.
