Dwayne Schintzius

Dwayne Kenneth Schintzius (October 14, 1968 – April 15, 2012) was an American basketball player who played eight seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was born in Brandon, Florida and attended the University of Florida, where he helped lead the Florida Gators men's basketball program to its first three NCAA tournament appearances as an all-conference center. Schintzius was selected in the first round of the 1990 NBA draft (24th overall pick) by the San Antonio Spurs, but chronic back problems reduced his effectiveness, and he played for six different NBA teams over ten seasons in the league, mainly as a reserve player.

Off the court, Schintzius was known for his distinctive mullet-style haircut that he called "the lobster", his sometimes abrasive behavior, and his performance as a Russian basketball player in the 1996 comedy film Eddie. In 2009, he was diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia. After treatment and a brief remission, he died from complications of the disease in 2012.

Early years

Schintzius was born in Brandon, Florida, a suburb of Tampa.<ref name=brprofile>Basketball-Reference.com, Players, Dwayne Schintzius. Retrieved April 16, 2012.</ref> He attended Brandon High School, and played as a center for the Brandon Eagles high school basketball team.<ref name=brprofile/><ref name=hill11201986>Bob Hill, "Schintzius Could Make a Big Difference Template:Webarchive," Sun-Sentinel, p. 1C (November 20, 1986). Retrieved April 16, 2012.</ref> Together with teammate Toney Mack, Schintzius led the Eagles to a Class 4A state runner-up finish as a sophomore, and another Final Four berth as a junior.<ref name=knight10301999>Joey Knight, "Tampa Bay's All-Century Team: No. 61 Dwayne Schintzius Template:Webarchive," The Tampa Tribune (October 30, 1999). Retrieved April 16, 2012.</ref> As a senior, he averaged 21.1 points and 17 rebounds per game,<ref name=knight10301999/> was a finalist for Florida's Mr. Basketball award, and was recognized as a high school All-American by McDonald's and Parade magazine in 1986.<ref name=hill11201986/>

College career

Schintzius received athletic scholarship offers from many top college programs. Unlike most top Florida high school basketball prospects up to that point, he chose to stay in-state and attend the University of Florida, where he played for the Florida Gators men's basketball team from 1987 to 1990 under head coach Norm Sloan.<ref name=ufmediaguide>2011–12 Florida Gators Men's Basketball Media Guide Template:Webarchive, University Athletic Association, Gainesville, Florida, pp. 74, 76–77, 79, 82, 84, 90, 132–133, 146, 151, 153–154, 157, 159–160, 162, 163, 164, 166 (2011). Retrieved April 16, 2012.</ref> Schintzius started at center for the Gators beginning early in his freshman season.<ref name=ufmediaguide/> 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.<ref name=ufmediaguide/> He also set the program's record for blocked shots, and at the end of his junior year, his season blocked shot totals ranked first, second, and third in school history.<ref name=ufmediaguide/>

The Gators had never been invited to the NCAA basketball tournament in over seven decades of basketball. However, they made the field during each of Schintztius's three full seasons with the program and advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in 1987.<ref name=ufmediaguide/> During his junior year, the Gators won their first-ever regular season Southeastern Conference (SEC) championship.<ref name=ufmediaguide/> Schintzius was recognized as a first-team All-SEC player after that season and was included on multiple All-American lists.<ref name=ufmediaguide/>

However, Schintzius' college career was marred by disciplinary problems.<ref name=kirkpatrick1161989/> He occasionally clashed with Coach Sloan, including one instance in which he refused to re-enter a game with a minute left during his sophomore season.<ref name=kirkpatrick1161989/> He also had minor incidents with opposing players, fans, and mascots, and with others off the court.<ref name=kirkpatrick1161989/><ref name="interesting">Template:Cite news</ref>

During his junior season, Schintzius allegedly heard a rude remark from a sidewalk while riding in a car outside a Gainesville nightclub and stormed after the offender wielding a tennis racket.<ref name=kirkpatrick1161989/> Schintzius later apologized and was not charged with a crime, but the university's office of student affairs found him guilty of violating the student code of conduct and suspended him for four games.<ref name=kirkpatrick1161989/>

After returning from that suspension, fans in opposing arenas occasionally threw tennis balls onto the court, presumably taunting Schintzius for the incident. In January 1989, Florida traveled to Nashville to face the Vanderbilt Commodores in a crucial SEC matchup.<ref name=bechtel5042006>Mark Bechtel, "Fanatics at Work: Ten Most Intriguing Things Thrown on the Field," Sports Illustrated (May 4, 2006). Retrieved April 16, 2012.</ref> Losing 72–70, Florida turned the ball over with only one second left on the clock, seemingly sealing a loss. But at that point, someone in the Memorial Gymnasium home crowd threw a tennis ball onto the court. Referee John Clougherty immediately called a technical foul on the Commodores, and Schintzius, who led the Gators in free throw percentage that season, hit both free throws to send the game into overtime.<ref name=bechtel5042006/> He then scored the Gators' first seven points in the extra period and Florida won the game 81–78. Florida went on to capture the program's first SEC regular season championship, beating Vanderbilt by a single game.<ref name=bechtel5042006/><ref>Kevin Brockway, "Former Florida center Dwayne Schintzius dies at 43 Template:Webarchive," The Gainesville Sun (April 15, 2012). Retrieved April 16, 2012.</ref><ref name="tennis">Template:Cite news</ref>

Sloan was forced to resign before Schintzius's senior season of 1989–90 and was replaced on an interim basis by former Tennessee coach 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.<ref name=newyorktimes1271990>"Basketball; Schintzius Walks Out And Slams the Door," The New York Times (January 27, 1990). Retrieved April 16, 2012.</ref> Soon after, he was suspended for alleged involvement in a fraternity house fight.<ref name=newyorktimes1271990/> DeVoe told Schintzius that in order to rejoin the basketball team, he would have to improve his off-court behavior, maintain his playing weight (he weighed almost 300 pounds at one point), go to class consistently, and get rid of his distinct mullet-style haircut, known as the "lobster.".<ref name=kirkpatrick1161989>Curry Kirkpatrick "Much ado about a 'do: The long and short of it is that mangle-maned Dwayne Template:Webarchive," Sports Illustrated (January 16, 1989). Retrieved April 16, 2012.</ref><ref name=newyorktimes1271990/> 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.<ref name=newyorktimes1271990/> 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.<ref name=newyorktimes1271990/>

Without Schintzius, the Gators lost sixteen of the seventeen games to end the season and missed the NCAA tournament for the first time since the year before his arrival.<ref>Hays Carlyon, "Gators great Dwayne Schintzius, 43, dies of leukemia," The Florida Times-Union (April 15, 2012). Retrieved April 16, 2012.</ref>

Schintzius remains the only player in SEC history to amass more than 1,000 points, 800 rebounds, 250 assists and 250 blocks.<ref name=english4152012>Antonya English and Alexandra Zayas, "Former Florida Gator, Brandon High basketball star Dwayne Schintzius dies at 43," Tampa Bay Times (April 15, 2012). Retrieved April 16, 2012.</ref> He still holds Florida's career record for blocked shots (272), and is ranks sixth among the program's all-time scoring leaders with 1,624 points.<ref name=ufmediaguide/><ref name=english4152012/>

Professional career

Despite his personal issues, Schintzius was regarded as a good pro prospect due to his size and skills, with some experts opining that he was the most talented center in his draft class and some mock drafts projecting him as a top-5 pick.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He remained on the board until later in the first round of the 1990 NBA draft, however, and the San Antonio Spurs selected him with the 24th overall pick.<ref name=brprofile/>

Schintzius held out before his rookie campaign, then appeared in 42 games and averaged 3.8 points per game for the Spurs during the 1990–91 NBA season while backing up star center David Robinson.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His playing time was limited by a bad back, a chronic issue which would plague him throughout his career.

Schintzius also clashed with team officials during his time in San Antonio. Head coach Larry Brown criticized his work habits,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and he had continuing conflict with general manager Bob Bass after difficult contract negotiations. Schintzius reported overweight to training camp before his second season, prompting Bass to tell him to "at least" cut his "lobster" hairdo. Schintzius got a haircut as directed, then sent Bass the shavings in an envelope.<ref name=johnston7242011>Joey Johnston, "As baseball's trade deadline nears, anxiety rises," The Tampa Tribune (July 24, 2011). Retrieved April 16, 2012.</ref> Three days later on September 23, 1991, Bass traded him to the Sacramento Kings for Antoine Carr and a 2nd round draft pick.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Schintzius' playing time was again limited by injury in Sacramento, and the club did not re-sign him after the season.

Schintzius signed with the New Jersey Nets in October 1992, and remained with the team for three seasons, playing in a career high 43 contests during the 1994-95 season. He spent a year with the Indiana Pacers in 1995–96, and a year with the Los Angeles Clippers in 1996–97. Schintzius only played 15 games with the Clippers but did post a career-high 15 points in a loss against the Bullets on January 10, 1997. This game also featured the only three point make of Schintzius' NBA career.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After missing the entire 1997–98 season due to injury, he played 16 games with the Boston Celtics in 1998–99 before retiring from the NBA.<ref name=brprofile/>

His NBA career was severely hampered by injuries, particularly chronic back problems. He had several surgeries for a spinal disc herniation and often missed long stretches of playing time as he moved from team to team, mostly serving as a reserve center.<ref name=harry3142007>Chris Harry, "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 Template:Webarchive," South Florida Sun-Sentinel, p. C1 (March 14, 2007). Retrieved April 16, 2012.</ref><ref>Shaun Powell, "Former NBA big man Schintzius fights cancer, ghosts of past," NBA.com (October 19, 2012). Retrieved April 17, 2012.</ref> In eight NBA seasons, he appeared in 217 regular season games and started 33 of them.<ref name=brprofile/>

Schintzius later came out of retirement to play in the minor leagues with the Mobile Revelers of the NBA's Development League in 2001–02,<ref name=brprofile/> and the Brevard Blue Ducks of the United States Basketball League (USBL) in 2003.<ref name=harry3142007/>

Off the court

Schintzius played Ivan Radovadovitch, a fictional Georgian player for the New York Knicks, in the 1996 comedy movie Eddie, which starred Whoopi Goldberg as the team's female coach.<ref name=harry3142007/> Several other actual NBA players were also featured as members of the Knicks and other real NBA teams in the film.<ref name=harry3142007/> He later appeared in local commercials.<ref name=harry3142007/>

At the trial of his former New Jersey Nets teammate Jayson Williams, he testified that he witnessed Williams kill his own dog with a shotgun.<ref>"Former Net renews claim that Williams shot own dog Template:Webarchive," CourtTV.com (May 5, 2004). Retrieved March 16, 2007.</ref>

Illness and death

In November 2009, Schintzius was diagnosed with a chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, a rare and often fatal form of the disease.<ref name=johnston7132010>Joey Johnston, "Former NBA, UF center Schintzius grateful to be alive Template:Webarchive," The Tampa Tribune (July 13, 2010). Retrieved April 16, 2012.</ref> With a bone marrow donation from his brother Travis, he underwent bone marrow transplantation at the Moffit Cancer Center in Tampa on January 12, 2010.<ref name=johnston7132010/> The procedure was considered a success,<ref>Kurt Helin, "ProBasketballTalk: Dwayne Schintzius fighting for life," NBC Sports (February 19, 2010). Retrieved April 16, 2012.</ref><ref>Joey Johnston, "Ex-UF star, NBA player Dwayne Schintzius battling cancer," The Tampa Tribune (February 17, 2010). Retrieved April 16, 2012.</ref> but Schintzius struggled through several difficult rounds of chemotherapy until being declared cancer-free in July 2010.<ref name=johnston7132010/>

In early 2012, the cancer and related complications returned, and a second bone marrow transplant was required.<ref name=johnston4152012>Joey Johnston, Bay area native, UF star Schintzius dead at 43," The Tampa Tribune (April 15, 2012). Retrieved April 16, 2012.</ref> On April 15, 2012, Schintzius died at the Moffit Cancer Center from respiratory failure; he was 43 years old.<ref name=dirocco4152012>Michael DiRocco, "Dwayne Schintzius dead at age 43," ESPN (April 15, 2012). Retrieved April 16, 2012.</ref>

Career statistics

Regular season

Template:NBA player statistics start |- | style="text-align:left;"|Template:Nbay | style="text-align:left;"|San Antonio | 42 || 7 || 9.5 || .439 || .000 || .550 || 2.9 || .4 || .0 || .7 || 3.8 |- | style="text-align:left;|Template:Nbay | style="text-align:left;"|Sacramento | 33 || 0 || 12.1 || .427 || .000 || .833 || 3.6 || .6 || .2 || .8 || 3.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Template:Nbay | style="text-align:left;"|New Jersey | 5 || 0 || 7.0 || .286 || Template:Sort || 1.000 || 1.6 || .4 || .4 || .4 || 1.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Template:Nbay | style="text-align:left;"|New Jersey | 30 || 3 || 10.6 || .345 || Template:Sort || .588 || 3.0 || .4 || .2 || .6 || 2.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Template:Nbay | style="text-align:left;"|New Jersey | 43 || 11 || 7.4 || .380 || Template:Sort || .545 || 1.9 || .3 || .1 || .4 || 2.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Template:Nbay | style="text-align:left;"|Indiana | 33 || 5 || 9.0 || .445 || Template:Sort || .619 || 2.4 || .4 || .3 || .4 || 3.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Template:Nbay | style="text-align:left;"|L.A. Clippers | 15 || 0 || 7.7 || .361 || .500 || .875 || 1.5 || .3 || .1 || .6 || 2.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"|Template:Nbay | style="text-align:left;"|Boston | 16 || 0 || 4.2 || .250 || Template:Sort || .750 || 1.2 || .5 || .0 || .2 || .7 |- class=sortbottom | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"|Career | 217 || 33 || 9.0 || .404 || .125 || .638 || 2.5 || .4 || .1 || .5 || 2.7 Template:S-end

Playoffs

Template:NBA player statistics start |- | style="text-align:left;"|1993 | style="text-align:left;"|New Jersey | 5 || 0 || 21.2 || .448 || Template:Sort || .500 || 5.0 || .8 || .2 || 1.2 || 5.8 Template:S-end

See also

• List of Florida Gators in the NBA