Salinas, who started cutting hair on her grandmother’s veranda at the age of 15, is one of six barbers invited to the exclusive NBA bubble to give players new cuts.
Salinas spoke to Orlando’s KQED News on the day her one-week quarantine ended. Having just signed a contract, he was careful not to mention anyone, including the NBA player who was responsible for being invited to the bubble in the first place.
Following are the highlights of the interview.
About the haircut that brought him here
I have lived in East Palo Alto all my life. I had moved to Los Angeles (last September) only because I wanted to try and give me more opportunities. Then about a month and a half, almost two months, after I ended up cutting (the hair of) a brother of an NBA player, who I didn’t know was his brother. … a couple of days later, I was cutting the NBA player.
Quarantined for 7 days away from home
I’m super busy. I always tear and run here and there, cutting my hair all day. So I’m so used to activity and action. … To come here and be so close to going out and cutting my hair, I feel more like a test to see if I could follow the instructions, to see if I could, for example, have patience, you know? I have to stay down the coming. This is what I always say. I have to relax. Actually I used the time to write in the diary, because I feel so many emotions and to write music and talk to friends. … gave me time for myself to really reflect on the past year and how I got to where I am and where I would like to take it again.
