Oscar Schmidt, Basketball Hall of Famer from Brazil, dies at 68
AP News • • sports
Key Points:
- Oscar Schmidt, the Brazilian basketball legend known as the “Holy Hand,” died at age 68 after battling a brain tumor for 15 years, leaving a lasting legacy that transcends sports in Brazil and worldwide.
- Schmidt was renowned for his 19-year commitment to Brazil’s national team, becoming one of the most prolific scorers in basketball history and leading Brazil to a historic victory over the United States at the 1987 Pan American Games.
- Despite being drafted by the NBA’s New Jersey Nets in 1984, Schmidt declined to play in the league to maintain his eligibility for the national team, a decision he regarded as his greatest basketball achievement.
- He holds multiple Olympic and World Cup scoring records, played in five Olympics, and retired in 2003 as the unofficial all-time highest scorer with 49,737 points, a record surpassed by LeBron James in 2024.
- Schmidt was inducted into several halls of fame, including the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013, and after retiring, he became a popular motivational speaker in Brazil, openly discussing his illness and love for basketball.
