Brazil basketball legend Oscar Schmidt dies at 68

SAO PAULO -- Oscar Schmidt, the Basketball Hall of Famer whom his Brazil compatriots know as the "Holy Hand," died on Friday. He was 68.

Schmidt's family said in a statement that Schmidt fought a brain tumor for 15 years "with courage, dignity and resilience ... while remaining a role model of determination, generosity and love of life."

"Oscar leaves a legacy that transcends sport and inspires generations of athletes and admirers in Brazil and worldwide."

Earlier, Hospital e Maternidade Municipal Santa Ana in the city of Santana de Parnaiba, outside Sao Paulo, said Schmidt's family requested privacy without elaborating.

Schmidt never played in the NBA, but he is beloved in Brazil for his commitment to the national team, playing in a record-tying five consecutive Olympic Games and setting scoring records that remain. He also starred in a historic win against the United States in the final of the 1987 Pan-American Games.

He began his professional career in 1974, and most of it was at home and Italy, where he became a childhood idol of future great Kobe Bryant. In 1984, the NBA's New Jersey Nets drafted him in the sixth round and he trained with them but declined a contract. At that time, NBA players were not allowed to play for national teams.

Standing 2.03 meters (6-foot-8), Schmidt was a keen 3-point shooter in the 1980s when many coaches advised against it. That earned him the nickname "Mão Santa" (Holy Hand).

Schmidt debuted for Brazil at 19 in 1977 and played in every Olympics from 1980 through 1996. He's the all-time leading scorer in Olympic history with more than 1,000 points. He was the top scorer at the Olympics in 1988 (42.3 points per game), 1992 and 1996. He still has seven of the 10 highest-scoring games in Olympic history.

He also holds the single-game records for points scored in the Olympics (55 vs. Spain in 1988) and world championships (52 vs. Australia in 1990).

The 1987 Pan Am Games victory in Indianapolis marked the first time a U.S. team lost a major international tournament on home soil. Brazil won 120-115, and Schmidt led the way with 46 points.

Schmidt retired in 2003 at 45. He passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to be the all-time highest scorer and his tally of 49,737 points for club and country was finally eclipsed by LeBron James in 2024.

He was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2010, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013, and the Italian Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.

After retirement, Schmidt became a motivational speaker. He often talked about his battle with the brain tumor diagnosed in 2011, his love for Brazil and basketball.