Oscar Schmidt, Basketball Hall of Famer from Brazil, has died at the age of 68

SAO PAULO – Oscar Schmidt, the Basketball Hall of Famer known to his Brazilian friends as “The White Hand,” died Friday. He was 68 years old.

Schmidt’s family said she battled a brain tumor for 15 years with “courage, dignity and courage … while remaining an example of determination, generosity and love of life.”

“Oscar leaves a legacy that goes beyond sports and inspires generations of athletes and fans in Brazil and around the world.”

Earlier, the Hospital e Maternidade Municipal Santa Ana in the city of Santana de Parnaiba, on the outskirts of Sao Paulo, said Schmidt’s family had requested privacy without further explanation.

Schmidt has never played in the NBA, but he is beloved in Brazil for playing with the national team for 19 years and becoming one of the best players in basketball history. He also played in the championship game against the United States in the finals of the 1987 Pan American Games.

“The greatest player in the history of Brazilian basketball bids farewell as a true symbol of the game, with a style that redefined the limits of what is possible on the court,” the Brazilian Basketball Confederation said. “His death closes time. But his greatness remains.”

Schmidt began his professional career in 1974 and was mostly at home and in Italy, where he became the childhood idol of the future great Kobe Bryant.

In 1984, the NBA’s New Jersey Nets drafted Schmidt in the sixth round and he trained with them but turned down a contract. At that time, NBA players were not allowed to play for national teams. Schmidt said he has no regrets about the iconic home.

“I was going to pick (No.) 144,” he said. His idol Larry Bird laughed next to him. “They came to offer me a permanent contract to play for the New Jersey Nets team, I said thank you very much but if I play one game here I will not play for my country’s team again.”

“Three years later we beat the Americans here in the U.S. Sorry, that was the biggest thing I did in basketball.”

Bird released a statement on Friday, saying: “I always admired Oscar and considered him a friend. He was, without a doubt, one of the greatest players to ever play the game. It was the honor of a lifetime when Oscar asked me to present him at his rightful induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. My sincere condolences to Oscar’s family.”

Portland Trail Blazers coach Tiago Splitter and NBA champion Anderson Varejao, two Brazilians in the league, mourned Schmidt on social media.

Standing 6-foot-8, Schmidt was a 3-point shooter in the 1980s when many coaches advised against it. This earned him the nickname “Mão Santa” (White Hand). Schmidt didn’t believe he deserved the label.

“I don’t have a clean hand. I have a trained hand,” he used to say in interviews.

Schmidt made his Brazil debut as a 19-year-old in 1977 and made 326 appearances, averaging 23.6 points per game.

He played in five Olympics and four World Cups. He is the leading scorer in both competitions. He still has seven of the 10 most successful games in Olympic history and holds the records for single-game goals scored in the Olympics (55 vs. Spain in 1988) and the World Cup (52 vs. Australia in 1990).

“More than results and medals, Oscar represented the values ​​that define the Olympic spirit; dedication, courage and respect for the opposition,” the Brazilian Olympic Committee said in a statement.

The 1987 Pan Am Games victory in Indianapolis was the first time a US team had lost a major world championship on home soil. Brazil won 120-115 and Schmidt led the way with 46 points.

Schmidt retired in 2003 at the age of 45. He passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the all-time scoring record and his club-state record of 49,737 points was surpassed. LeBron James in 2024.

“For many years, he united the whole country in the courts with unforgettable shots and indisputable leadership,” Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva said on television. “His dedication raised the profile of the country and made him an inspiration to generations of athletes and sports fans.”

Schmidt 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 his retirement, Schmidt became one of his country’s most influential motivational speakers. He often talks about his battle with a brain tumor diagnosed in 2011, his love for Brazil and basketball.

Schmidt is survived by his wife, Maria Cristina Victorino, whom he married in 1981, and two children. One of them, Filipe, spoke about his father’s death on television.

“Now rest in peace, man, you belong in the hall of history,” he said.