Oscar Schmidt, the Basketball Hall of Famer from Brazil, dies at 68
SAO PAULO (AP) — 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 metropolis Sao Paulo, said Schmidt’s family requested privacy without elaborating.
Schmidt never played in the NBA but he’s beloved in Brazil for committing to the national team for 19 years and becoming one of the most prolific scorers in basketball history. He also starred in an historic win against the United States in the final of the 1987 Pan American Games.
“The biggest player of Brazilian basketball history bids farewell as an absolute symbol of sport, the holder of a trajectory that redefined the boundaries of what was possible in a court,” the Brazil Basketball Confederation said in a statement. “His death closes an era. But his greatness remains.”
Schmidt 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 the time NBA players were not allowed to play for national teams.
Standing 2.03 meters (6-foot-8), he was a keen three-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 made 326 appearances, averaging 23.6 points per game.
He played in a record-tying five Olympics and four World Cups. He’s the all-time leading scorer in both tournaments. He still has seven of the 10 highest scoring games in Olympic history and he holds the single-game records for points scored in the Olympics (55 vs. Spain in 1988) and World Cup (52 vs. Australia in 1990).
“More than results and medals, Oscar represented values that define the Olympic spirit; dedication, resilience and respect to the opponents,” Brazil’s Olympic committee said in a statement.
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 with 46 points.
Schmidt retired in 2003 at 45. He passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to be the unofficial all-time highest scorer and his known 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 one of his country’s most popular motivational speakers. He often talked about his battle with the 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.