Oscar Schmidt authored a 46-point performance in the final of the 1987 Pan American Games, leading Brazil to a historic victory over the United States in a game that partly precipitated the formation of the “Dream Team.”
Schmidt, a 6-foot-9 forward with a 3-point stroke that was ahead of its time, earned the nickname of the “Holy Hand,” or “Mão Santa” in Portuguese. The late Kobe Bryant idolized him growing up in Italy, where Schmidt played against Bryant’s father.
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A Basketball Hall of Famer with international influence despite never playing in the NBA, Schmidt’s legacy is undeniable. It’s being rightfully echoed this weekend after Schmidt died Friday at the age of 68.
Schmidt’s family said in a statement that he battled 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.”
That message was relayed by members of the basketball community on Friday.
“I always admired Oscar and considered him a friend, he was, without a doubt, one of the greatest players to ever play the game,” said fellow Hall of Famer Larry Bird in a statement circulated by the NBA.
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“It was an honor of a lifetime when Oscar asked me to present him at his well deserved induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. My sincere condolences to Oscar’s family.”
Schmidt was inducted into the Hall in 2013. He played in a record-tying five straight Olympics, appearing in every Summer Games from 1980-96. He’s responsible for seven of the 10 highest-scoring outings in Olympic men’s basketball history. Fittingly, he’s the Games’ all-time leading scorer.
By the time he retired in 2003, he was 45 years old and was unofficially considered the top scorer in basketball history with 49,737 points across his club and national team appearances. LeBron James surpassed him in that category in 2024.
The then-New Jersey Nets selected Schmidt in the sixth round of a 1984 NBA Draft that was headlined by Hakeem Olajuwon, Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley.
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“Come on, man. If you want me, get me the first round,” Schmidt said in a March 2024 episode of the “Pablo Torre Finds Out” podcast.
At the time, Schmidt explained that, despite his frustration about dropping that far in the draft, he showed up to Nets training camp with something to prove: that he belonged. He felt like he accomplished that goal in preseason competition.
“I go there and said to the coach, ‘Coach, here’s one point a minute,’” Schmidt recalled. “If you give me 20 minutes, I’ll give you 20 points. We played five games … . They gave me 25 minutes, I gave him 25 points. They become crazy about me.”
Back then, there was a FIBA rule that prevented NBA players from representing their national team.
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“For me, national team was first one,” Schmidt said emphatically in the interview with Torre. “National team, you represent a country.”
Later, Schmidt humorously made something clear to the camera: “I never played in the NBA because I didn’t want to play in the NBA — because New Jersey Nets drafted me in the sixth round. Choice 131. That’s why I never played in the NBA. Because I got offended with that.”
International players weren’t populating NBA rosters like they are today. Schmidt’s dominance overseas, and especially in the Olympics, cast a more luminous light on foreign players and their NBA-caliber skill sets.
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Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who lent a smooth-shooting hand to five NBA championship teams before coaching the league’s all-time leading 3-point marksman, discussed Schmidt Friday before the Warriors’ play-in tournament loss to the Phoenix Suns.
“I want to give my condolences to Oscar Schmidt’s family,” Kerr said pregame, via The Athletic.
“… He was one of the greatest shooters I’ve ever seen in my life. Just no conscience, a little bit of the Steph Curry mentality. Never, ever thought twice about letting it fly. Just a beautiful player with an incredible mentality.”
Kerr shared a story about him tearing an ACL in 1986. He sustained the injury in the semifinals of the FIBA world championships in Madrid that year. Kerr was playing for Team USA against Brazil.
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Schmidt came to his assistance.
“He literally picked me up, carried me off the floor,” Kerr said, per The Athletic. “It was an incredible gesture on his part, and over the next few years, he really exploded.”
Schmidt put up video game numbers in international play. In between, he starred in Europe and South America. His star shone so bright it was, and will always be, seen by the NBA.
