Basketball Hall of Famer Oscar Schmidt died Friday. He was 68.
Nicknamed the “Holy Hand,” Schmidt starred for the Brazilian national team for nearly two decades, playing in five Olympics and four World Cups.
He battled a brain tumor for 15 years, according to a statement from his family, “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.”
Schmidt debuted for the Brazilian team at 19 years old in 1977, playing in every Summer Olympics from 1980 to 1996.
One of the biggest moments of Schmidt’s basketball career came in 1987 when he scored 46 points to lead Brazil to an upset victory over the United States in the final of the Pan American Games.
He’s the all-time leading scorer in both men’s Olympic basketball and World Cup basketball.
Schmidt was drafted by the Nets in 1984, but opted to play professionally in Brazil and Italy.
He retired from basketball in 2003 at the age of 45.
After his playing days, Schmidt was enshrined in 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.
“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.”
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