Oscar Schmidt, the Basketball Hall of Famer from Brazil, dies at 68

“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, playing in a record-tying five consecutive Olympic Games and setting scoring records that remain. He also starred in an 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. Also 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 played in every Olympics from 1980–96. 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.