BASKETBALL
Why Brazil’s Oscar Schmidt mattered more than the NBA
Oscar, the “Holy Hand,” during the 1987 Pan-American Games of Indianapolis, the crowning achievement of his career. Photo: Still from Band
Until LeBron James sealed the record on April 2, 2024, the all-time highest points scorer in professional basketball history wasn’t Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. It was Oscar Schmidt, the Brazilian small forward who did not play a single minute in the NBA, throughout his career of almost 30 years.
Schmidt’s death last Friday, aged 68, shook Brazilian society. He was a titan whose influence on sport in the country could only be exceeded by legends Pelé and Ayrton Senna. And while fans in the US may remember him as “the best never to play in the NBA,” his exploits revolutionized the way the rest of the world sees international basketball.
President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva paid tribute, saying that “over decades, [Schmidt] united the country around the courts, with unforgettable shots and indisputable leadership.” Cafu, captain of the Brazil team that won the football World Cup in 2002, called him “the Pelé of basketball.” Marco Antonio La Porta, president of the Brazilian Olympic Confederation, declared that Schmidt “represented values that define the Olympic spirit: dedication, overcoming adversity, and respect for opponents.”
He is survived by his wife, Maria Cristina Victorino, and their two children, Felipe and Stephanie.
Oscar Schmidt turns down the NBA
The 1984 NBA draft is remembered as being one of the strongest in the league’s history. Nigerian-born Hakeen “The Dream” Olajuwon was first pick for the Houston Rockets; the Chicago Bulls drafted Michael Jordan; point guard John Stockton went to the Utah Jazz; and the Philadelphia 76ers picked a 21-year-old Charles Barkley.
But there would be a fifth future Hall of Famer selected in 1984, one who went completely unnoticed at the time…
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