Brazilian basketball star Oscar Schmidt, known as Mano Santa and once the all-time leading scorer, has died on Friday aged 68 in São Paulo. He had battled a brain tumour for 15 years and was hospitalised after sudden discomfort. His career totalled 49,973 points, topping Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's mark until 2024.
Oscar Schmidt Bezerra, nicknamed Mano Santa, died on Friday as announced by his family and confirmed by his press team. He was admitted to a hospital in São Paulo after sudden discomfort at home, according to Lance!. While exact causes were not disclosed, Schmidt had fought a brain tumour for 15 years, having previously overcome it.
Over his career, Schmidt tallied 49,973 points, the world record from 2001 when he passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, until LeBron James overtook it in 2024. He competed in five straight Olympics for Brazil, holding the record with 1,083 points. Brazil's Basketball Confederation hailed him as "one of the greatest names in basketball history" and a legend of the Brazilian Olympic Movement.
Schmidt starred for clubs including Italy's Juvecaserta (1982-1990), taking them to two league finals and the 1988 Cup, and Spain's Forum Valladolid (1993-1995), where he led the ACB scoring in 1993/94 at 33.2 points per game. For Brazil, he won two Americas Cups, two South American championships, and gold at the 1987 Indianapolis Pan Americans, beating the United States 120-115 with 46 of his points.
In 2013, he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in the United States alongside idols like Larry Bird. He never played in the NBA, despite being drafted 131st by the Nets in 1984, choosing to represent Brazil.
