Legendary, unstoppable and brilliant were some of the adjectives used by international press outlets this Friday (17) to describe Oscar Schmidt, who, among other achievements, became the greatest scorer in the history of the Olympic Games, with five participations in the mega event. The basketball player died at the age of 68, in São Paulo.
The American newspaper The Washington Post recalled that, despite never having played in the NBA, the Brazilian had an impact on the history of basketball. “Schmidt never played in the NBA, but he is loved in Brazil for prioritizing the national team, playing in five consecutive Olympic Games and establishing scoring marks that remain to this day”, cited the publication.
The Italian newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport recalled Oscar’s time in Italy, with important performances for clubs such as Caserta and Pavia.
“In 1982, legendary Juventus Caserta general manager Giancarlo Sarti brought him to Italy, following a recommendation from Boscia Tanjevic. It was a brilliant move, because in our league, Oscar became an unstoppable force to be reckoned with. All he had to do was raise his arms,” the newspaper recalled.
The Italian agency ANSA cited that Schmidt was the only Brazilian in the NBA Hall of Fame and recalled his international career. “Recognized for his genius and global impact, he was named one of the 100 best basketball players of all time,” stated the report.
Spanish public broadcaster RTVE highlighted that the Brazilian held the world record for points in basketball. “Although he played most of his life in Brazil for clubs like Palmeiras and Flamengo, Schmidt also played for Juvecaserta (1982-1990) and Forum Valladolid (1993-1995), in Italy”, recalled the broadcaster.
Argentine Clarín praised Oscar’s career with the Brazilian team. “With the Brazilian team, the greatest achievement was the gold medal at the 1987 Pan American Games, in Indianapolis, where they led the 120-115 victory over the United States, the American team’s first defeat at home in this competition”, cited the Argentine publication.
