SAO PAULO -- Oscar Schmidt, the Basketball Hall of Famer whom his Brazil compatriots know as the "Holy Hand," died Friday. He was 68.
Schmidt's family said in a statement that he fought a brain tumor for 15 years "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."
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 for 19 years and becoming one of the most prolific scorers in basketball history. He also starred in a historic win against the United States in the final of the 1987 Pan American Games.
Oscar 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 and still has seven of the 10 highest scoring games in Olympic history. Hans Deryk/AP Photo "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."
Schmidt began his professional career in 1974 and most of it was at home and in Italy, where he became a childhood idol of future great Kobe Bryant.
In 1984, the NBA's New Jersey Nets drafted Schmidt in the sixth round and he trained with them but declined a contract. At the time, NBA players were not allowed to play for national teams. Schmidt said he had no regrets at a hall of fame induction.
"I was the choice [No.] 144," he said. His idol Larry Bird laughed next to him. "They came to offer me a no-cut contract to play for the New Jersey Nets. I said thank you very much but if I play one game here I will never again play for my national team.
"Three years later we beat the Americans here in the U.S. Sorry, that was the greatest thing I did in basketball."
Portland Trail Blazers coach Tiago Splitter and NBA champion Anderson Varejao, two Brazilians in the league, mourned Schmidt on their social media channels.