SAO PAULO — Oscar Schmidt, the Basketball Hall of Famer whom his Brazil compatriots know as the “Holy Hand,” died on 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 an historic win against the United States in the final of the 1987 Pan American Games.“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 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. 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 …
