No man, before Oscar Schmidt, had made such a significant impact on Italian basketball by coming from abroad; no one has done it since. The 1980s of Serie A basketball were the scene of his torrential performances, an avalanche of points recorded every Sunday. In Brazil they had given him the nickname, not surprisingly, ‘Holy Hand’, and with this flattering passport he appeared on parquets all over the world. In Brazil, now, they mourn him, just as Caserta mourns him, his adopted city, of which he first became a flag on the pitch and then an honorary citizen.
The basketball legend died in hospital in Santana de Parnaíba, in the state of Sao Paulo. He was 68 years old and had lived with a brain tumor for a very long time; the last hospitalization wasn’t enough.
Career
At the age of 21 he had his first exploit, when with Sirio he won the Intercontinental Cup, beating the great teams of Europe. A moment that ‘Boscia’ Tanjevic, who asked for him as a signing as soon as he landed on the Juvecaserta bench, had well imprinted in his mind. Oscar repaid the investment, going even beyond expectations: with his retinas moving, he became the greatest scorer ever in the championship, with 13,957 points. He was surpassed by Antonello Riva, but his record remains intact among foreign players. In Campania he often came close to striking successes, reaching two championship finals, one of the Korac Cup and one – historic – of the Cup Winners’ Cup against Drazen Petrovic’s Real Madrid. The Caserta fans rejoiced for an Italian Cup, and they rejoiced the year after Oscar’s departure for the first and only championship in their history. A title not his, but it was thanks to his driving that the team grew to establish itself among the greats of Italy in that period: his legendary shirt, number 18, has long since been retired.
At home, his legacy is even greater
With the green and gold national team he won three South American championships and a Pan American championship, as well as bronze at the 1978 World Championships, and even played in five Olympics. In the five-circle competition his ‘holy hand is still unsurpassed: no one has ever scored more points than him in the history of the Games, neither in total (1,093), nor in a single match. Only Luka Doncic has come close recently, but his 55 points against Spain in Seoul will still hold up, at least until Los Angeles. And, in the annals, his story will endure, safe in the archives of the FIBA and NBA Halls of Fame – even if he had never played in the States.
“Pure emotion, overwhelming passion, infinite talent”
«Oscar wasn’t just an extraordinary champion: he was pure emotion, overwhelming passion, infinite talent – Juvecaserta wrote in its statement -. With his impossible shots, his charisma and his boundless love for this sport, he made generations of fans dream, leaving an indelible mark in Caserta and wherever he played. Those who were lucky enough to see him wearing our colors know that he was not simply an athlete, but a symbol, an inspiration, a piece of the black and white heart that will continue to live in the memories of all of us.”