Why did Brazilian Oscar Schmidt never play in the NBA?
In 1984, a draft year that included names like Michael Jordan, the third pick that year, Oscar was announced as the 131st pick.
At 68 years old, Oscar Schmidtthe most important figure in the history of Brazilian basketball, died this Friday (17th). The cause of his death has not yet been revealed. “Mão Santa” won numerous titles with Brazilian clubs, as well as with the Brazilian National Team, among which the gold medal at the 1987 Pan American Games stands out.
Despite having forged a brilliant basketball career, Oscar Schmidt never played in the NBAthe maximum competition of this sport. And it wasn’t for lack of opportunities. In 1984, a draft year that included names like Michael Jordan, the third pick that year, Oscar was announced as the 131st pick.
At that time, he played for Juvecaserta in Italy and was selected in the draft by the New Jersey Nets. However, the Brazilian never played in the NBA.
Several reasons help explain this fact. The main one is that, according to a rule of the time, athletes who played in the NBA could not represent their national teams in competitions organized by the FIBA (International Basketball Federation), which would prevent them, for example, from competing in editions of the Olympic Games.
Despite this, some 30 years later, Oscar and the NBA They had the opportunity to meet again. The Brazilian was invited to the 2017 All-Star Game. “Mao Santa” was on the court for only a few minutes, but he made both shots he attempted in his team’s victory, the East, over the West, 88-59.
His first appearance was at the beginning of the second quarter. With just seconds on the court, Oscar received a pass from Rachel Demita on the edge of the zone and hit a perfect shot. Then, “Holy Hand” returned in the final period, where he again did not waste his only attempt, even being defended by Baron Davis.
After the match, the Brazilian gave an interview to AM850 and admitted that he would have liked to play longer, but welcomed the opportunity. “I could have played a little more, but the important thing is that we won easily. If I had shot 20 times, I would have scored 20,” the former player joked. “It was absolutely beautiful. I am immensely grateful. I have no words to express my gratitude for this tribute,” the star said.
