Brazilian basketball legend Oscar Schmidt has died at the age of 68, according to family and officials. The Brazilian Basketball Confederation confirmed his passing on Friday, April 17, 2026.
Schmidt, widely regarded as one of the greatest scorers in basketball history, represented Brazil in five Olympic Games. He remains the all-time leading scorer in Olympic history with 1,093 points across 38 games and holds the record for most points in a single Olympic game, scoring 55 against Spain in Seoul in 1988.
In FIBA World Cup competition, Schmidt amassed 906 points in 34 appearances and helped Brazil secure a bronze medal in 1978. He also led his country to three South American Championship titles.
For decades, Schmidt held the record for most career points in basketball history with 49,737, a mark that stood until LeBron James surpassed it in April 2024.
The Brazilian Basketball Confederation paid tribute in a statement, saying: “Notice athletes who define an era, others who define generations and then there are those who are immortalized in history—not just for their statistics, but for their significance. Oscar Schmidt belongs to the last category.”
