Brazilian Basketball Legend Oscar Schmidt Dies at 68

Oscar Schmidt, the Brazilian basketball legend known as the "Holy Hand" for his sharpshooting prowess, died on Friday at age 68 after a 15-year battle with a brain tumor.

Schmidt, a forward who stood 6-foot-8 and revolutionized three-point shooting in an era when it was often discouraged, passed away in Santana de Parnaiba, a city outside Sao Paulo, Brazil. His family released a statement describing his fight against the illness, diagnosed in 2011, as one marked by "courage, dignity and resilience while remaining a role model of determination, generosity and love of life." They added that "Oscar leaves a legacy that transcends sport and inspires generations of athletes and admirers in Brazil and worldwide."

A dominant force for Brazil's national team over nearly two decades, Schmidt debuted internationally at age 19 in 1977 and went on to make 326 appearances, averaging 23.6 points per game. He competed in a record-tying five consecutive Summer Olympics from 1980 to 1996 and four World Cups, becoming the all-time leading scorer in both tournaments with 1,093 Olympic points. He holds the single-game records of 55 points against Spain in the 1988 Seoul Olympics and 52 against...