Brazilian great Oscar Schmidt dies at 68

SAO PAULO - Brazilian great Oscar Schmidt has died at age 68, his press office said on Friday without providing details about the cause of his death. Schmidt had been hospitalized in the Sao Paulo metropolitan area after feeling ill, his press office said in a previous statement.

A member of the Basketball Hall of Fame since 2013, Schmidt enjoyed a 30-year professional career spent in local teams and in Europe.

One of the greatest three-point shooters in history, Schmidt holds the record for the most points in Olympic tournament history (1,093) and most in a single Olympic Games (55).

Schmidt led Brazil to victory over the U.S. in the 1987 Pan American Games final, only the second time the U.S. lost the tournament and the first on home soil.

His shooting accuracy earned him the nickname "Holy Hand," a label he was always keen to challenge, recalling the countless hours he spent on the court practising shots.

—Reuters