ACOG - News - IBM

(26 July 1996; Day 7)

This "King" May Have Slowed, But Don't Try To Stop Him

After 20 years as a member of Brazil's national men's basketball team, Oscar SCHMIDT is commonly referred to as the "King" of Brazilian basketball. As a member of the national team, SCHMIDT currently is competing in his fifth Olympic Games.

As with any normal 38-year-old, SCHMIDT admits that he is a step slower than he used to be. However, if you think that makes him less of a weapon, think again. He is one of the leading scorers in the 1996 Olympic Games and has Brazil in a good position to advance to the medal round. SCHMIDT is currently leading all scorers, averaging 33.7 points per game.

"I am proud to be here in the Olympic Games for a fifth time," said SCHMIDT. "Of course, I don't have the quickness or jumping ability as before, but I do have the same power and shooting touch, sometimes better."

It is that shooting touch which puts fear in the defenders of opposing teams. The popular thought is that if you put enough players on him defensively, eventually SCHMIDT will get tired. The strategy worked well in Brazil's second game, when Greece played two and sometimes three men on SCHMIDT. The result was a 21-point performance in the first half, but just an 11-point effort in the second half.

The legend of Oscar SCHMIDT began in the mid-1970s when he was first named to the Brazilian national squad. In 1988 and 1992, he was the top scorer at the Olympic Games. At the 1988 Olympic Games, SCHMIDT scored 55 points in a preliminary-round win over Spain and scored 46 in two other games. The 55-point output is a single-game record in the Olympic Games.

In 1987, SCHMIDT led Brazil to an upset victory over the United States in the championship contest of the Pan American Games. He has also had his number retired by two professional teams and led the Brazilian pro league in scoring this past season, averaging 30.2 points per outing.

In spite of these accomplishments, SCHMIDT surprised many when he announced that these 1996 Olympic Games will be his last.

"I believe that this will be my last time around," said SCHMIDT. "I hope this will be a positive experience with good results. Hopefully, our younger players will develop through this experience and Brazil will remain strong in the future."

So, basketball world, enjoy one of the best while you can, because no matter how old or how slow, Oscar SCHMIDT is still a winner.

This is an official publication of the Atlanta Committee for the Olympic Games Sports Publications Department. Written by Wayne White.


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The volunteer staff of the 1996 Olympic Games totaled 50,152. They worked an estimated 850,000 shifts.