FIBA Basketball World Cup Legend: Oscar Schmidt

MADRID (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - If Oscar Schmidt did one thing better than all of the players that he went up against during his legendary career with Brazil, it was putting the ball in the basket.

The national team star was a prolific scorer.

He has more points than any other player in the history of FIBA World Championships.

The 2.05m forward amassed 843 points in 33 games of the competition in which he played in 1978, '82, '86 and '90.

His 52 points in a game against the Australians in 1990 ranks third all time at a FIBA World Championship.

The only two players to have poured in more points in a single game at a FIBA World Championship are Jae Hur of Korea, who had 54 against Egypt in 1990, and Greece's Nikos Galis who had 53 against Panama four years before.

He signed off from the competition in Argentina with a 44-point explosion against Greece in the fight for fifth place.

Brazil prevailed in that shootout, 97-94.

Nicknamed 'Mão Santa" (Holy Hand), Oscar reached the podium at his first FIBA World Championship in Manila, the Philippines, capturing the bronze medal.

A five-time Olympian who on three occasions led the Summer Games in scoring, Oscar is perhaps best known in the United States for his stunning performance at the 1987 Pan American Games when he led the Brazilians to an upset of the Americans in Indianapolis in the battle for gold.

Brazil trailed by 14 points at half-time but Oscar, who had 46 points, spearheaded the comeback as Brazil prevailed, 120-115.

Oscar is in the FIBA Hall of Fame and in September, he will be inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Now 55, the Brazilian sports icon is among the most beloved of stars in international basketball.

He has been waging his biggest battle the past few years after being diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor.

FIBA