Oscar Daniel Bezerra Schmidt (February 16, 1958 - April 17, 2026), nicknamed Mão Santa (Holy Hand), was a Brazilian professional basketball player. Schmidt primarily played the power forward and small forward position, was 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) tall and weighed 109 kg (240 lbs). Along with his home country, Schmidt also played in Italy for JuveCaserta and Pavia, and Spain for Fórum Valladolid.[1] He was born in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil.
He was considered to be the all-time leading scorer in the history of basketball, with 49,973 career points scored (pro club league play, plus senior Brazilian national team play), until LeBron James broke this record on April 2, 2024.[2] He is the record holder for the longest career span of a professional basketball player at 29 years. He is also the top scorer in the history of the Summer Olympic Games, and the top scorer in the history of the FIBA World Cup.
He was named one of FIBA's 50 Greatest Players in 1991. He received the Olympic Order in 1997. On August 20, 2010, Schmidt became a FIBA Hall of Fame player, in recognition of his play in international competitions.[3] On September 8, 2013, Schmidt was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.[4] He was inducted into the Italian Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
Youth club career
Schmidt played youth club basketball in the youth systems of S.E. Palmeiras and Mackenzie College. With Palmeiras's youth teams, he scored 2,114 points in 85 games, for a scoring average of 24.9 points per game. With Mackenzie's youth teams, he scored 1,332 points in 36 games, for a scoring average of 37.0 points per game.
Professional career
Brazil
Schmidt began his professional club career in 1974, at the age of 16, with the Brazilian Championship club S.E. Palmeiras. As a member of Palmeiras, he won the São Paulo State Championship in 1974, and the Brazilian Championship in 1977.
In 1978, he moved to the Brazilian club E.C. Sírio under coach Cláudio Mortari who signed him. As a member of Sírio, Schmidt won the São Paulo State Championship in both 1978 and 1979, and the Brazilian Championship in 1979. He scored 40 points in the 1979 final (held in January 1980) and help Sirio win the title against Francana.[5] With Sírio, he also won the South American Club Championship, and the FIBA Intercontinental Cup title in 1979. He scored 42 points in the 1979 FIBA Intercontinental Cup's Final against the Yugoslav First Federal League club Bosna Sarajevo.[6] Schmidt was the top scorer of the Brazilian Championship in both 1979 and 1980.
In 1982, Schmidt joined the Brazilian club América do Rio. However, he only stayed with the club for a brief amount of time.[7]
JuveCaserta
For the 1982–83 season, Schmidt joined the Italian 2nd Division club JuveCaserta. With JuveCaserta, he played in the first division level Italian League, for the first time in the 1983–84 season being the leading scorer of the Serie A with 955 points in 34 games. That same season, Schmidt played in a Pan-European club competition for the first time, as he also played in Europe's third-tier level FIBA Korać Cup's 1983–84 season. Schmidt played in Europe's 2nd-tier level competition, the FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup (later renamed to FIBA Saporta Cup), for the first time, in the 1984–85 season.
With JuveCaserta, he won the Italian Cup title in 1988. In the European-wide secondary level 1988–89 FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup's Final, Schmidt scored 44 points against the Spanish club Real Madrid. However, Real Madrid's star player Dražen Petrović, scored 62 points in the same game, and JuveCaserta lost the game, by a score of 117–113.[8]
Schmidt led the Italian top division in scoring six times, while he was a member of JuveCaserta (1983–84, 1984–85, 1985-86, 1986–87, 1988–89, and 1989–90 seasons). JuveCaserta eventually retired Schmidt's #18 jersey.
Pavia
In 1990, Schmidt joined the Italian 2nd Division club Pavia. With Pavia, Schmidt led the Italian 2nd Division in scoring, in both the 1990–91 and 1992–93 seasons. With Pavia, he also led the first division Italian League in scoring, during the 1991–92 season scoring 1760 pts in 40 games (44.0 average). He was also a member of the FIBA European Selection in 1991.
As a member of Pavia, Schmidt also had his highest scoring single game in the top division Italian League, as he scored 66 points in a 1991–92 season game versus Auxilium Torino, on 30 November 1991.[9][10] Pavia eventually retired his #11 jersey.
While playing club basketball in Italy, Schmidt earned a fan in future NBA star Kobe Bryant. At that time, Bryant was a young child that was living in Italy, while his father, Joe Bryant, played professional basketball in the country. Bryant called Schmidt one of his childhood idols,[11] and also stated that Schmidt could have been one of the greatest players in the NBA, if he had played in the league.[12]
Overall during his club career in Italy, Schmidt was the Top Scorer of the Italian First Division seven times (1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1988–89, 1989–90, and 1991–92 seasons). In 2017, Schmidt was inducted into the Italian Basketball Hall of Fame.
Valladolid
In 1993, Schmidt joined the Spanish ACB League club Valladolid. With Valladolid, Schmidt was the Spanish league's top scorer in the 1993–94 season, with a scoring average of 33.3 points per game, in 33 games played (regular season and playoffs). On 19 March 1994, Schmidt made 11 3-point field goals, in a Spanish League game against Murcia.[13]
Schmidt also spent the 1994–95 season with Valladolid. In that season, he averaged 24.0 points per game, in 38 games played. His single-game scoring high in the Spanish League, was in a game that season versus Málaga, in which he scored 47 points, and made all 8 of his 3-point field goal attempts.[14]
In two seasons in the Spanish ACB, Schmidt scored a total of 2,009 points in 71 games played (regular season and playoffs), for a scoring average of 28.3 points per game.[15]
Return to Brazil
Corinthians and Bandeirantes
Schmidt returned to his native Brazil in September 1995, after 13 years in Europe, to once again play in the Brazilian Basketball Championship. His debut came on 12 September 1995 in the São Paulo State Championship scoring 47 points for S.C. Corinthians Paulista against Bozzano/Jales.[16] He was a member of S.C. Corinthians Paulista, from 1995 to 1997. He then signed for Grêmio Barueri Bandeirantes / Mackenzie under coach Marcel de Souza a former teammate in the national team. He played there, from 1997 to 1999, and he consequently finished his club career with C.R. Flamengo, where he played from 1999 to 2003.
With Corinthians Paulista, he won the Brazilian Championship in 1996. He was the second scorer in the 1996 São Paulo State Championship averaging 32.2 points[17] and the topscorer in 1997 with 41.9 points per game. During the 1997 National championship he would surpass the mark of 40,000 career points after scoring 41 in a game against Barueri/Bandeirantes.
As a member of Grêmio Barueri Bandeirantes, he won the São Paulo State Championship in 1998, averaging 33.3 points. It was the first in the club's history while Oscar became a Paulista champion again, after 19 years (then with Sirio, in 1979). With Grêmio Barueri Bandeirantes, Schmidt, at the age of 39, scored 74 points in a São Paulo State Championship game on 28 November 1997.[18][19][20]
Flamengo
On September 8, 1999 he debuted for Flamengo in a comfortable victory over Municipal and got a standing ovation by the fans. On December 1, 1999, with a free throw, he reached the historic mark of 43,000 career points. On November 30, 2000, he reached 45,000 career points during the Flamengo-Botafogo game (118-107) in the Rio de Janeiro State Championship.[21]
As a member of Flamengo, he won the Rio de Janeiro State Championship in 1999 being the top scorer with 647 pts. He also led Flamengo to the National Finals finishing runners-up, a distinction that the club never had before 1999. Two years later, on April 8, 2001 he came a step closer to become basketball's leading scorer, after he scored 34 pts in the Flamengo-Fluminense match (92-90) for the National league and he reached 46,014 career points.[22]
On October 27, 2001, he scored 44 pts in the Flamengo-Fluminense match (108-106) for the RJ State Championship and he finally surpassed the mark of 46.725 pts scored by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar becoming basketball's all-timescorer.[23] Oscar had announced that he would retire on 16 May 2002, but a week after a controversial match in which COC/Ribeirao Preto coached by Lula Ferreira eliminated Flamengo in the National Championship quarterfinals (84-78) with Oscar being expelled by the referee, he took it back admitting to the press that he would play for one more year.[24] Eventuatlly, at the end of 2002 Schmidt helped Flamengo win the Rio de Janeiro State Championship.
Schmidt was the Brazilian Championship's top scorer in each of his last eight seasons playing in the competition (1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003). That was in addition to the two times that he had previously led the same competition in scoring, in 1979 and 1980.
Schmidt retired from his club basketball playing career on May 26, 2003, at the age of 45, opting not to play in the upcoming Rio de Janeiro State Championship. His final game was against COC/Ribeirão on May 21, 2003. Flamengo then eventually retired his #14 jersey. Up to that day he had scored 49,703 points, then a world record though it was not recognised by FIBA officially.[25]
During his club playing career, Oscar scored a total of 42,044 points, in 1,289 games played, for a career scoring average of 32.6 points per game. He also scored a total of 236 points in All-Star Games. However, those totals do not include all of the games that he played in during his pro club career, as the data for some of the national cup games, Pan-European games, and all-star games that he played in Europe are not available.
NBA draft rights
Schmidt was drafted by the New Jersey Nets in the sixth round of the 1984 NBA draft, and he played with them in their 1984 NBA training camp and preseason. However, he declined the team's offer of a fully guaranteed contract, because it was for considerably less money than he was making playing in Italy, and because he wanted to continue playing for the senior Brazilian national team (until 1989, NBA players were not allowed to play for national teams).[26]
National team career
Junior national team
Schmidt played in the youth systems of Brazil's national federation program. He played in 15 games with the junior selection of São Paulo, with which he scored 393 points in 15 games, for a scoring average of 26.2 points per game. He also played in 31 games with Brazil's national junior selection, in which he scored a total of 569 points, for a scoring average of 18.4 points per game.
Senior national team
With the senior Brazil national team, Schmidt played in five Summer Olympics (he was the second player to do so after Teófilo Cruz) and was the top scorer in three of them. However, he never went past the tournament's quarterfinals. In the 1980 Summer Olympics, he played in seven games and scored 169 points, for a 24.1 average.
He again scored 169 points in seven games in the 1984 Summer Olympics. His best Olympic performance was the 1988 Summer Olympics. At that tournament, he scored 338 points, for an average of 42.3 points per game. In 1992, he scored 198 points in eight games, and in 1996, he scored 219 points in 8 games. In 38 career Olympic basketball games, Schmidt scored a record of 1,093 points, for an average of 28.8 points per game.
Schmidt is also the all-time career leader in total points scored in the FIBA World Cup, having scored a total of 843 points in 33 games, for a scoring average of 25.5 points per game. He won the bronze medal and made the All-Tournament Team at the 1978 FIBA World Cup, and he also made the All-Tournament Teams of both the 1986 FIBA World Cup and the 1990 FIBA World Cup, which he also led in scoring, with an average of 34.6 points per game.
Schmidt played in the gold-medal match of the 1987 Pan American Games, which was held in Indianapolis. The US national team, which was composed of NCAA Division I college basketball players at those games, featured two All-Americans in David Robinson (Hall of Fame member) and Danny Manning, two NCAA Championship Final Four MVPs, in Pervis Ellison and Keith Smart, and other future NBA players, such as Rex Chapman, Pooh Richardson, and Willie Anderson. Brazil faced a 68–54 halftime deficit. However, Schmidt finished the game with 46 points, in a 120–115 win for Brazil.
In 1996, at the age of 38, Schmidt retired from playing with the senior Brazilian national team as its all-time leading scorer. While representing Brazil, he scored a total of 7,693 points in 326 games played, for a career scoring average of 23.6 points per game.[27] In 1997, Schmidt was given the Olympic Order award.
Post-athletic career
In 2004, Schmidt started his career in management. He was the CEO of "Telemar Rio de Janeiro", a Brazilian professional basketball team which won the "Campeonato Carioca" (Rio de Janeiro State Championship) in 2004, and the Brazilian Championship in 2005.
In 2006, Schmidt, along with other Brazilian basketball greats such as Paula and Hortência, (another Hall of Fame member), led the NLB: Nossa Liga de Basquete ("our basketball league"), an attempted rival to the Brazilian Basketball Championship. However, the league folded a year later.
Personal life
Oscar married Maria Cristina Victorino in 1981, and had a son and a daughter.[28] Oscar and his son played together in the former's final season in Flamengo before deciding to be a director.[29] His brother is a journalist, and his nephew, Bruno Oscar Schmidt, is a beach volleyballer.
On May 13, 2013, Schmidt had brain surgery to excise a malignant tumor.[30] At first, nobody knew about it except for his family. The press found out about the disease fifteen days after the surgery, at a dinner celebrating the 50th anniversary of the two-time FIBA World Champion senior men's Brazilian National Team. Schmidt did not appear at the event, as he was recuperating from daily chemotherapy sessions. The disease was later put into remission.[30]
In 2016, Schmidt was one of the guests at the opening ceremony of the 2016 Rio Summer Olympics, alongside other Brazilian celebrities, such as model Gisele Bündchen, actor Gustavo Goulart, and singer Caetano Veloso.
Schmidt died on April 17, 2026, at the age of 68.[31] According to press reports, Schmidt was at home when he began to feel unwell. A SAMU ambulance was called, and the former basketball player was taken to the Santa Ana Municipal Hospital and Maternity (HMSA) in Santana de Parnaíba, where he was admitted. Hours later, his death was confirmed by his press office.[32]
Senior club teams
- S.E. Palmeiras: Brazilian Basketball Championship: 1974–78
- E.C. Sírio: Brazilian Basketball Championship: 1978–82
- América do Rio: Brazilian Basketball Championship: 1982
- JuveCaserta: Italian Second Division: 1982–83
- JuveCaserta: Italian Basketball League: 1983–90
- Pavia: Italian Second Division: 1990–91
- Pavia: Italian Basketball League: 1991–92
- Pavia: Italian Second Division: 1992–93
- Valladolid: Spanish Basketball League: 1993–95
- S.C. Corinthians Paulista: Brazilian Basketball Championship: 1995–97
- Bandeirantes / Mackenzie: Brazilian Basketball Championship: 1997–99
- C.R. Flamengo: Brazilian Basketball Championship: 1999–2003
Career statistics
| ★ | Won the tournament in that year |
| Topscorer of the competition |
Italian Serie A1
Regular season and play-offs [a]
| Year | Club | PJ | MP | RT | AS | PT | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1983-84 | Juve Caserta | 34 | 955 | 28.0 | |||
| 1984-85 | 38 | 1,140 | 30.0 | ||||
| 1985-86 | 40 | 1,226 | 30.6 | ||||
| 1986-87 | 39 | 1,316 | 33.7 | ||||
| 1987-88 | ? | ? | 37.3 | ||||
| 1988-89 | ? | 1283 | 35.6 | ||||
| 1989-90 | ? | 33,1 [b] | |||||
| 1991-92★ | Pavia | ? | 1120 | 37.7 [c] |
Italian Serie A2
Regular season and play-offs.
| Year | Club | PJ | MP | RT | AS | PT | PPJ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990-91★ | Pavia | 40 | 1761 | 43.6 [d] | |||
| 1992-93 | ? | ? | 39.2 [e] |
ACB League
Regular season and play-offs.
| Year | Club | PJ | MP | RT | AS | PT | PPJ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993-94 [33] | Forum Valladolid | 28 | 930 | 33.2 | |||
| 1994-95 [34] | 38 | 911 | 23.9 |
Campeonato Nacional Brazil
| Year | Club | PJ | MPJ | FG% | 3P% | LL% | RT | AS | BR | TO | PPJ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1996★ | Corinthians | 31 | 34.3 | .588 | .485 | .881 | 9.8 | .8 | .6 | .2 | 30.9 |
| 1997 | 26 | 37.6 | .530 | .504 | .880 | 10.5 | 1.3 | .6 | .3 | 38.2 | |
| 1998 | Banco Bandeirantes/Barueri | 28 | 38.6 | .541 | .440 | .903 | 11.5 | 1.4 | .6 | .2 | 44.8 |
| 1999 | Mackenzie-Microcamp/Barueri | 36 | 42.2 | .573 | .464 | .913 | 10.8 | 1.7 | .7 | .3 | 38.2 |
| 2000 | Flamengo | 38 | 37.9 | .543 | .389 | .862 | 9.6 | 1.7 | .5 | .1 | 34.9 |
| 2001 | 34 | 36.9 | .483 | .457 | .899 | 8.8 | 1.3 | .6 | .1 | 33.0 | |
| 2002 | 34 | 37.1 | .516 | .403 | .908 | 8.3 | 1.9 | .6 | .2 | 34.8 | |
| 2003 | 31 | 36.3 | .495 | .451 | .924 | 7.5 | 2.0 | .5 | .2 | 33.1 |
FIBA World Cup and Olympics
| Year | Tournament | PJ | MPJ | FG% | 3P% | LL% | RT | AS | BR | TO | PPJ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | FIBA World Cup | 9 | - | - | - | .688 | - | - | - | - | 17.7 |
| 1980 | Olympics | 7 | 29.4 | .548 | - | .875 | 6.7 | 0.4 | 0.3 | .0 | 24.1 |
| 1982 | FIBA World Cup | 6 | - | - | - | .700 | - | - | - | - | 21.0 |
| 1984 | Olympics | 7 | 26.7 | .524 | - | .781 | 4.7 | 0.7 | 1.0 | .0 | 24.1 |
| 1986 | FIBA World Cup | 10 | - | - | - | .764 | - | - | - | - | 28.1 |
| 1988 | Olympics | 8 | 36.0 | .576 | .556 | .918 | 7.8 | 1.6 | 0.6 | .4 | 42.3 |
| 1990 | FIBA World Cup | 8 | - | - | - | .873 | - | - | - | - | 34.6 |
| 1992 | Olympics | 8 | 31.8 | .324 | .378 | .889 | 3.5 | 0.6 | 2.1 | .0 | 24.8 |
| 1996 | Olympics | 8 | 32.9 | .475 | .381 | .953 | 3,1 | 1.0 | 0,5 | .0 | 27.4 |
Games and points
Youth
- Palmeiras 85 (2.114 pts) - PPG 24,8
- Mackenzie 36 (1.332 pts) - PPG 37
- Paulista Selection team: 15 (393 pts) - PPG 26,2
- Brasil Youth national team: 31 (569 pts) - PPG 18,3
Professional
- Palmeiras: 82 (2.033 pts) - PPG 24,8
- Sírio: 146 (4.351 pts) - PPG 29,8
- América do Rio: n/a
- Juvecaserta: 284 (9.143 pts)
- Pavia: 119 (4.814 pts)
- Forum Valladolid: 71 (2.009 pts)
- Corinthians: 131 (4.270 pts) - PPG 32,5
- Bandeirantes: 117 (3.570 pts)
- baureri Mackenzie/Microcamp: 120 (4.613 pts) - PPG 38,4
- Flamengo 219 (7.241 pts) - PPG 33.0
Italy and Spain totals
- Italy: 403 (13.957) - PPG 34,6
- Spain: 71 (2.009) - PPG 28,2
Brazil League totals (1996-2003)
- Campeonato: 258 (9.096) - PPG 35,2
Cups totals
- Cups: 117 (3.570) - PPG 30,5
National team
- Brasil national team: 326 (7.693 pts) - PPG 23,5
All-Star Games
- ULEB All-Star Game: 3 (46 pts) - PPG 15,3
- Lega Basket All Star Game: 9 (224 pts) - PPG 24.9
Honors and awards
Summer Olympics Records
- All-time leading points scorer: 1,093 points
- Most total points scored in a tournament: 338 points
- Highest per game scoring average in a tournament: 42.3 points per game
- Most points scored in a single game: 55 points
- Oldest player to score 40 or more points in a single game: 38 years and 155 days (scored 45 points)
- Tied for most tournament appearances by a men's basketball player: 5 (tied with Teófilo Cruz, Andrew Gaze, Luis Scola, and Juan Carlos Navarro)
Individual
- Considered basketball's unofficial second all-time leader in points scored:
- 49,973 career total points scored in 1,626 games played (30.7 points per game):
- 42,044 career points scored in 1,289 professional club games played (32.6 points per game).
- 7,693 points scored in 326 Brazilian national team games played (23.6 points per game).
- 13,957 points scored in the Italian League during his 11 seasons there. During the 1990-91 season he became the first player to score more than 10,000 points in the Italian Championship.
- 236 points scored in 11 career All-Star Games played where scoring data is available (21.5 points per game). 186 points scored in 7 Italian League All-Star Games played, 46 points scored in 3 ULEB All-Star Games played, and 4 points scored in the NBA All-Star Game (as a celebrity). Schmidt also played in the FIBA All-Star Game in 1991, but no individual points scored total is available for that game.
- Brazilian national team's all-time leading scorer[35]
- FIBA World Cup's all-time leader in points scored:
- 906 career points scored in 34 games played (26.7 points per game)
- 1978 FIBA World Championship: All-Tournament Team
- 1986 FIBA World Championship: All-Tournament Team
- 1990 FIBA World Championship: All-Tournament Team
- 1990 FIBA World Championship's Top Scorer (34.6 points per game)
- Summer Olympics's all-time leader in points scored:[36]
- 1,093 career points scored – 28.8 points per game
- 3× Summer Olympics Top Scorer:[36]
- Seoul 1988 – 42.3 points per game (the record in any edition)
- Barcelona 1992 – 24.8 points per game
- Atlanta 1996 – 27.4 points per game
- Most points scored in a game at the Summer Olympics – 55 against Spain, 24 September 1988 (lost 118–110)[36]
- FIBA Intercontinental Cup Finals Top Scorer (1979)
- 9× Italian League All-Star (1983–1991)
- Italian League All-Star Game MVP (1987)
- 3× Italian League All-Star Game 3-Point Contest Champion (1987–1989)
- 7× Italian League Top Scorer: (1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1989, 1990, 1992)
- 2× Italian 2nd Division Top Scorer (1991, 1993)
- 3× ULEB All-Star (1992, 1993, 1994)
- ULEB All-Star Game 3-Point Shootout Champion (1993)
- Spanish League Top Scorer: (1994)
- 10× Brazilian Championship Top Scorer: (1979, 1980, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003)
- São Paulo State Championship Top Scorer: 1979, 1995, 1997, 1998
- 4x RJ State Championship Top Scorer: 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002
- 3x São Paulo State Championship Player of the Year: (1979, 1995, 1996)
- He scored 66 points in an Italian League game on 30 November 1991[9][10]
- He scored 57 points in a São Paulo State Championship game on 28 October 1997[37]
- He scored 59 points in a São Paulo State Championship game on 17 November 1997[38]
- He scored 74 points in a São Paulo State Championship game on 28 November 1997[18][19][20]
- His best scoring record in the Spanish League was 47 points in the Unicaja Malaga - Forum Valladolid (99-101) on 27 November 1994, while on 19 March 1994 he had scored 11 three-pointers (Murcia - Forum Valladolid 96-87)[39]
- With his 13,957 points in the Italian League remains the foreign player who scored the most, with an overall average of 34.6 points per game and game peaks of over 60 points, the first of which was recorded in 1984. He is the player who surpassed the 50 point mark the most times in the history of Italian basketball: he scored more than 50 pts in a single match 28 times out of 403 matches played (about 7%), ahead of Dražen Dalipagić (15/241 equal to 6.2%) and Joe Bryant (14/247, about 5.7%).[40]
- He scored his Italian career high, with 66 points for Pavia (13/21 two-pointers, 11/26 three-pointers and 7/9 free throws) on November 30, 1991 during the home defeat against Torino (109-110).[41]
- Retired club jerseys: #18 JuveCaserta (1990), #11 Pavia (1993), #14 C.R. Flamengo (2003)
- FIBA European Selection: (1991)
- FIBA's 50 Greatest Players: (1991)
- Olympic Order: (1997)
- FIBA Hall of Fame inductee: (2010)
- Basketball Hall of Fame: (2013)
- Italian Basketball Hall of Fame: (2017)
Various records
- He played 271 consecutive games for Caserta for 7 years in the Italian Serie A.
- Most points in a single game in the Brazilian National Club Championship (57), playing for Flamengo.
- Most points in a single game in the Liga Sudamericana de Baloncesto (46), playing for Flamengo against Ambassadors.
- Most points in a single game in the Pan-American Games (53), against Mexico, in 1987.
- Most points in a single game in the World Cup (52), against Australia, in 1990.
- Most consecutive games in the RJ State League (90), with Flamengo
As a member of pro club teams
- 4× São Paulo State Championship champion: 1974, Sírio 1978, 1979, 1998
- 3× Brazilian Championship champion: 1977, 1979, 1996
- South American Club Championship champion: 1979
- FIBA Intercontinental Cup champion: 1979
- Italian Cup winner: 1988
- 2× Rio de Janeiro State Championship champion: 1999, 2002
Brazil national team
- 3× FIBA South American Championship:
Gold (1977, 1983, 1985) - FIBA World Cup:
Bronze (1978) - 2× FIBA South American Championship:
Silver: (1979, 1981) - Pan American Games: Bronze (1979)
- Pan American Games: Gold (1987)
- FIBA AmeriCup: Bronze (1989)
National Basketball Coaches Association
Announces 2026 Michael H. Goldberg
NBCA Coach of the Year Award
Voted Annually By 30 NBA Head Coaches
New York, April 17, 2026 — The National Basketball Coaches Association announced today that Detroit Pistons Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff is the 2026 recipient of the Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year Award.
The Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year Award recognizes the dedication, commitment, and hard work of NBA head coaches and is presented annually to a head coach who helped guide his players to a higher level of performance on-the-court and showed outstanding service and dedication to the community off-the-court. It honors the spirit of Mr. Goldberg, the esteemed long-time Executive Director of the NBCA, who set the standard for loyalty, integrity, love of the game, passionate representation, and tireless promotion of NBA coaching. The award is unique in that it is voted upon by the winners’ peers, the head coaches of all 30 NBA teams.
In total, seven head coaches received votes, reflecting the depth of coaching excellence in the NBA this season. In addition to Bickerstaff, the following head coaches also received votes [listed alphabetically]: Mark Daigneault, Oklahoma City Thunder; Mitch Johnson, San Antonio Spurs; Charles Lee, Charlotte Hornets; Joe Mazzulla, Boston Celtics; Quin Snyder, Atlanta Hawks; and Tiago Splitter, Portland Trail Blazers.
“I’m extremely honored to receive this recognition from my coaching peers,” said Detroit Pistons Head Coach J.B. Bickerstaff. “None of this is possible without the many people I’ve been blessed with along my journey, beginning with my dad, who has always been my inspiration for wanting to get into this profession, and my family for their love and support. I also owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to all the coaches I’ve worked with and learned from throughout my career.”
“I’m grateful to my coaching staff for all they do to help prepare our team for every practice and game. Tom Gores, Trajan Langdon and the basketball front office, and the Pistons organization have provided us with all the resources to go out and be successful. I’m thankful for their support and dedication to what we’re building here in Detroit. I’ve been lucky to coach a special group of young men this season and seeing their individual and collective growth has been gratifying. I’m truly thankful for their commitment, dedication and willingness to allow me to coach them. This award is truly an acknowledgement of all the hard work done by everyone who work with our players daily including our medical and performance teams, player development coaches and all of our support staff. ”
“To receive this award after recently being elected by my peers as the next President of the National Basketball Coaches Association adds special meaning. It’s a responsibility I look forward to upholding and building upon at a standard of excellence that’s been maintained by Rick Carlisle over the last two-plus decades.”
Coach Bickerstaff, in his second season as Head Coach of the Pistons, led the team to the best record in the Eastern Conference and the third-best overall record in the NBA.
The Pistons captured their first 60-win season since the 2005-2006 campaign and notched 32 wins at home and a franchise-record 28 road wins. The Bickerstaff-led Pistons finished with an overall record of 60-22, a 16-game improvement from last season, and the team’s third-best mark in franchise history. Bickerstaff became the first head coach in NBA history to take a franchise from 60 losses to 60 wins in a two-season span. This season, Bickerstaff also became the third fastest coach to reach 100 wins in franchise history (159 games).
Coach Bickerstaff was named the Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for October/November and was selected as the head coach of the Eastern Conference (Team USA Stars) at the 2026 NBA All-Star Game where he coached the squad to a win.
Bickerstaff has transformed the Pistons into one of the most dominant and aggressive forces in the paint on both sides of the ball. The Pistons led the league in points in the paint (57.9) and blocks per game (6.4). Detroit was also the only team to rank top five in both offensive and defensive points allowed in the paint. Additionally, the Pistons ranked top three in numerous statistical categories, including:
- First in blocks per game (6.4)
- First in steals per game (10.4)
- First in offensive points in the paint (57.9)
- Second in defensive rating (108.9)
- Second in net rating (8.4)
- Third in free throws attempted (26.1)
- Third in plus minus (8.2)
- Third in offensive rebounds per game (13.1)
“J.B. Bickerstaff is extremely deserving of this award and the recognition from his fellow Head Coaches,” said David Fogel, NBCA Executive Director and General Counsel. “This season Coach Bickerstaff has shown the ultimate dedication to the coaching profession. Not only has he guided the Pistons to one of the best seasons in franchise history, but his coaching peers also elected him as the sixth President in NBCA history. Congratulations to Coach Bickerstaff, the Pistons assistant coaches, and the entire organization on winning the Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year Award.”
In 1980, just four years after the NBCA was founded, Goldberg became its first Executive Director. He guided the organization during the years of the greatest growth in professional basketball. He helped gain significant benefits for NBA Coaches, including increased retirement funds, salary levels, and disability insurance. Prior to the NBCA, Goldberg was General Counsel of the American Basketball Association.
Previous recipients of the Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year Award are:
- 2025: Kenny Atkinson
- 2024: Mark Daigneault
- 2023: Mike Brown
- 2022: Monty Williams
- 2021: Monty Williams
- 2020: Mike Budenholzer and Billy Donovan
- 2019: Mike Budenholzer
- 2018: Dwane Casey
- 2017: Mike D’Antoni and Erik Spoelstra
The NBA will announce the NBA’s Coach of the Year later during the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
NBA Mexico City Game 2026 announcement video (Credit: NBA)
DENVER NUGGETS AND INDIANA PACERS TO PLAY REGULAR-SEASON GAME IN MEXICO CITY ON NOV. 7
– 35th NBA Game in Mexico Marks the Most in Any Country Outside the U.S. and Canada
and Will Take Place During “Día de Muertos” Week Locally –
MEXICO CITY, April 16, 2026 – The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Zignia Live today announced that The NBA Mexico City Game 2026 will feature the Denver Nuggets and the Indiana Pacers playing a regular-season game at the Arena CDMX on Saturday, Nov. 7.
The matchup will mark the league’s 35th game in Mexico since 1992 – more than any country outside of the U.S. and Canada – and will take place during the week of traditional “Día de Muertos” (Day of the Dead) celebrations locally for the third consecutive year. The “Día de Muertos” theme will be showcased through a variety of in-arena activations during the game, including a specially themed basketball court and several fan engagement initiatives.
The Nuggets, who won the NBA championship in 2023 and will be playing their second game in Mexico, currently feature three-time Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokić, 2026 NBA All-Star Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon. The defending Eastern Conference champion Pacers, who will be making their Mexico City debut, currently feature two-time NBA All-Star Tyrese Haliburton, 2019 NBA champion and four-time NBA All-Star Pascal Siakam, and 2025 NBA All-Defensive Second Team member Ivica Zubac.
The NBA Mexico City Game 2026 will air live in Mexico on ESPN, across Latin America and around the world, including on ESPN on Disney+ in select international markets, reaching fans in more than 200 countries and territories on television, digital media and social media. In addition to the game, the league and its marketing partners will conduct NBA Cares social impact programming focused on health, wellness and sustainability, Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA youth and coach basketball development programming, and interactive fan activities that will bring the NBA experience to fans in Mexico City.
The game and surrounding events will be supported by a roster of marketing partners, including Amazon Web Services (AWS), AT&T, Farmacias Similares, Hellmann’s, Jordan Brand, Mazda, Michelob Ultra, Sprite, Tissot, and Wendy’s as well as Zignia’s associate partners Banco Azteca and Elektra.
Fans can register their interest in tickets and receive access to an exclusive ticket pre-sale that will take place on Wednesday, May 27 and Thursday, May 28 at NBAMexicoCityGame.mx. Tickets for the game will go on sale to Banco Azteca cardholders on Monday, May 25 and Tuesday, May 26 and to the public on Friday, May 29. Special ticket packages offering premium access, VIP experiences and hospitality are available for purchase now at nbaexperiences.com/nba-mexico-
The 2025-26 NBA season is airing live in Mexico on ESPN, Disney+, Prime Video and NBA League Pass, the league’s premium live game subscription service available via the NBA App. Fans in Mexico can find more information about the NBA at NBA.com/Mexico, by downloading the NBA App and by following the league on Facebook (@nbamexico), Instagram (@nbamex), Threads (@nbamex), TikTok (@nbamex), WhatsApp Channels (NBA Mexico), X (@nbamex) and YouTube (NBA en Español). They can also purchase official NBA merchandise at the NBA Stores in Mexico City, online at NBAStore.com.mx and at the Arena CDMX on game night.
Executive Quotes:
NBA Latin America and Canada Senior Vice President and Head of Operations Raul Zarraga:
“The NBA Mexico City Game continues to give fans in Mexico a front‑row connection to the league, its teams and its players. Hosting our 35th game in the country reflects the depth of the NBA’s relationship with Mexico and the role this event plays in bringing the global game to fans locally, across Latin America and around the world.”
Zignia Live Director Alejandro Arce Saldívar:
“It is an honor to continue our collaboration with the NBA, bringing the excitement of the best basketball in the world to Mexico. At Zignia Live, we remain committed to delivering world-class entertainment, and Arena CDMX once again becomes the meeting point for a truly unique experience. We thank the NBA, the teams, and the incredible Mexican fans for making each game an unforgettable moment.”
KSE President of Team and Media Operations Kevin Demoff:
“We are thrilled that the Nuggets were chosen to compete in The Mexico City Game next season. As a team led by two electrifying stars born outside of the U.S., we are honored anytime we can showcase Nuggets basketball to NBA fans around the world as well as continue to grow KSE’s global footprint.”
President & CEO of Pacers Sports & Entertainment Mel Raines:
“We’re thrilled to bring Indiana Pacers basketball to Mexico City during such a meaningful and vibrant time of year. This is a great opportunity to celebrate our growing fan base in Mexico and across Latin America, while also recognizing the strong Hispanic and Latin American communities here in Indiana. By connecting our local and global fans, we’re strengthening the shared culture, energy and love of the game that make this event so special.”
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