Corinthians coach pays tribute to Oscar Schmidt before NBB game | OneFootball

Corinthians Basketball head coach Jece Leite spoke about Oscar Schmidt’s death before the game against Caxias do Sul, valid for the final round of the Novo Basquete Brasil (NBB) regular season.

Considered one of the greatest names in the history of Brazilian basketball, Oscar passed away last Friday (17) in São Paulo after feeling unwell and being taken to a hospital. The former player had a stint with Corinthians in the 1990s and left his mark wearing the black-and-white jersey.

Photo: Beto Miller / Corinthians

In an interview with ESPN, Jece Leite highlighted the importance of the former athlete to the sport in the country and recalled the impact he had on different generations.

“I think he represents Brazil as a whole. He made a lot of people like basketball and follow that path, and without a doubt, he moved everyone. Regardless of which club he played for, but especially with the national team, he performed like no one else and awakened that sense of pride in people,” Jece Leite began to ESPN.

“I was even commenting on it: I started following basketball more because of him, because back then we didn’t have so many American idols close to our reality. He is a national idol and always will be. It’s a sad moment, but the legacy he leaves is enormous, especially in promoting the sport and reaching such a high level,” he concluded.

Known as “Holy Hand,” Oscar Schmidt wore the Corinthians jersey between 1995 and 1997. During his time with the club, he was a central figure in winning the 1996 Brazilian Championship, being named the best player in the final and also the competition’s top scorer.

In the title-winning campaign, the former player delivered standout performances, leading the team in scoring and playing a key role in restoring the club as one of the sport’s main forces at that time.

Corinthians wraps up its participation in the NBB regular season in this round and already knows its opponent for the playoffs. The team will face Unifacisa, from Paraíba, in a best-of-five series, scheduled to begin next Tuesday (21) at 11 a.m.

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This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.