Oscar Schmidt: 'I would be top 10' had I played in the NBA
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One of the greatest "what ifs" in basketball concerns the case of Oscar Schmidt.
The Brazilian baller is the all-time leader in professional points scored with over 49,000 to his name, but he never played in the NBA. How would he have fared against the best in the world?
Schmidt gave his answer to Michael Lee of The Vertical.
"I would be top 10. Ever," Schmidt said. "For sure. One guy can’t defend me. You need two. At least."
Schmidt would have made the move to America in the 1980s after being drafted by the New Jersey Nets, but the NBA had a rule a the time that banned its players from international competition. Fiercely loyal to his country, Schmidt spurned the NBA and played abroad until the age of 45.
He not only racked up 49,737 career points along the way, but also became the most prolific scorer in Olympics history with 1,094 points.
For comparison, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA career leader in points with 38,387, and Carmelo Anthony is the United States' leading scorer in Olympic men's basketball at 293 (and counting.)
Schmidt's best performance at the Olympics came in 1988, when he averaged 41.9 points-per-game. He represented Brazil five times before finally calling it quits in 2003. His teams never medalled.
The 6-foot-9 Brazilian would best be categorized as a fearless gunslinger. He bombed away from deep with reckless abandon, although he was equally as effective operating in the paint.
In 2013, Schmidt was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.