Steve Kerr on Oscar Schmidt in wake of Brazilian great's death: 'A beautiful player'

PHOENIX — Brazilian basketball legend Oscar Schmidt passed away Friday at the age of 68, and the news hit one particular NBA coach very hard: Steve Kerr.The Golden State Warriors head coach has repeatedly praised Schmidt through the years for his talent and compassion, and that was the case again before Friday’s Play-In game between the Warriors and Phoenix Suns. Kerr ended his pregame news conference by acknowledging Schmidt’s passing, after being reminded of it while answering a question about another Brazilian player: young Warriors forward Gui Santos.“I want to give my condolences to Oscar Schmidt’s family,” Kerr said. “… He was one of the greatest shooters I’ve ever seen in my life. Just no conscience, a little bit of the Steph Curry mentality. Never, ever thought twice about letting it fly. Just a beautiful player with an incredible mentality.”Kerr mentioned a memory about Schmidt that has stuck with him for 40 years. It was when Kerr, as a member of Team USA, tore an ACL in the semifinals of the FIBA world championships in Madrid in 1986. Schmidt, the star of the Brazilian team playing against the Americans, helped pick Kerr up and carried him off the floor.“He literally picked me up, carried me off the floor,” Kerr said. “It was an incredible gesture on his part, and over the next few years, he really exploded. Didn’t he have like 48 against Team USA a few years later?”Advertisement