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In today's NBA foreign players are taken for granted. We've had two foreign players drafted number 1 (plus Andrew Bogut) and a foreign MVP. Furthermore, after years of American dominance, countries around the world have stood equal and above the USA in the international game. But just 20 years ago, this wasn't the case.
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Oscar Schmidt (or Mão Santa - translates to Holy Hand) played in 5 Olympics ('80, '84, '88, '92, and '96) and averaged a record 28.8 points a game, including an astounding 42.3 in Barcelona.
He is also the first foreign player with no college experience picked in the NBA draft.
A 6'8" Brazilian shooting guard with legit 3-point range, Schmidt's offensive firepower was enough to make him a 6th round draft pick in the 1984 draft. Uninterested in defense, Schmidt justified his Iverson-esque shooting habits by saying, "Some people, they play the piano. And some people, they move the piano." Nonetheless, the prospect of adding such a prolific scorer at such a nominal price was worth the roll of the dice for the New Jersey Nets.
However, years of recruitment fell upon deaf ears as Schmidt would never come to play in
the Association saying, “I know my limitations, my defects, but I could never play 10 minutes a game. [The] NBA is great if you are a star. But if not, you get moved around. My friend (Georgi) Glouchkov played a year in Phoenix. He tells me bad stories about [the] NBA. The guards [did not] like him, they don’t pass him the ball. I would not like that. I could not stand that.”
Video: Petrovic vs. Schmidt - Oscar's 44 can't match Petrovic's 62 in the European Cup
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It is assumed that it's every player's dream to play in the NBA and when they get that chance, it is expected that they will take it. When a Kirilenko or a Pavlovic postulates about playing overseas, cries of fiscal frivolity and insult echo throughout sports media. However, the story of Oscar Schmidt proves that it isn't unusual or new for a player to want to succeed on their own terms.
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Oscar Schmidt (or Mão Santa - translates to Holy Hand) played in 5 Olympics ('80, '84, '88, '92, and '96) and averaged a record 28.8 points a game, including an astounding 42.3 in Barcelona.
He is also the first foreign player with no college experience picked in the NBA draft.
A 6'8" Brazilian shooting guard with legit 3-point range, Schmidt's offensive firepower was enough to make him a 6th round draft pick in the 1984 draft. Uninterested in defense, Schmidt justified his Iverson-esque shooting habits by saying, "Some people, they play the piano. And some people, they move the piano." Nonetheless, the prospect of adding such a prolific scorer at such a nominal price was worth the roll of the dice for the New Jersey Nets.
However, years of recruitment fell upon deaf ears as Schmidt would never come to play in
the Association saying, “I know my limitations, my defects, but I could never play 10 minutes a game. [The] NBA is great if you are a star. But if not, you get moved around. My friend (Georgi) Glouchkov played a year in Phoenix. He tells me bad stories about [the] NBA. The guards [did not] like him, they don’t pass him the ball. I would not like that. I could not stand that.”
Video: Petrovic vs. Schmidt - Oscar's 44 can't match Petrovic's 62 in the European Cup
---------------------------------
It is assumed that it's every player's dream to play in the NBA and when they get that chance, it is expected that they will take it. When a Kirilenko or a Pavlovic postulates about playing overseas, cries of fiscal frivolity and insult echo throughout sports media. However, the story of Oscar Schmidt proves that it isn't unusual or new for a player to want to succeed on their own terms.
6 comments:
I feel obligated to correct you here. Petur Gudmundsson, from Iceland, was drafted in the the third round (61st overall) in the 1981 draft.
More on Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pétur_Guðmundsson
Just noticed the "no college experience" part :-) Still doesn't change the fact that the post's title is incorrect.
why did you separate bogut from the other "international" number ones? purely because he attended a US college? because his first language is english?
Mostly because I forgot (H)Akeem was number 1 overall until I was driving to work this morning. Silly mistake.
希望大家都會非常非常幸福~
「朵朵小語‧優美的眷戀在這個世界上，最重要的一件事，就是好好愛自己。好好愛自己，你的眼睛才能看見天空的美麗，耳朵才能聽見山水的清音。好好愛自己，你才能體會所有美好的東西，所有的文字與音符才能像清泉一樣注入你的心靈。好好愛自己，你才有愛人的能力，也才有讓別人愛上你的魅力。而愛自己的第一步，就是切斷讓自己覺得黏膩的過去，以無沾無滯的輕快心情，大步走向前去。愛自己的第二步，則是隨時保持孩子般的好奇，願意接受未知的指引；也隨時可以拋卻不再需要的行囊，一路雲淡風輕。親愛的，你是天地之間獨一無二的旅人，在陽光與月光的交替之中瀟灑獨行.......................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................
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