Rio de Janeiro: Brazil's Oscar Schmidt, one of the most prolific scorers in basketball history, died on Friday at the age of 68. Schmidt, who had been hospitalized in the Sao Paulo metropolitan area after feeling ill, built a 30-year professional career across Brazil and Europe and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013.

In a statement, Schmidt's family said he had fought a brain tumor for 15 years "with courage, dignity and resilience ... while remaining a role model of determination, generosity and love of life."

"Oscar leaves a legacy that transcends sport and inspires generations of athletes and admirers in Brazil and worldwide," it said.

Known as one of the finest long-range shooters in the sport, Schmidt played in a record-tying five Olympics and four World Cups. He remains the all-time leading scorer in both tournaments and holds the single-game records for points scored in the Olympics (55 vs Spain in 1988) and World Cup (52 vs Australia in 1990). IANS