5 underrated Olympics Basketball legends you don't know, feat. Oscar Schmidt
The Olympic Games have showcased legends across all sports for centuries. From Europeans to American legends, the Olympics has provided a stage for unheralded stars to showcase their talents on the court against some of the best players in the world.
While Team USA usually dominates the men’s basketball tournament, other countries have shown that they can compete against NBA superstars at the Olympics.
Here is a list of five underrated basketball legends you may not know.
5 underrated Olympic basketball legends you don't know
Oscar Schmidt
For longtime basketball nerds, Oscar Schmidt needs no introduction. Schmidt is a five-time Olympian for Brazil and the all-time leading scorer in Olympic history with 1,093 points.
However, he never lifted his national team beyond the quarterfinal round, playing from 1980 to 1996 in the quadrennial event.
He played 38 Olympic basketball games, averaging 28.8 points per game. Schmidt is known for his relentless scoring and didn't hesitate to shoot.
Schmidt was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013, honoring him for his Olympic career and dedication to the Brazil squad.
Luis Scola
NBA fans may know Luis Scola as a journeyman for many years. However, Scola is a different beast when playing with his home country Argentina.
Scola won a gold medal in the 2004 Olympic Games and a bronze medal in the 2008 Games. Scola is the fourth-best scorer in Olympic history, finishing his career with 591 points.
Scola has played in five Olympics, with his final one being the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, when he was 41 years old.
The Argentinian forward played for five teams in the NBA, but he is mostly remembered for his time with the Houston Rockets and the Indiana Pacers.
Andrew Gaze
Andrew Gaze was known to be one of the finest Australian players ever. He has played in five Olympics but has lost three times in the bronze-medal rounds, and Australia remains without an Olympic medal in basketball.
Gaze has recorded 789 points to become the second-leading Olympic scorer in history, playing for Australia from 1984 to 2000.
Gaze was also part of the 1999 San Antonio Spurs that won the NBA title during the lockout year.
Teofilo Cruz
Teofilo Cruz was one of the long-forgotten centers in international basketball. Cruz, playing for Puerto Rico, was the first basketball player to play in five different Olympic Games in his career, from 1960 to 1976.
Cruz was known to be a superb rim protector and a solid scorer. He was named into the FIBA’s 50 greatest players of all time.
Juan Carlos Navarro
Juan Carlos Navarro is one of Spain’s greatest-ever basketball players. He has represented Spain in five Olympics, winning two silver medals and one bronze.
Navarro was often matched up against Team USA’s Kobe Bryant and other top shooting guards. Elite at every aspect of the game, Navarro was a key cog of Spain’s greatest Olympic teams.