Pablo Torre Finds Out - The G.O.A.T You’ve Never Known

Episode Date: March 14, 2024

The story of the NBA cannot be told without Oscar Schmidt, the most prolific scorer in the history of the world. But that hasn't stopped our fellow Americans from trying to do exactly that. So today, with LeBron James on pace to break Oscar's record of 49,737 career points, Pablo travels to glorious Orlando, Florida and sits down with the legend who refused to play in the league, despite getting drafted. And we find out why Oscar's impact on basketball — like his laugh — still echoes through the game today.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Pablo Torre finds out. I am Pablo Torre, and today we're going to find out what this sound is. Oscar Schmidt. It's Rex Chapman. First, fuck you. Right after this ad. You're listening to Draft King's Network. Cool. Here we go. Just take one. Cool. We're good. We're rolling. Before we get started, I just want to say, Oscar, you have one of the greatest laughs I've ever. heard. People always say this. You do. You really do. So I want to confess something in the spirit

of goodwill and friendship because you've invited me into your home. I'm sitting with you on your couch. And I want to confess that I didn't really know your story until this past week when I started reporting the story and I decided that I need to sit on this man's couch and talk to him in I think it's really important for people to understand your story. So sorry and thank you for having me. I want people to know your legend. Yeah. Because you have these amazing, some of the best nicknames.

Yes. So in Italy, your nickname was what? It's a holy hand. The holy hand. Holy hand. Holy hand. Is a f*** awesome. Excuse me.

An amazing, an amazing nickname. You've got to cut this, right? Yeah, yeah. Don't want to. Don't want to commit heresy while talking about the holy hand. But explain the holy hand as a nickname. That's something that... Which hand is it? Which hand is it?

Right. Yeah. I don't use anything here. Here I have a full of things. Yeah, you happen to have your giant Hall of Fame ring. That's a Hall of Fame ring. On your middle finger on your left hand. The unholy hand.

Hold it. This is tough. Yeah, this is... Holding Oscar Schmidt's Hall of Fame ring is a bucketless thing for me. now that I've learned exactly why you are deserving of this title. All right, so the reason I have traveled here, the reason I have come to Oscar Schmidt's vacation home in Orlando

is because I wanted to find out the parts of his story that cannot be Googled. Because, yes, you can look up Oscar and you can see that he scored the most points in Olympic history. He scored 29 a game for the Brazilian national team. a record 55 on Spain in 1988. And you can also see that Oscar Schmidt, now 66 years old, has also scored more points than any basketball player ever.

And he played across Brazil, across Italy, across Spain. He has the World Basketball Points Record, which has stood from the day he retired back in 2003. It is the one scoring record that LeBron James has not yet broken. But when I showed up at a record, Oscar's house in Orlando. What he told me immediately was that Americans don't really even do this. They don't show up.

They don't ask him to tell his hide of his own story. And what I realized was that as a journalist who fell in love with the game with basketball because of the 92 Dream Team with Michael and Magic and Larry and Team USA, even Christian later, I was on that exact same track to be like everybody else. I watched you get inducted to the basketball Hall of Fame. Of course. And the man who walks you down the aisle. Was Larry Bird.

Was Larry Fibh Baird? My idol. Welcoming Oscar to the Hall of Fame is Larry Bird. Ladies and gentlemen, Oscar Schmidt. It's too easy to have Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, as an idol. The guy flies around and do whatever he wants. It's too easy. My guy doesn't run, doesn't jump, and play the best of everybody else.

He's here. Larry Bird was my idol, my whole life. Well, it seems like he also respects you. Of course. Because I play almost like him. My coach in Italy said to me one time, you should be Larry Bird. Just be Larry Bird is some good coach. Be Larry Bird is a good coaching advice.

I was watching clips of Kobe Bryant. Yeah. And Kobe Bryant was talking about how you, Oscar, were his favorite player. Kobe Bryant was different. He was my guy. Let me tell you story. He was Bird before I ever had a chance to see what Bird was. I'm going to tell you to Oscar Schmidt, too, now.

Oh, he was bad. Yeah, Oscar Schmidt, yes, yes. We had 47 in the U.S. in the Pan Am Games? His dad plays in Italy. And he grew up playing in Italy. He grew up, watching me beat his dad every year. He said to his father that he likes me. Joe said, no, no, no, Magic Johnson, Lenny Bird, Michael George.

No, no, no, no, no, no. You lose to Oscar every year. I will continue with Oscar. So, which is all to say that you're kind of partially responsible for Kobe Bryant becoming the player that he was. That's incredible. I mean, with the record that is in the news right now, right, is that you are the leading score in world basketball history

of the most total points of any human being who has ever walked the earth. And so you're ahead of currently, LeBron James, Krimbueh, Carl Malone, Michael Jordan. So what is your record? How many total points? 49,000, 737. And I'm very proud of that, because I never play for records. I always play to win games. to win games, to win championship, to be the best. What would Oscar Schmidt's NBA career would be like?

I would be top ten. Sure, that I'll be top ten. Me, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, and all the rest that played in the dream team. You're 100% positive. Of course. So I want to make the case here, though, that you're not just the greatest basketball player that never played in the NBA. I want to explore the possibility

that you're actually the most underappreciated basketball player to ever live. And I live with that, and I live good with that. So the case I'm here to make today is not simply that Oscar Schmidt is really underrated at basketball. But it is funny to me

when I make these calls, as I have been all month, to longtime coaches and longtime analysts like Fran Fraschilla, these guys who have been professionally skilled, scouting internationally, in specific for decades, that they can't really help themselves. So Oscar was ahead of his time. And if Oscar had come in his prime, we would be thinking about Oscar in a way that we think of probably Luca, Dirk, or Yokic, because he was truly a great player.

His strength was scoring the ball. Great shooter could score from anywhere on the floor and a very confident, conky guy. and he would have been his personality, he would have been a great fit for the modern NBA. And with the three-point line nowadays, he really would have been a magical player to watch. You know, Steph Currys of the world don't realize. Probably didn't know until they did their homework

that there were guys like this that could really shoot it just like them. And that is not an exaggeration, by the way. For his career, Oscar averaged almost 45% from three. It would have been second all-time in the NBA if he did it in the NBA, number one was Steve Kerr, a guy who it is worth noting, attempted less than two three-pointers per game.

Oscar, by contrast, attempted eight and a half threes per game, eight and a half, which would have been second, career, only to Steph Curry in the league. But the biggest difference with Oscar by far is that when he was doing all of this shit, in the late 80s, nobody else was. anywhere. I mean, just look it up. In 87, the Dallas Mavericks led the NBA by attempting eight threes per game as a team. Oscar shot more than that by himself.

That was my objective. Shoot more than anybody. Did people try to convince you not to do that? Yes, all my coaches. Shoot sometimes, Oscar, not many. But when I do 10 from 11, Eight from eight. Oh, you did good, eh. Yeah. When you score 49,000 points, it's like, okay, maybe this guy was on to something. But who gave you the idea at six foot knot?

Because it's also that you're taller than everybody. It's obvious. If you have a line that's a say from here to there, it's three points. Why are you going to shoot two? Arrivedo. Your coach. Our coach.

He gave me chocolates when I get rebound, because I was more too offense. And then he must defend something. And then he gave me this present, this chocolate. And one day I went to the hospital because during the practice, I was with a bag with 55 of these chocolates. And I ate it from one day to the other,

all the 55. And I started to piss brown. You're saying, Oscar, your approach to eating chocolates was your approach to shooting threes. Of course. As many as you can get, you wanted to take those. Yes. Because I didn't like a lot of defense, but I knew that I must guard somebody.

And that's the reason that he gave me these chocolates. Get some rebound, Oscar. Come on. With all of this understood, I want to get to the enormous decision that ensured why I growing up and why lots of Americans in my generation and younger and older too, why we don't know your story, which is you chose not to play in the NBA. For the next three hours, the USA cable network wishes you to join us for the 1984 NBA draft. I want to ask you about the fact that you get drafted. Yes. By the Nets.

This is 40 years ago now, 1984. That's Michael Jordan. That's Akima Lajuan, Charles Barkley. Those are the guys who get drafted in the top five picks. Of course. And so sixth round, you get taken 131st overall. And so you're feeling your first reaction to being the 131st pick was what? Come on, man.

If you want me, get me the first round. I could say to him a lot of bad words. bad words, but I keep it up and I go there. So you go to the Nets? I go to the Nets. I go to the Kemp of Nets. You go to America? And I asked him, who is the first choice?

Ah, Jeff Turner. Jeff Turner played in Italy, and I kick his butt every year. And then I go there and said to the coach, coach, here's one point a minute, eh? If you give me 20 minutes, I give you 20 points. We play five games against the hokeys of the other teams. They gave me 25 minutes. I gave him 25 points. They become crazy about me.

You played five of training camp games. Yes. And you just shot a million three. Where is Jeff Turner? Oh, he cannot come. He was first choice. First choice? He should be here.

Showing us that he was the first choice. And I said no to the contract. Well, I want to explain how we get to that point, there's this rule. And it's a Feeber rule. Fibre rule. And it says NBA players specifically are not allowed to play in the Olympics,

represent their country on the national team. It was an NBA-specific rule. If you play just one game in NBA at that time, you could not play never more with your national team. Right. And for me, national team was first one. Second, the teams. But national team,

you represent a country. So for me, was the best thing. How would you describe at the time how the NBA viewed international players? They don't view international. Did it feel like disrespect? Of course. And so for you, the decision not to sign with the Nets,

which was a decision to not go to the NBA, how difficult was that decision in the end? Easy. They offer me the contract, I don't want it. I just want to know if I am capable. And today I know that I'm capable to play in NBA. So you just went to training camp to prove that if you did decide to do it, you could do it.

Why sixth round? Come on, man, I don't know how to play basketball. And so you go back to Italy, right? You're playing in Italy, you're scoring a million points in Italy. And the next year in 1985, you encounter one of the guys that you would have played against in the NBA had you decided to go. and it's an exhibition game. And I wanted to know about the game you played against Michael Jordan. Oh, yes. And I have a video, because I want you to just re-watch this video that I have.

What happens is Michael Jordan goes up, he dunks, and the entire backboard shatters. And the glass is covering your teammates? Two teammates. And where are you on the court? I was not close to there. So you didn't get hit by the glass. I didn't get hit. But I saw the head.

hand of Tatu Lopez, I saw the tendon going back and forward. Oh my God. And Pietro Genelari has a cut here like this. On his side, on his right side. So he took two players of our team. Right. I said to him, you're not from the earth. And he responded, you too.

And this phrase that he gave it to me, I bring with me my whole life. If the best player, as you all guys say that Michael John is the best player, said that to me, come on. Right. He knew me. So the biggest, though, the biggest most shattering game that you played in against future NBA stars now. This was two years after that game in Italy. It's 1987. It's in the United States.

It's Indianapolis, Indiana. It's the Pan Am Games. And so I want to explain for people, Oscar, the Pan Am games were a huge deal. From the dawn of civilization in the Americas, the spirit of human achievement has inspired feats of monumental proportions. Like the ancient temples they built, the Incas, Aztecs, and Mayas embodied strength, discipline, and vision. And out of the ruins of this story past lives a spirit that continues today in the Pan American

Games. It's basically the Continental Olympics. It's North and South America, Central America, the Caribbean. There's a parade. The whole thing is broadcast on CBS. It's enormous. Indianapolis, the capital of Indiana and center stage for the 10th Pan American Games. And this game, the gold medal game, was held at an actual NBA arena.

Of course. It was Market Square Arena. It's where the Pacers played. It's sold out. Yeah. They had won 34 straight games. Oscar, they never lost in the United States. They had never lost in the United States, ever.

ever. And so what is your expectation, if you're being honest, entering this game as you're with the Brazilian national. My expectation was lose by 50. So this team has David Robinson, Danny Manning, Rex Chapman, Purvis Ellis, and all these NBA guys, the biggest stars in college, right? And do you think they took you seriously? They didn't talk us serious. Nobody in America seemed to take them seriously. I mean, the head coach of Team USA, Denny Krum, didn't even remember the leading score of Brazil's name, which happened to rhyme with Bosker Mitt. And at the opening ceremonies, the CBS broadcast couldn't even name a single opponent, a single country they were worried about.

In your mind, is there any team that compose a threat to the U.S.? I've only seen a couple of practice, but in all reality, Vern, this is a very, very strong team. As a matter of fact, I think the contingency that we have here is as strong as the club we had that won the Pan Am gold the last time and the Olympic Games in L.A. It's a very strong team. But Oscar and Brazil made the gold medal game. And immediately proved pretty much everybody right by going down by almost 30. Around this point, the entire American press corps, it turns out, made a pretty memorable decision, which Mike Wilbon, who was there with The Washington Post, confessed to me.

The writers, the sports writers covering the game for the biggest newspapers and smallest ones across the United States of America said that's it. We've been here 23 days or whatever it is. We're packing up. And people packed up and they left press row. They left. And we went back in the back of the Market Square press room. And we talked about the games, about what had happened, about track and field and boxing and basketball.

And then somebody rushed into the press room and said, hey, It's down to nine. The game has tightened up considerably. This is the gold medal game in men's basketball. Dick Stockton and Billy Packer. At one time, the USA had a 20-point lead. But Brazil cut it to four moments ago before Willie Anderson stretched it to six. A 13-4 run by Brazil has tightened this game up,

led by the great Oscar Schmidt and a physical affair at that, Billy. So I want to understand what changed in this game, because you guys are down 26, and then suddenly the comeback starts. One day I was talking with Senna, the great F1 Brazilian legend. And he told me, I talk to God, Oscar. I talk to God too. Talk to God is something that's almost perfect. One club just is completely an emotional high.

Smith with three more, Billy, and it's something extreme. You are in a way that you see the game in slow motion, but you are not in slow motion. Not only with his shooting, but the emotion, he's going to drain himself here just with his celebrations after the shots. It's unbelievable. And I had this sensation like almost 30 times. Oscar has no conscience. I've ever seen it loves to score more than he does. All the shots I did.

I remember everyone. You had at least six in the second half, six threes in the second half. Six. But there are some, I was watching the video. I thought it was seven. I think it was, maybe it was all seven in the second half. Marcel Sosa Schmidt hits a three. That's seven three-point shots.

I'm going to do my counting. But I was watching the video and you're pulling up. And no one's there to rebound it. You're being guarded. Of course, because I score like that. All my coach is saying like this, did you see it? No rebound?

Yeah, I saw. No one was down there. No one there. To pick up the rebound. Even without anybody at rebound. When you're in the second half of the 87 gold medal game, do you remember any particular moment a favorite shot that you had that you took in the second half? There was one that I miss Israel, get the rebound.

That was his moment. and call me, Oscar, come on again. And I score. There is this shot in the videotape. When you watch the video, what becomes clear is that few people in the history of basketball have ever had a more green light to shoot. Oh, no. Do you remember one of the things you said after or before making a shot?

No, I just scream. When you watch the tape, it is remarkable. You hit a shot and you scream running the other way. Of course. They must know who they are playing against. I was that guy that don't come to New Jersey Nets because of national team. And I was playing with my national team. Will Bonn also told me that you guys were, you were like slapping yourself in the face?

Oscar Schmidt keeps hitting shots. He's hitting shots, and he's slapping his own face on the way back down the court backpedaling. I'm awake, I'm awake. Come on. Give him the ball. You're like, all right, I need to. I'm Oscar Schmidt. You're reminding yourself. He said he had never seen that before in his life.

Nobody asked me that. Nobody. Even in Brazil, that people that saw the game, everybody saw that game. You're telling me it took you again, 1987, 2004, took you almost 40 years for someone to ask you, why were you slapping yourself in the face during the most pivotal game of perhaps international basketball history? I thought I was sleepy. Come on, man. I'm away.

The scene of when the buzzer sounds and the final score, again, you've finished with 46 points, you scored 35 in the second half. It's one of the greatest comebacks, the most shocking things that's happened in the international. National Basketball History. Brazil beats Team USA 120 to 115. And I want to just play that final scene from the game for you. Because I want you to tell me what you were feeling. So Marcel, I dry in the floor, crying.

Because for me, was not possible what happened here. Right. You fall on the floor. You're crying. Crying. Because when you win something that you're not supposed to win, most of the times you cry if you are emotional. I was very emotional.

And all our players are crying. Oh, your guys are all falling to the floor. You're on your back. You're yelling. What are you yelling? You're saying something. Yeah, we won. We won that game in Portuguese.

Which is what? Which it was, Gaiamos America. So what did you prove? And then... And they knocked the door of our locker room and said to us, we don't have your anthem. After the game, the Brazilian national anthem.

Then we go from here to the airport. No, no, please don't do that. I would try to have your anthem. They take like 40 minutes to have the anthem ready. And then we go was just the beginning of the anthem. and we start to sing without the anthem. That's much more emotional. What do you think you proved that day?

What did Brazil prove that? Brazil proved that basketball is universal, not just in America. That's the proof that we made in that game. This is what Mike Wilbon wrote for The Washington Post. He said this, quote, The Americans sat on the bench, stunned, their faces looking like they'd seen the end of the war.

world. I have a picture of that. And I... You're with my laptop, and I'll show you this picture. Yeah. Yeah. It looks like they died and there was more 10 minutes to play.

Right. I do like how you just have this photo that you can look at. Yeah, that looks like people who have seen the end of the world. That is there. Look a carina. We're going to per die mesme.

Look at the faces. They're going to lose. I did want to show you something, a video that I brought that you have not seen before. Yeah. Because somebody that I know is one of the guys on that team, on Team USA that you beat. And this is a message for you from Rex Chapman.

Wow. Okay? You can play. Just hit... There you go. Oscar Schmidt. It's Rex Chapman. First.

you and I love you. It's been a long time, man. We were in command of that ballgame, if you remember at halftime. And Oscar Schmidt came out of halftime and put the Brazilian team on your back. You got so hot, you could kick them in, and there was nothing that we could do. We lose the game.

I've never been in a locker room, more disappointed, sad, crying. You did a lot of that, Oscar. I love you, buddy. Be proud. What a life. What a career. See you.

Beautiful. He didn't say, fuck you at the start. But I love the fuck you. Because it would somebody say to somebody who beat you? Fuck you. Nice, man. Nice.

Real nice. In many ways, ways that I in no way appreciated growing up as a kid in the 90s, the most important part of Oscar's story is what happened next. Because after the U.S. lost to Oscar and Brazil, this soccer country in America, this unprecedented humiliation on home soil, Team USA, then lost to our Vita Sabonis and the Soviet Union the next year in Korea in the 88 Olympics.

And all of this led to a legislative change. In 1989, that changed everything forever. Because at long last, Feeba decided to lift its ban on NBA players from international competitions. It was the same band that had made Oscar Schmidt stay abroad in the first place. It was a rule that a panicked America

now demanded. The dream team, the finest collection of basketball players ever assembled, superstars, and superheroes playing together on one team. For one reason and one reason only, payback.

We talk about when we reunite the national team. We talk about the dream team. What do you say? It's our foul. If we didn't won that game, there is no dream team. Right.

Yeah. Simple like this. And I know this. You can see, whatever you want, my life, I know this. I know that's something unbelievable. The dream team is playing because our team. Brazilian basketball team This is the embarrassing part for me, Oscar.

So I grew up, I was six years old when it was the 92 Olympics in Barcelona and I fell in love with the NBA because of the dream team. What I did not realize until reporting your story is how personally responsible you were for the formation of the dream team. Yes, of course.

Because you beat Team U.S. that leads to the rule being lifted, which leads to Larry Bird, to the Barcelona Olympics. I mean, it gets to the basketball that became the global game. Of course. And so all around the world, because of the dream team, a young Pau Gasol... Who is responsible for the dream team? Yes. So, a young Pau Gasol, a young Dirk Novitsky, a young Tony Parker, a young Mukudanjic,

Nicolioch, Jolie, Janice Ante Dekumpo. You're the first domino that results in the dream team exporting basketball, which leads to all of the great international players who did the thing that you did not do, which is they went to the NBA. And so the guy who never set foot in the NBA became responsible for all of the international players who would. And that's a fucking incredible thing. They make the dream team for what? To get revenge on you.

On me. On Thabonis. Yes. On all the big players that the world had. The international guys. Yes. How dare they come and beat the Americans at their own game? The fact that you're the reason is one of the great, just like revelations for me as a fan.

Did you ever consider when they lifted the rule, when Feeble lifted the rule that said you could play in the NBA and play in the national team? Yes. You ever consider going to the NBA at that? Yeah, but I was a little old. I don't play like I did play because I was tough. I was very tough. And I played better than many players in America. So I could play in NBA for sure because I had this instinct, the killer instinct,

that when you shoot the ball, you know that the ball goes in. And few players have this instinct. And I had it. I used it in Italy. I used it in Spain. And I was very happy. MBA wouldn't change my game. Wouldn't change my personality.

Nothing. So, and I, when I was invited, I think about calm. But I did not play like I played years before. So when the 92 Olympics happened, and it's Barcelona. Yes. And it's Magic and Michael and Larry and Charles and all those guys. Everyone was there. They get the revenge on you.

They do. I know. But it was not the revenge. Because all the best basketball players in the world are playing with us. We don't have that team that could beat the dream team. We have a good team that could beat that college team. But not the dream team from NBA. Michael Jordan.

Everyone was there. No, I mean, this is why I fell in love with the game. It was because I was watching these guys blow. I mean, look, Brazil, you guys lost this, 127 to 83. You had 24 points in 30 minutes. I was growing up in the United States, son of immigrants from the Philippines,

who didn't really know sports. I play in Philippines. Really? They have a good basketball. We love basketball. My God. The tournament that Philippines does are incredible. Yeah, yeah.

The fans are everybody. I love basketball of Philippines. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But I say all of that to just say that the game got exported in the process of them destroying everybody in the Olympics, including you. We didn't think about this at the moment, but after going the days, the months, the years, we think about it. And so here's the other domino in this procession. The only reason you were able to play in the Pan Am games in 19. was because you didn't go to the Nets and you didn't go to the NBA 40 years ago.

That's what I think at the time. You saw this all coming? You said to yourself, if I Oscar Schmidt go to the Nets as a sixth round pick, the dream team in 1992 will never be formed basketball will never be the same again. I was not that profound. But when we won that game, you said, I'm so glad that I was able to do this. Unbelievable.

Because I never went over there. There was an unbelievable thing that happens in basketball. Your decision in 84 to not go to the NBA is the first domino that sets into motion everything we've been talking about. You discover everything. I try to find out some stuff. You can say you're a good reporter. Oscar Schmidt. Put that on the movie poster.

Put it on the podcast poster. Pablo Torre finds out. I want to ask you about just the present tense now. Because you watch basketball, you alluded to this. But when you were playing basketball, again, nobody was playing like you in the NBA. And so when you watch the NBA today in 2024, Oscar, what do you see? I look for Luca Don'tich. I look for Yokic.

I look for all the foreign players, much more than American players. Because they are better than American players. They are much better. If you look, Yokic, Jogan, playing, this guy is going to win the third time, the best player. Another guy who can't really jump, but can shoot and pass. No, jump, but can shoot, can do anything he wants. He's a guy that, I don't know,

because he already did a few games that he didn't make triple double. But was the guy to make triple double on median. Yes, yes, averaging a triple double. Isn't he's unbelievable? One day I saw him was shooting, boom, past the ball behind him. That's not super relevant to an NBA game.

Oh, how about Yolkitz with an incredible past? Yeah, I saw that one. I saw that play. But even, but what's crazy is that even the Americans play like you. That's the thing. If you don't shoot from trees,

you don't win anymore. So I'm watching Steph Curry. I'm watching Damien Lillard. Everybody plays like Oscar Schmidt now. But he's playing his friend. Thompson. Oh, Clay Thompson. Oh, he's unbelievable.

He's the guy that I admire more. Really? Clay, you like Clay the most. Oh, of course. He's shot, it's always the same. If he shoot from two, it's the same if he shoots from three. Same shot. You know what, now that you mention it, it reminds me of watching you.

Ah, of course. The mechanics are always consistent. He fake the guy, whoo, boom. Yeah. Next shot would be. Right. And even the shot being overhead. Yes, that's why I like him very much. Do you feel like the players in the NBA know your story?

Many knows, many don't know. And I feel this in the air. What does it feel like to you? I feel like you don't know me. Okay, no problem. Go with your team. I don't get upset about this, but I see. Yeah, well, I think there's...

a key thing, which even this story, right, I'm trying to tell it to people. And I think that the first impression that they have is, but this guy never played in the NBA. Never played. I never played in the NBA because I didn't want it. And so describe just that part of this story, the idea that your entire life you've had to sort of remind people that even though you never played in the NBA, you still have a story worth hearing. I will say what camera. Here. Okay, let's pick that one, right in the middle.

Okay. I never play in the NBA because I didn't want to play in NBA because New Jersey Nets draft me at six rounds. Choice 131. That's why I never play in NBA because I get offended with that. Fuck you. Fuck you too. The reason you're back in the news lately, though, is because you have this record, the all-time points record, which again is 49,000 and how many?

737. 737. So LeBron James is about to pass you. It's just a matter of time. He's on pace to do it. He may be doing it as we're talking right now. I don't know. Are you watching LeBron play these games?

I love the way he plays because he's a good basketball player. He shoot from three. Every dunk he does looks like you're seeing a concourse of dunking team. So he makes assists. He is a perfect player. Do you care about your record being broken? No, because as you doing this, every journalist that I talk, people ask me, Do you care about LeBron James?

No. Records are made it to be broken. So broke as fast as he wants. You're different players, but you also have had similar goals, it seems like, because not just being the all-time leading score or in the history of basketball on planet Earth. But you guys have also, I mean, you were tired at what age? 45.

I was persistent. I've noticed. I've noticed this about you, Oscar, on this. your persistence is a definite quality you have. Yeah, yeah. Do you have any advice for LeBron James as he tries to be... Keep playing the way you're playing, you broke my record soon. You listen, LeBron.

Go like this, you'll be the first one in the world. 2017, you're playing the Celebrity All-Star game in New Orleans. I have never seen this before until I saw it. An actual Hall of Famer... Yes. Playing next to like Ansel Elgort. Come on. Did you know any of your teammates?

I didn't know anybody, but I could play the whole game because I practice one month every day to go to that game. And so what is your review of your performance in the 2017 Celebrity All-Star game? My performance, if I play the whole game, I would be the best of the game because I score. And the basketball game, first thing, you must score. Basketball is not made it for good defense. is made it for a good offensive place. And so you took two shots.

Two shots, come on. How will we be the best of the game with two shots? You were two for two. Iska, Oscar, it's right. If I shot 10, it will be 10 for 10. So now you're 66. 66. Is that right?

Yes. Do you still play? No. No, because I get fat a little bit, so I won't do the same thing that I think. You look great, Oscar. You look great. No, but I don't play like I played before. You don't even shoot anymore?

No, nothing. I play soccer. I don't know if you play. If you want to play in my team, I don't know. I must see you playing before. You're scouting now. Yes. Here's, okay, here's my scouting report.

I don't play defense. Don't play defense in soccer? Yeah. Okay. You're forgiven because I don't play defense too. But if the guy crossed the ball, boom, my head is like my third leg. Something that I noticed, I was looking through,

you have a YouTube channel also. And I want to point this out. You spend time in America, we're here in Orlando. You spend some time here. And talking to you and watching some of the videos you've been making in your free time, You seem incredibly American now. Yes.

You sometimes are wearing NFL jerseys. You're giving, like, opinions, takes about the NFL. Well, it's an opinion. I watch NFL a lot. Wow. Wow. Those Ravens were champions in NFL. Cabarone to win a Super Bowl.

Oh, my God. My God, God. What jrude. Faulted to Louis. Do you feel like an American now? Yes, much more than most Americans. Because first thing here in Orlando has Disney, and a fan of Disney.

Something that I realized, something I found out today is that you love Disney. I love Disney. And the best thing, you go to Epcot Center, sit on a bench and watch the people growing there, going. The best sneakers that I see in the world is... People don't play by have the best sneaker. This is the most American shit ever, by the way.

You wear an NFL jersey and you give takes into your computer camera. You go to Disney World and you sit at Epcot Center and you judge all of the people wandering around. It's a small world. I'm a good judgeer. One last question is, what is your greatest joy from your career? My greatest joy was beat the Americas at the Pan Am Games.

That opened the doors for the... the pros playing every time. And I was a pro. And I could not play for NBA. I could not play with my national team. Come on, man. If that rule did not exist, what would Oscar Schmidt's NBA career if I'm like?

I would be top 10. Sure, that I'll be top 10. Me, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan, and all the rest that played in the dream team. If that guy, big guy, what's the name of that big guy? You'll have to be a little more specific, Oscar. That he's going to the dream team. No, no, no, no.

Leitner? Leitner. If he plays in the dream team, I could play in the dream team too. Come on, he goes there to pass the ball. Shoot something, come on, man. Sching on Christian Leitner is another deeply American activity. Yes, of course. Oscar Schmidt, the reason, it turns out that I fell in love with basketball.

Yeah. Thank you for your time. Thank you for this couch. Oh, the reason. Oh, my man. Thank you so much, man. This has been Pablo Torre finds out a Metal Arc Media production. And I'll talk to you next time.