Talking about Oscar Schmidt always moves me. He wasn't just a great basketball player; he was someone who directly influenced how I viewed the sport and the importance of dedication from a young age.
I grew up following his career. I saw him play for EC Sírio, then in Italy, Spain, and especially for the Brazilian National Team. But what impressed me most wasn't just his talent; it was his intensity, his discipline, and the way he took basketball seriously.
Naturally, this became a reference point for me. The number 14 jersey stopped being just a number and took on a meaning. I played with the number 14 everywhere I went, clubs, the São Paulo state team… And I had the good fortune to be a Brazilian champion wearing that number, always as a tribute to it.
I have a specific memory that ended up changing the way I trained. I was about 12 years old when I went to play against Sírio. Before the game, I watched the professional team's training session. When it finished, all the players left the court, except for Oscar.
He stayed there. Alone, shooting free throws non-stop. At one point, he put on a blindfold and continued shooting. It was pure repetition, trying to make the movement automatic, relying on nothing but mechanics. And the most impressive thing: he made almost all of them.
That really affected me. That's when I truly understood what dedication was. From then on, I started training on my own, outside of normal hours. I began to seek improvement on my own.
Over time, I also heard many people say that he was too demanding, that he expected too much from others. But today that makes perfect sense. In any competitive environment, there is no progress without demands, discipline, and consistency. This logic doesn't only apply to sports.
In the business world, it's similar. Many people participate, but few truly stand out. Few assume a real leading role. And, just like in basketball, this doesn't come solely from talent; it comes from hard work, preparation, and consistency, day after day.
In my day-to-day work at BMP , this mindset of discipline and repetition is present. Just like in sports, there is no consistency without process; we know that forced throws and mistakes happen, defeats happen, and they are part of the learning process for those who dedicate themselves, who create, who explore new markets.
In a regulated and competitive financial environment, this means attention to detail, responsibility in decision-making, and commitment to high standards. Sometimes, mistakes that shouldn't exist are important for learning, and that's where positive results emerge.
This way of working is also linked to my upbringing. I come from a family that has always been closely involved with basketball, playing, following, and valuing the sport as a school of discipline and character. This directly influenced my leadership style: presence, example, and high standards.
For me, leadership means being present, participating, and demonstrating in practice the level of dedication expected from the team, creating an environment where everyone understands their role and strives for constant improvement. And Oscar has always represented that.
It may be difficult to find another like him. Not only because of his playing ability, but also because of his level of commitment, his love for what he did, and his dedication.
Even without having had the chance to meet my idol in person, he left a very strong mark on my life.
And there's another curious point. After his retirement, he moved to Alphaville. He started playing soccer at the local club. Even outside of basketball, he maintained the same behavior: he was even the leader in drawing lots for pickup games and, according to what they say, always the first to arrive.
I also remember reading on his blog, around 2010, a post in which he said he had scored a goal by dribbling past the goalkeeper. The most curious thing is that this goalkeeper was my audit director.
He would tell me many stories about those matches, and I would always repeat: "Pipo, I need to meet this guy, he's my idol." Unfortunately, that meeting never happened.
But, in a way, it was never really missed that much. Because his impact had already happened. The main lesson learned is to dedicate yourself fully, train constantly, and never give up on what you want to achieve.
* Carlos Benitez is the CEO and founding partner of BMP, a pioneering financial institution offering infrastructure for Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS), and a passionate basketball fan.
