BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – JANUARY 30: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors warms up before the game against the Boston Celtics at TD Garden on January 30, 2020 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Omar Rawlings/Getty Images)
The greatest free throw shooters of all-time all have one thing in common: They have a killer instinct on the basketball court. Some guys are great at shooting free throws and make them look easy and second nature.
Steph Curry, for example, when shooting free throws, makes them look effortless. Guys like Shaquille O'Neal never looked comfortable at the free throw stripe. Part of the reason was his hands were so big the ball never rested comfortably in his fingers. Plus, if you are 7 feet tall, you basically have to shoot downward. As good as he was in the paint, Shaq was a poor 53 percent free throw shooter.
Back to the guys who make free throw shooting look easy. Make no mistake about it, they practice by shooting hundreds of them every day. During a game, free throw shooting comes down to muscle memory, comfort and relaxation.
Having at least one great free throw shooter on a roster is essential for protecting leads late in the game. And the greatest free throw shooters of all-time have a killer instinct on the court. They have to want to be at the line at the end of the game in order to put it away and win.
One of the greatest free throw shooters of all time was Rick Berry. He turns 80 today so we will do greatest free throw shooters of all time trivia on Craig Shemon and Company on ESPN Southwest Florida.
GREATEST FREE THROW SHOOTERS
- What current NBA player actually has the highest FT shooting percentage all-time at 91%? Steph Curry
- Who has the highest FT percentage among retired players? (Hint: He is a two-time MVP and played in the late 90’s until 2014). Steve Nash
- This player made FT’s underhanded at just under 90%? Rick Berry
- This current Bucks player is 4th all-time in FT percentage? Damian Lillard
- This guy is 8th all-time and played Jesus Shuttlesworth in the movie “He Got Game.” Ray Allen
- This Dukie is 9th all-time and is currently an ESPN analyst. JJ Redick
- This great FT shooter is best known for scoring 8 points in 9 seconds to beat the Knicks in Madison Square Garden? Reggie Miller
- This 88 percent FT shooter seems to have found a home with the Dallas Mavericks? Kyrie Irving
- This Celtics legend was a deadly accurate FT shooter mostly in the 1980’s? Larry Bird
- Peja Stojakovic made over 89 percent of his FT’s. Spell: STOJAKOVIC
