What Is The Worst Free Throw Percentage In Nba History?
In basketball, free throws are worth one point each. But making them is not as easy as it looks. In fact, some players have struggled so much with free throws that their percentage is shockingly low.
So, what is the worst free throw percentage in NBA history? We did some research and found out. Read on to find out who holds this dubious distinction.
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain holds the record for the worst free throw percentage in NBA history, shooting just 51.1 percent from the charity stripe during his career.
Chamberlain’s free throw percentage
Wilt Chamberlain holds the record for the worst free throw percentage in NBA history. He shot just 51.1 percent from the foul line during his career.
Chamberlain’s shooting percentage
Wilt Chamberlain holds the record for the worst free throw shooting percentage in NBA history. He shot just 51.1 percent from the foul line for his career, which is a far cry from the league average of about 75 percent.
Interestingly, Chamberlain’s free throw percentage actually improved as his career went on. He shot just 45.8 percent from the foul line in his first 10 seasons, but he improved to 57.9 percent in his last 10 seasons.
It’s worth noting that Chamberlain was an excellent shooter from other parts of the court. He finished his career with a field goal percentage of 54.0 percent, which is well above the league average.
Shaquille O’Neal
Shaquille O’Neal, one of the most dominant players in NBA history, also happens to have one of the worst free throw percentages in NBA history. O’Neal was a career 52.7 percent free throw shooter, which is well below the league average. In fact, over the course of his career, Shaq missed nearly as many free throws as he made.
O’Neal’s free throw percentage
Shaquille O’Neal is widely considered one of the greatest players in NBA history. He is also one of the worst free throw shooters of all time, with a career percentage of just under 56%.
O’Neal’s shooting percentage
Shaquille O’Neal is widely considered one of the best players in NBA history. He is also one of the most dominant big men to ever play the game. However, there is one area of his game that he is often criticized for, and that is his free throw shooting. O’Neal’s career free throw percentage is just under 50%, which is considered to be very poor for an NBA player. In fact, there have only been two players in NBA history who have had a worse free throw percentage than O’Neal. These players are Ben Wallace and Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf.
Ben Wallace
Ben Wallace, who played center for the Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, and Cleveland Cavaliers, is the owner of the worst free throw shooting percentage in NBA history. In his career, he only made 41.4 percent of his free throws.
Wallace’s free throw percentage
In the 2006-2007 season, Ben Wallace had the worst free throw percentage in NBA history, shooting just 16.1 percent from the line. To put that in perspective, the league average that season was about 75 percent. In other words, if Wallace had simply not attempted any free throws, his team would have been better off.
In total, Wallace attempted 43 free throws that season and made just seven of them. He was so bad at shooting free throws that teams began intentionally fouling him late in games in order to get the ball back. The strategy is known as “Hack-a-Shaq” after Shaquille O’Neal, another notoriously bad free throw shooter.
Interestingly, Wallace’s free throw percentage improved dramatically the following season, shooting 60 percent from the line. He never returned to his historically bad ways and ended his career with a career average of 52.9 percent from the stripe.
Wallace’s shooting percentage
In basketball, free throws are shots that are taken from the free throw line, which is a line located at the end of the key. Free throws are worth one point each, and they are typically taken after a player is fouled while shooting a two-point shot or when a technical foul has been committed.
Ben Wallace is a retired professional basketball player who played for several teams in his career, including the Detroit Pistons, Chicago Bulls, and Cleveland Cavaliers. He was known for his defensive abilities, but his offensive skills were somewhat lacking. In fact, he holds the record for the worst free throw shooting percentage in NBA history, having made just 49 percent of his free throws over his career.
Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard is an American professional basketball player for the Houston Rockets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing at 6’11”, Howard is a eight-time NBA All-Star, eight-time All-NBA Team member, five-time All-Defensive Team member, and three-time Defensive Player of the Year.
Howard’s free throw percentage
In the 2014-15 season, Howard set the record for the worst free throw percentage in a single season, shooting just 49.2 percent from the line. He also holds the record for the second-worst free throw percentage in a career, shooting just 58.8 percent from the line over his 14 seasons in the NBA.
Howard’s shooting percentage
While playing for the Lakers, Dwight Howard had the worst free throw shooting percentage in NBA history, at just 49.2%.
DeAndre Jordan
When DeAndre Jordan was shooting free throws last season, it was sometimes hard to watch. He set an NBA record for the worst free throw percentage in a single season, shooting just 41.7 percent from the line. That’s not good. In fact, it’s really bad.
Jordan’s free throw percentage
DeAndre Jordan, who currently plays for the Brooklyn Nets, has the worst free throw percentage in NBA history. In his 12 seasons in the league, he has shot just under 52 percent from the line. That means that for every 10 free throws he takes, he makes just over five of them.
Jordan’s shooting percentage
DeAndre Jordan, who currently plays for the Los Angeles Clippers, has the dubious distinction of having the worst free throw shooting percentage in NBA history. As of the 2018-2019 season, Jordan’s free throw percentage is a dismal 42.7%. This means that for every 100 free throws he attempts, he only makes 42 of them.
To put this into perspective, the league average for free throw shooting is about 75%. This means that Jordan misses almost twice as many free throws as the average player. In fact, there have been entire seasons where Jordan has missed more free throws than some players have attempted!
Despite his poor shooting percentage, Jordan is still considered to be one of the best centers in the NBA. He is a two-time All-Star and was named to the All-NBA Second Team in 2016. He is also a three-time member of the NBA All-Defensive First Team.