Who Has The Worst Free Throw Percentage In NBA History?
We all know that free throws are an important part of the game of basketball. But who has the worst free throw percentage in NBA history?
Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain is often considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He was a dominant force on the court, but there was one area of his game that was not so great: free throws. Chamberlain had a free throw percentage of 51.1%, which is the worst in NBA history.
Chamberlain’s free throw percentage
Wilton Norman “Wilt” Chamberlain (August 21, 1936 – October 12, 1999) was an American basketball player who played center for the Philadelphia/San Francisco Warriors, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Chamberlain holds numerous NBA records in scoring, rebounding and durability categories. He is the only player to score 100 points in a single NBA game or average more than 40 and 50 points in a season. He won seven scoring, eleven rebounding, nine field goal percentage titles and led the league in assists once. Chamberlain is the only player in NBA history to average at least 30 points and 20 rebounds per game in a season, which he accomplished seven times. He is also believed to have been the first player to record four consecutive games of 40 or more points and 20 or more rebounds. Although he suffered a long series of injuries late in his career, as a whole it was characterized by durability. He played 3,028 games over 20 seasons; an average of 41 minutes per game; 30 of those years were spent as a starter.
Chamberlain holds the NBA regular season record for most points scored with 31,419. He also holds records for most Field Goals Made (12,681)and Highest Field Goal Percentage (.727). His 38,387 career rebounds are second all-time for both the regular season(to Bill Russell)and overall(to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). Chamberlain is one of two players to ever averaged over 27 rebounds per game for an entire season(the other being Oscar Robertson).[7] The other major achievement of his was becoming one of only five players[8]to have achieved a 50–40–90 season.[9]
Although Chamberlain played a then-record 3 seasons without being on an All-NBA first team,[10] he is considered one of the greatest and most influential players in NBA history.[4][5][11][12][13]He became notorious for his prolific scoring and reboundeering,[14] shot blocking,[15]Physical strength,[16][17]and his stylish individuality.[18][19]He led Philadelphia to its second-ever Finals appearance in 1967 but lost to eventual champion Philadelphia 76ers despite setting what was then the single-game Finals scoring record with 42 points.[20]In his 1969–70 championship season with Los Angeles he won another individual scoring title while averaging 18 rebounds per match en route to being named Finals MVP as they swept the heavily favored Indiana Pacers 4 games to 0; he remains one of only two players ever[21]to average at least 18 rebounds across an entire postseason( Mikan being the other).[22][23].
Reasons for Chamberlain’s poor free throw shooting
There are a number of reasons that have been put forth for Chamberlain’s poor free throw shooting. Some have suggested that it was due to his stature; at 7’1″, he was one of the tallest players in the NBA, and his long arms may have made it difficult for him to shoot from the foul line. Others have suggested that Chamberlain simply didn’t practice free throws enough, and as a result, he wasn’t as proficient at them as other players. Finally, some have speculated that Chamberlain may have had some sort of psychological block when it came to shooting free throws, which prevented him from performing at his best.
Ben Wallace
Ben Wallace, former NBA player, has the worst free throw percentage in NBA history. In his career, he only made 4.28% of his free throws. This is lower than the league average, which hovers around 70%.
Wallace’s free throw percentage
Ben Wallace is a retired American professional basketball player who played 16 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a five-time NBA All-Star and a four-time member of the NBA All-Defensive Team. He won an NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2004, and was a key member of the Pistons’ Eastern Conference championship teams in 2003, 2005 and 2006.
In Friday night’s 120-113 home victory over the Charlotte Hornets, Detroit Pistons center Ben Wallace set an ignominious NBA record by shooting 0-for-11 from the free throw line. The previous record for worst free throw percentage in a game was held by rookies Johnny Newman (0-for-10) and Dennis Scott (0-for-9), as well as journeyman Oliver Miller (0-for-9).
Reasons for Wallace’s poor free throw shooting
Ben Wallace is widely considered to be one of the worst free throw shooters in NBA history. In his career, he shot just 41.4 percent from the foul line. There are a number of reasons why Wallace struggled so much from the foul line.
First, Wallace was not a very good shooter overall. His field goal percentage was just 43.7 percent, which is well below average for an NBA player. This meant that he didn’t have a very good foundation to build from when it came to shooting free throws.
Second, Wallace was not very accurate when he did manage to get his shots off from the foul line. He often missed wide or short, which made it easier for defenders to close out on him and block his shots.
Finally, Wallace lacked the mental toughness that is necessary to be a good free throw shooter. He often seemed nervous or tense when shooting free throws, and this affected his accuracy.
Shaquille O’Neal
Shaquille O’Neal, one of the most dominant players in NBA history, also happens to have the worst free throw percentage in NBA history. Shaq shot just 52.7 percent from the foul line during his 19-year career. That means he made more free throws than missed, but still wasn’t very good at them.
O’Neal’s free throw percentage
Shaquille O’Neal is widely considered one of the greatest basketball players of all time. He was a dominant force on the court, helping lead his teams to multiple championships. However, there was one area of his game that was always a weakness – free throws.
O’Neal’s career free throw percentage was just .526, which is the worst mark in NBA history for any player with at least 1,000 attempts. He was notoriously bad at the charity stripe, often shooting well below 50% for entire seasons.
Despite his struggles, O’Neal still managed to be an effective player. He was a great rebounder and scorer inside the paint, and he even won a regular season MVP Award in 2000. His free throw shooting woes didn’t prevent him from having a Hall of Fame career.
Reasons for O’Neal’s poor free throw shooting
Shaquille O’Neal is widely considered one of the greatest NBA players of all time. He was an unstoppable force in the paint, a dominant rebounder, and a prolific scorer. But there was one area of his game that was always lacking: free throws.
O’Neal’s free throw percentage hovered around 50% for most of his career, which is considered poor by NBA standards. There are a number of reasons why O’Neal struggled with free throws, including his lack of shooting practice and his large hands.
O’Neal’s biggest problem was his inability to shoot consistently from the foul line. Because he shot so poorly, teams would often “hack-a-Shaq” – intentionally fouling him in order to send him to the line where they knew he would miss. This strategy became so common that the NBA eventually changed its rules to discourage it.
Despite his struggles, O’Neal still managed to have a Hall of Fame career. He retired in 2011 with 28,596 points – the sixth most in NBA history.
Dwight Howard
Dwight Howard has the worst free throw percentage in NBA history. He has a career free throw percentage of 58.8%. That means that for every 100 free throws he attempts, he makes 58.8 of them. To put that into perspective, the average free throw percentage for all NBA players is 75.8%. That means that the average player makes about 3 out of 4 free throws, but Dwight Howard only makes about 1 out of 2.
Howard’s free throw percentage
Dwight Howard is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is a eight-time NBA All-Star, eight-time All-NBA Team member, five-time All-Defensive member, and three-time Defensive Player of the Year. Howard set a then-NBA record for most blocks in a season as a rookie and is currently second all-time in blocks. He is also only one of three players to average at least 20 points and 15 rebounds per game in their rookie season.
Unfortunately, Howard also holds the record for the worst free throw percentage in NBA history. In his career, he has shot just 49.2 percent from the charity stripe. To put that into perspective, the league average free throw percentage is around 75 percent. This means that Howard misses more than 25 percent of his free throws!
Reasons for Howard’s poor free throw shooting
One of the main reasons for Dwight Howard’s poor free throw shooting is his reliance on his physical strength. He relies too much on his muscular frame to power through opponents, which often results in him fouling them. When he goes to the free throw line, he doesn’t have the same level of finesse that other players do, and as a result, he misses a lot of his shots.
In addition, Howard has a bit of an unorthodox shooting technique. Instead of using his fingers to guide the ball into the basket, he uses his palm, which doesn’t give him as much control over the ball. This often leads to him airballing his shots or not getting them anywhere close to the rim.
Finally, it’s worth noting that Howard is left-handed. While this isn’t necessarily a reason for why he’s such a poor free throw shooter, it does make it more difficult for him to shoot accurately since most NBA players are right-handed. This means that Howard has to adjust his shot more than other players do, which can lead to him missing even more shots.
DeAndre Jordan
DeAndre Jordan, who is currently playing for the Brooklyn Nets, has the worst free throw percentage in NBA history. He has only made 42.9% of his free throws in his career. This is a significant problem for him because free throws are an important part of the game.
Jordan’s free throw percentage
In his ten seasons in the NBA, DeAndre Jordan has made only 49.7% of his free throws. That’s the lowest percentage in NBA history for any player with at least 1,000 attempts.
Jordan has been especially bad at the foul line over the past few years. From 2015 to 2017, he made just 42.8% of his free throws. That’s the worst three-year stretch ever for any player with at least 400 attempts.
It’s not just that Jordan misses a lot of free throws, it’s that he misses them in crucial situations. In the final minute of games within five points, Jordan has made just 11 of 38 free throws (28.9%).
Reasons for Jordan’s poor free throw shooting
DeAndre Jordan is widely considered to be one of the worst free throw shooters in NBA history. In his career, he has shot just under 52% from the charity stripe. While this may not seem like a terribly low percentage, it is when compared to the league average of around 75%. So what explains Jordan’s poor free throw shooting?
There are a few reasons that have been suggested. Firstly, Jordan has very long arms which provides less surface area for him to control the ball with. Secondly, Jordan’s shooting form is unconventional and often erratic. Finally, some have suggested that Jordan simply lacks the mental toughness needed to succeed at the free throw line.
Whatever the reasons may be, it is clear that DeAndre Jordan is a poor free throw shooter. However, this has not prevented him from having a successful NBA career. In fact, Jordan is one of the best defensive players in the league and has been named to the All-NBA Defensive team on multiple occasions. He is also a two-time rebounding champion and was an integral member of the Los Angeles Clippers teams that made deep playoff runs in recent years.
