Being effective from the free throw line is just as important as being effective from long range, because games can be won from the free throw line as well. Steph Curry, Steve Nash, Ray Allen, Larry Bird and Mark Price are some of the best free throw shooters in history, but what about the worst?
They say that making a free throw is the easiest thing in basketball, but throughout NBA history there have been several players who could not make a free throw to save their lives. Without further ado, let’s take a look at the 10 worst free throw shooters in NBA history.
10 Shaquille O’Neal
When talking about the worst free throw shooters in NBA history, Shaquille O’Neal always comes to mind. Shaq was a killer in the paint, and he was good with close-range shots, but from mid- and long-range he was embarrassing. O’Neal shot 11,252 free throws in his career, and could only make 5,935, which is 52.7%, fifth worst in history among players with at least 1,200 missed free throws. Despite those terrible numbers, Shaquille O’Neal averaged 23.7 points per game.
9 Wilt Chamberlain
Wilt Chamberlain is one of the greatest basketball players of all time, averaging 30.1 points and 22.9 rebounds per game. Chamberlain even set several records in his career, including the most points in a single game, with 100. That day Chamberlain scored 28 of 32 free throws, showing an unusual effectiveness for him, as he had a career free throw percentage of 51.1, definitely one of the worst in history in that department. Just imagine if Wilt Chamberlain had been an average free throw shooter, then he would have averaged 33 or 34 points per game.
8 DeAndre Jordan
In his 14-year career, DeAndre Jordan has shown to be effective from the field, in fact, he led the NBA in field goal percentage for five consecutive seasons. However, from the free throw line is a whole different story. Jordan has a dismal free throw percentage of 47.5% converting just 1,694 free throws on 3,563 attempts. Although admittedly, DeAndre Jordan has improved in that aspect in recent years, as of the 2018-19 season, his free throw percentage is 65.1.
7 Eric Montross
Eric Montross was the ninth overall pick in the 1994 NBA Draft. Apparently, the Boston Celtics realized that this guy would be a bust, so they got rid of him after two seasons. Despite his mediocre performance, Montross received other opportunities and managed to play in the NBA for eight years. Montross recorded 4.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.3 steals and 0.6 blocks per game, with a free throw percentage of 47.8, making 289 shots on 604 attempts.
6 Chris Dudley
Chris Dudley had a 16-year NBA career, but longevity doesn’t mean performance, and Dudley’s stats were pretty mediocre. He recorded 3.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 1.2 blocks and 0.4 steals per game, with a field goal shooting percentage of 41.2 and a free throw percentage of 45.8.
Dudley made 691 free throws on 1,508 attempts. No one wanted to see Chris Dudley standing at the free throw line – well, maybe only the opposing team.
5 Lou Amundson
It is inexplicable that Lou Amundson lasted 10 years in the NBA, as this power forward recorded just 3.7 points, 3.6 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 0.4 steals and 0.7 blocks per game. He also had a 47.4 field goal percentage and a 44.4 free throw percentage. Amundson converted just 268 free throws in 603 attempts, simply terrible. How did this guy make it to the NBA, and how did he stay in the league for 10 years? It’s a mystery that is not often talked about.
4 Michael Ruffin
The Chicago Bulls selected Michael Ruffin in the second round (32nd overall pick) of the 1999 draft. Obviously, no one expected great things from this power forward, but no one thought he would be that bad either.
Ruffin did not excel in any aspect of the game, but rather was deficient in all departments, including free throw shooting. Ruffin made 200 of 436 free throws (45.9%) in his career. On that note, it’s no wonder Ruffin recorded a 40.7 field goal percentage.
3 Andre Drummond
Andre Drummond is definitely one of the worst free throw shooters in NBA history. Big Penguin posted a horrible 38.1 free throw percentage in his first five seasons, but fortunately improved considerably in the following years. His career free throw percentage is 47.3, making 1,543 free throws on 3,263 attempts. Frankly, it’s hard to believe that nowadays a player would not be able to make a free throw, as the vast majority of players are decent shooters, even centers, but that’s not the case with Andre Drummond.
2 Kim Hughes
Kim Hughes played five seasons in the NBA from 1976 to 1981, playing center for the New Jersey Nets, Denver Nuggets and Cleveland Cavaliers. Kim Hughes had a fairly forgettable career. Hughes was competent defensively, but offensively he was mediocre, averaging just 2.7 points per game, with a terrible 33.3 free throw percentage, although he only had 186 attempts.
1 Ben Wallace
According to Statmuse, Ben Wallace has the lowest free throw percentage in NBA history among players with at least 1,200 free throws missed, at 41.4%. In his 16-year career, he made 1,109 free throws on 2,679 attempts. Wallace’s best season in terms of free throw percentage was 2003-04, with just 49%. However, Ben Wallace did not need to be effective from the free throw line to excel in the NBA, as he was a very good defender.