Over the last few months, we have taken different adventures through the eight decades of NBA basketball that have occurred. We recently took a look at the NBA players with the most playoff wins per decade and before that, we ranked the 5 greatest small forwards of every decade in NBA history as well.
Today, we are going to focus on some of the greatest scorers in NBA history but more specifically, some of the greatest free throw shooters in NBA history. These leaders of every decade were the very best at manipulating defenses and forcing their way to the foul line where they found sustained success over the course of their careers. Get ready for another trip through our NBA time machine as we take a look at these masters of the foul line from every decade in NBA history.
These are the NBA players with the most free throws made per decade.
1950s - Dolph Schayes (4,986 FTM)
Credit: Fadeaway World
1. Dolph Schayes - 4,986-5,942 FTM-FTA (83.9%)
2. Ed Macauley - 3,750-4,929 FTM-FTA (76.1%)
3. Paul Arizin - 3,574-4,423 (80.8%)
In the 1950s, only one player in the NBA reached 4,000 free throws made. Dolph Schayes was just 14 free throws shy of making 5,000 for the decade with no other player reaching 4,000 from 1950-1959. Schayes was a career 84.9% free throw shooter, attempting 7.9 per game in his career for the Syracuse Nationals. Schayes led the NBA in free throw percentage in 1958, shooting 90.4% from the foul line.
Both Ed Macauley and Paul Arizin reached 3,500 free throws made for the 1950s with Macauley coming in second place with 3,750. Although he shot 76.1% from the foul line for his career, he consistently got to the line enough to have six seasons of 400 made free throws or more. As for Arizin, his spot on this list is super impressive considering he missed two seasons to serve in the United States Marines. Arizin led the NBA in free throws attempted twice during the 50s and made free throws once while shooting 80.8% from the line.
1960s - Oscar Robertson (6,129 FTM)
Credit: Fadeaway World
1. Oscar Robertson - 6,129-7,306 FTM-FTA (83.9%)
2. Wilt Chamberlain - 5,174-10,057 FTM-FTA (51.4%)
3. Jerry West - 4,969-6,133 (81.0%)
It should be no surprise that the leaders in free throws made for the 1960s are the three best offensive players of the decade. Oscar Robertson leads the way with 6,129 made free throws due to his physical style of play allowing him to get to the line often. During the '60s, Robertson led the NBA in made free throws four times despite not leading in attempts once. He made at least 600 free throws eight times in nine seasons and over 700 free throws four times.
Wilt Chamberlain was as dominant as any player to ever play the game. The best way to slow him down was to send him to the foul line where he shot an abysmal 51.4% from 1960 through 1969. Chamberlain took an incredible 10,057 free throws during the 1960s while only making just over half of them while still shattering scoring records. Could you imagine what his records would look like if he was even 70.0% from the foul line?
On the opposite end of the spectrum sits Jerry West who was a career 81.4% from the foul line in his career. During the 1960s, West was known for being an efficient scorer and accurate shooter who saw it as a treat to hit the foul line. West even led the NBA in made free throws in 1966 when he went 840-977 from the foul line or 86.0%.
1970s - Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (3,853 FTM)
Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
1. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar - 3,853-5,458 (70.6%)
2. Elvin Hayes - 3,722-5,495 (67.7%)
3. Pete Maravich - 3,473-4,239 (81.9%)
The three leaders in free throws made for the 1970s were some of the most elite scorers of the decade by a long shot. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was the best player in the world from 1970 through 1979 with five MVP awards, an NBA championship, and a Finals MVP award. Kareem never shot above 80.0% from the foul line during the decade but he did make 400 or more free throws in four different seasons. In his scoring title seasons in 1971 and 1972, Kareem knocked down 470 and 504 free throws respectively which was roughly 20-25% of his scoring.
Elvin Hayes was also an elite scorer during the 1970s who got to the foul line often. Hayes would also record four seasons with at least 400 free throws made, shooting 67.7% on nearly 5,500 attempts. From 1970 through 1979, Hayes averaged 23.2 points per game while averaging 6.7 free throw attempts per game.
Pete Maravich is the third leader from 1970 through 1979 in made free throws despite playing just eight seasons in the decade. Maravich was an efficient free throw shooter who led the NBA in 1977 by going 501-600 from the foul line. He shot 81.9% from the foul line during the 1970s, winning a scoring title and earning four All-Star selections along the way.
1980s - Moses Malone (5,975 FTM)
Credit: Malcolm Emmons-USA TODAY Sports
1. Moses Malone - 5,975-7,709 FTM-FTA (77.5%)
2. Adrian Dantley - 5,305-6,467 FTM-FTA (82.0%)
3. Reggie Theus - 3,729-4,511 FTM-FTA (82.7%)
The 1980s were filled with some talented scorers and players who knew how to get to the free-throw line at a rapid pace. Moses Malone was the leader of the decade as one of two players to make at least 5,000 free throws from 1980-1989. Malone would lead the NBA five times from 1980-1985 in free-throw attempts while also leading the NBA twice in made shots. He made over 600 foul shots in a season five times while shooting over 80.0% just once.
Adrian Dantley was a master craftsman at putting the ball through the basket in his prime during the 1980s. Dantley would average 30.0 points per game or more from 1981 through 1984 while also leading the NBA in made free throws four times. Dantley made over 600 free throws in a season four times and led the NBA twice in attempts. He shot just under 80.0% only twice as well, making him one of the more efficient free-throw shooters in the decade.
Reggie Theus was not a name I expected to see on this list considering the rate at which he got to the foul line. Theus averaged only 5.0 to 6.0 free-throw attempts per game but was still able to knock down his shots at a consistent rate. He made 400 or more free throws four times and shot 82.7% during the decade to finish with the third-most foul shots made from 1980-1989.
1990s - Karl Malone (5,738 FTM)
Credit: RVR Photos-USA TODAY Sports
1. Karl Malone - 5,738-7,636 FTM-FTA (75.1%)
2. David Robinson - 4,892-6,611 FTM-FTA (74.0%)
3. Reggie Miller - 4,206-4,758 FTM-FTA (88.4%)
The 1990s was the time for dominant big men to establish their presence in the post by any means necessary which included getting to the foul line often. Karl Malone, who led the 1990s in total points scored, used this tactic to perfection from 1990-1999. Malone would lead the NBA in both made free throws and attempted free throws six times during the decade with five seasons of more than 600 free throws made and eight seasons with over 500 free throws made. Even as a 75.1% free-throw shooter, Malone made a career of feasting on overzealous defenders in the post.
The same can be said for David Robinson who was a slightly less efficient free-throw shooter than Malone. Robinson led the NBA for three seasons in made free throws and twice in attempts during the 1990s. He had six seasons with over 500 made free throws and four with over 600 free throws during the 1990s while shooting just 74.0% from the line.
While Reggie Miller is not a big man like Malone or Robinson, he was able to create and get himself to the foul line at a decent rate. More importantly, he was a tremendous free-throw shooter who shot 88.4% from 1990 through 1999 but also had three seasons shooting over 91.0% from the foul line, leading the NBA twice in 1991 and 1999.
2000s - Kobe Bryant (5,360 FTM)
Credit: Soobum Im-USA TODAY Sports
1. Kobe Bryant - 5,360-6,352 FTM-FTA (84.4%)
2. Allen Iverson - 5,143-6,484 FTM-FTA (79.3%)
3. Paul Pierce - 4,914-6,135 FTM-FTA (80.1%)
When talking about players who attacked and stifled defenses at an alarming rate, Kobe Bryant’s name sits at the top of that list, especially in the 2000s. En route to four NBA championships with the Lakers from 2000-2009, Bryant knocked down 5,360 free throws at an above-average efficiency of 84.4%. Bryant would lead the NBA twice in made free throws and once in attempted free throws as he became a Finals MVP, MVP, and a two-time scoring champion in the 2000s.
Allen Iverson was one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history and was one of just two players to make 5,000 free throws during the 2000s. Despite cries of ball-hogging and inefficiency, Iverson shot 79.4% from the foul line from 2000 through 2009, a space of time in which he won three scoring titles and an MVP award. He led the NBA twice in made free throws and once in attempts with three seasons of 600 made foul shots or more.
Finally, Paul Pierce brings up the rear with 4,914 made free throws from 2000-2009. Pierce would also become an NBA champion and Finals MVP in the 2000s with the Boston Celtics while working his way to the foul line at a steady rate. Pierce recorded six seasons with over 500 mad foul shots in the 2000s including in 2003 when he led the NBA with 603.
2010s - James Harden (5,604 Free Throws)
Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
1. James Harden - 5,604-6,536 FTM-FTA (85.7%)
2. Kevin Durant - 4,899-5,534 FTM-FTA (88.5%)
3. Russell Westbrook - 4,336-5,418 (80.0%)
All three leaders of the 2010s in made free throws would be teammates at the start of the decade and Conference rivals by the end of it. James Harden’s entire game during the 2010s revolved around getting to the free-throw line and manipulating defenders into leaving their feet on countless three-point attempts. Harden led the NBA six times in attempted free throws and five seasons in a row from 2015 through 2019 in made free throws to earn three scoring titles and an MVP during that time. Harden’s antics have since decreased but the work he did from the foul line was legendary during the 2010s.
Kevin Durant is so unguardable that sometimes all a defender can do is foul him. It is a major reason why he led the NBA five times in made free throws from 2010 through 2014 but only once in attempts. That is also due to his ability to shoot 90.0% or better from the foul line, something he has done four times in his career.
Russell Westbrook’s physical and aggressive nature earned him the third-most free throws of the decade, as did his ability to shoot 80.0% in those situations. Westbrook is another MVP and multiple-time scoring champion along with Harden and Durant who made 4,336 free throws from 2010 through 2019. Although he never led the NBA in makes, he did record 500 or more free throws three times during the 2010s.
2020s - Joel Embiid (2,302 FTM)
Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
1. Joel Embiid - 2,302-2,745 FTM-FTA (83.9%)
2. Trae Young - 2,157-2,441 FTM-FTA (88.4%)
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo - 1,962-2,927 FTM-FTA (67.0%)
This brings us to the present decade of the 2020s and the three players who have made the most free throws in the last four-plus seasons. Nobody will be shocked to see Joel Embiid on top for now as he has been long criticized for the way he seeks out free throws despite being a 7-footer who can dominate in other ways. Embiid is the reigning MVP in the NBA who has led the NBA once in 2021 and is currently leading in 2023-24 in made free throws. As an 83.9% free-throw shooter these last four years, it has been a smart tactic for him as he is currently on pace for his third straight scoring title.
Trae Young is another star in today’s NBA who has found different ways to earn his fair share of work at the foul line. Young led the NBA in 2021 with 484 made free throws and has knocked down 500 or more in two seasons since. He is shooting 88.4% from the free throw line since 2020 earning 8.5 attempts per game.
Giannis Antetokounmpo is someone who is legitimately sought out by opponents to send to the foul line. His struggles from there are public knowledge dating back to the 2021 NBA championship run made by him and the Milwaukee Bucks. Giannis is currently shooting 67.0% from the foul line since 2020 and has led the NBA in attempts twice while shooting over 70.0% only once.
Post a Comment
0 Comments