5 Ugliest free throw forms in NBA history

The free throw is one of the easiest ways to score points in basketball. A player takes it unopposed and it is usually awarded after a foul on a shooter or when the team is in the penalty. The free throw is one of the basic shots in basketball and most players, especially those in the NBA, are consistent with it.

However, some NBA players are not made for the free throw including Hall of Famers, Shaquille O’Neal and Wilt Chamberlain. Shaq shot 52.7 percent behind the charity stripe during his career while Wilt was slightly worse at 51.1 percent.

Recently, the free throw has garnered attention due to Philadelphia 76ers guard Markelle Fultz’s unorthodox routine but more on that later. It’s not all bad because DeAndre Jordan, who was a career 45.5 percent free throw shooter, has fixed his shot this season. He is currently making 75.8 percent of his foul shots.

But we’re going to take a look at the bad and some of it. Here are the five ugliest free throw forms in NBA history.

Honorable Mentions

As mentioned earlier, Shaq was not a great free throw shooter and he had one of the worst forms ever. You cannot fault the big man since his hands are so big that he had difficulty taking shots. He sweats at the thought of free throws as he usually wipes his forehead first before taking an attempt.

On the other hand, Don Nelson and Rick Barry also had ugly free throw forms. Nelson shot his free throws one-handed and off balanced with his left leg flailing. Barry is famous for his underhand shot but it was effective. Nelson was a career 76.5 percent shooter from the free throw while Barry had shot an amazing 89.3 percent.

#5 Jamaal Wilkes

Jamaal Wilkes as a Hall of Famer, a four-time NBA champion, three-time All-Star, a Rookie of the Year, and one of the greatest players in the history of the Los Angeles Lakers. However, Wilkes also has one of the ugliest free throw forms in the NBA history.

In the video above, you can see Wilkes takes three dribbles before winding up his horrible form. It was effective though as he made the shot. He is also a 75.9 percent shooter from the free throw line during his career. Not bad for someone with that kind shot.

Wilkes started his career for the Golden State Warriors in 1974, winning his first championship in 1975, before signing with the Lakers in 1977 as a free agent. With Lakers, he won three more titles in 1980, 1982, and 1985. He retired in 1985 as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers and he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.

#4 Markelle Fultz

Markelle Fultz had difficulty finding his shot and jumper during his rookie season. He refined his shooting form in the offseason but he actually got worse. The former first overall pick made headlines with a couple weird-looking free throw routines. You can see those two shots in the video above.

The first shot was the most famous one wherein he shuffled that ball first before taking a shot. It was ridiculed on the internet but it was also used a touchdown celebration in the NFL by the Seattle Seahawks, which Fultz acknowledged. The second was the hitch during his shot that was reminiscent of Chuck Hayes’ disastrous shot, which is part of this list.

After almost two years of trying to find out what’s wrong with his shot, Fultz was finally diagnosed with thoracic outlet syndrome, which is a disorder that affects the nerves between the neck and shoulder. Fultz will undergo physical therapy and hopefully, he regains his shot during his college career.

#3 Joakim Noah

The reaction of Joakim Noah after shooting an airball at the free throw line in the video above says it all. Noah was so disgusted with his own shot that went wide left. You can also see how he shoots so awkwardly as the ball spins sideways, which is opposite of what it should be doing.

But despite that horrible shot of his, Noah is shooting 69.9 percent from the free throw line during his career. He shot a career-high 75.1 percent in the 2012-13 NBA season but it all went downhill from there. In his first season in New York, he only made 43.6 percent of his free throws in 46 games.

Now 33 years old, Noah is a member of the Memphis Grizzlies. He serves as a backup to Marc Gasol as the Grizzlies will try to continue their surprising hot start at 14-9, good for sixth in the very competitive Western Conference.

#2 Chuck Hayes

“Ref, that’s a travel,” Allen Iverson said after witnessing Chuck Hayes’ free throws one cold night in Denver back in 2011. During the game, Hayes as part of the Houston Rockets was awarded two free throws after a flagrant foul was called on the Nuggets.

With every fan in the arena and more around the world watching, Hayes was alone on the free throw line as he shot two of the worst free throws in NBA history. The hitch on his shot was so funny that the announcers made fun of him. You can also see that the Nuggets bench and players on the court were laughing at his horrible shot.

Retiring in 2015, Hayes came full circle a year later when he was hired as a staff assistant and player development coach by the Nuggets. Hopefully, he is not teaching players on how to properly shoot a free throw.

#1 Shawn Marion

Shawn Marion arguably has the ugliest free throw form in NBA history. His quick-flick style of shooting the ball did not hinder his career. Despite that form, Marion was an 81.0 percent free throw shooter during his 17 seasons in the league. He also made 779 three-point shots and 2,305 free throws with that form.

Marion was often ridiculed because of his shot, which was not fundamentally sound. Not only fans cringe at the sight of his form but also other players and shooting coaches. Some shooting coaches also believe that if Marion improved his jump shot, his numbers would have been even better.

But none of it matter now that he is retired. He was one of the most versatile players of his generation. He has career averages of 15.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.5 steals, and 1.1 blocks. Marion won his only NBA championship in 2011 as part of the Dallas Mavericks.