- There have only been four players in NBA history to make 8,000 free throws or more in their careers
- Only one player in NBA history has made more than 9,000 free throws in his career
- Only two point guards rank in the top 30 for free throws made in NBA history
As an NBA player, being able to score in a variety of ways is an important part of and contribution to any team’s success. Part of being considered a great or even elite scorer is being able to get to the foul line and convert those opportunities in order to continue to put points on the board. The elite of the elite when it comes to scoring know not only how to manipulate defenses and get to the foul line but they also are able to knock down the only shots that aren’t contested defensively, or free throws.
Just as we did with the NBA players who have made the most three-pointers in history, below is a tier list that contains the greatest free throw shooters in NBA history. These 25 players have made more free throws in NBA history than any other players showcasing their ability to be much more than just one-dimensional scorers.
More than any other players in NBA history, the players below took advantage of the opportunities presented to them at the foul line to help their team win games. From the big men being battered and bruised in the paint to the guards who forced their way to the line by creating their own chances, these are the greatest free throw shooters in NBA history.
These are the NBA players with the most free throws made in their careers ranked by tiers.
Tier 6 – 5,500-5,999 Free Throws Made
Shaquille O’Neal – 5,935 Free Throws Made
Tim Duncan – 5,896 Free Throws Made
Elgin Baylor – 5,763 Free Throws Made
Russell Westbrook – 5,718 Free Throws Made
Dwyane Wade – 5,708 Free Throws Made
DeMar DeRozan – 5,649 Free Throws Made
We kick things off on Tier 6 with the NBA players who knocked down between 5,500 and 5,999 free throws in their career. The first player on this list, thanks to the famous Hack-A-Shaq defense, is none other than Shaquille O’Neal. Now, Shaq was infamous for his struggles at the foul line but still ranks 23rd all-time in free throws made. With a career shooting percentage of 52.7% from the foul line, O’Neal is considered one of the worst free throw shooters ever yet still made over 400 free throws in six of his 19 seasons in the league.
Just behind O’Neal on this tier is Tim Duncan, a five-time NBA champion who had no issues getting to the foul line himself during his 19-year career. Duncan shot 69.6% from the foul line for his career with three seasons coming in at over 75.0%. In 2002, he led the NBA in made free throws with 560 which was the only time he ever eclipsed the 500 mark. Duncan made at least 400 free throws in a season just four times and won NBA championships in two of those seasons.
Elgin Baylor has slowly become one of the more underrated players in NBA history despite showcasing his all-around talent every chance he got. Baylor shot 78.0% from the foul line for his career and over 80.0% four different times. Although he never led the NBA in made free throws, he did eclipse 600 made in a season in both 1961 and 1963 while reaching 500 made four times in total.
One of the more aggressive point guards we have ever seen in NBA history was Russell Westbrook at his peak. His aggressive style afforded him plenty of opportunities from the line where he shoots 77.8% from for his career. Westbrook’s best season from the foul line came in his 2017 MVP season when he made 710 of 840 attempts or 84.5%. It was one of just three times that Westbrook made 500 or more free throws in a season while shooting over 83.0% all three times.
Much like Westbrook, Dwyane Wade made a living out of attacking the basket and catching defenses off-guard which caused many to commit fouls sending him to the charity stripe. Wade was a career 76.5% shooter from the foul line with just one season in which he shot over 80.0% in 2007. Wade was able to convert over 600 attempts from the foul line once in his career during his 2006 championship season and over 500 total made in five seasons out of the 16 years he played in the NBA.
The final member of Tier 6 is DeMar DeRozan who is still adding to his total in 2023. DeRozan is a 14-year NBA veteran who shoots 84.0% from the foul line making him the most accurate shooter on Tier 6. In every season of his career aside from 2010, DeRozan has shot at least 81.0% from the foul line with his career-high of 88.0% coming in 2021. He has also reached 500 free throws made in a season four times with his career-high of 555 coming in 2016 with the Raptors.
Tier 5 – 6,000-6,499 Free Throws Made
Allen Iverson – 6,375 Free Throws Made
Charles Barkley – 6,349 Free Throws Made
Carmelo Anthony – 6,320 Free Throws Made
Julius Erving – 6,256 Free Throws Made
Reggie Miller – 6,237 Free Throws Made
Bob Pettit – 6,182 Free Throws Made
Artis Gilmore – 6,132 Free Throws Made
Wilt Chamberlain – 6,057 Free Throws Made
David Robinson – 6,035 Free Throws Made
Dominique Wilkins – 6,031 Free Throws Made
The next tier of players to make up our list is Tier 5 where all players made between 6,000 and 6,499 free throws in their careers. The leader of this tier is one of the greatest scorers in NBA history and a four-time scoring title holder, Allen Iverson. Over the course of his career, Iverson shot 78.0% from the free throw line with five seasons of shooting over 80.0%. He would lead the NBA twice in free throws made in 2005 and 2008 with 656 and 645 made respectively. In total, Iverson would record three seasons with over 600 free throws made as well as five seasons with at least 500 made.
Charles Barkley, as undersized as he was for a power forward, was never one to shy away from a physical style of play on the court. This afforded him plenty of opportunities to get to the foul line and shoot 73.5% for his career. His career-high in shooting from the line was 77.0% in 1996 with the Suns and only shot below 70.0% four times. In 1988, he recorded 714 free throws made, the only time he would make over 700 free throws in a season in his career. It was also just one of two times he reached the 600 free throws made in 16 seasons in the NBA.
As his career went on, Carmelo Anthony became more and more of a fluid shooter on the court, especially from the free-throw line. Anthony shot 81.4% from the line in his career with just one season falling under 70.0%. Anthony was able to reach 500 free throws made in a season three times in 19 seasons while reaching the 450 free throws made mark a total of six times. Anthony was the winner of one scoring title with the Knicks in 2013, a year in which he shot 83.0% from the foul line on 512 attempts.
Reggie Miller is not only one of the greatest three-point shooters in NBA history but also one of the greatest free-throw shooters as well. For his career, Miller shot 88.8% from the foul line, including the four times he led the NBA in that category while shooting over 90.0%. Although he never led the NBA in free throws made, Miller would make at least 500 in a season twice in 1990 and 1991 while becoming one of the few players in NBA history to record at least 1,500 games played with the same team in the regular season and playoffs combined.
Bob Pettit is one of the greatest power forwards in NBA history and the only man to ever take down Bill Russell and the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. The two-time MVP was a career 76.1% shooter from the free throw line in his career with the Hawks from 1955 through 1965. Pettit would lead the NBA three times in free throws made in his career while also eclipsing 600 free throws made four different times. It should also be noted that he led the NBA in attempts just twice in his career as well and shot over 80.0% once in his final season in 1965.
Wilt Chamberlain’s name can be seen in the NBA history books time and time again for his incredible scoring feats and stamina as a leader in minutes played almost every year he was on the court. However, his 51.1% free throw shooting percentage is still one of the worst in history among legends of the game with just one season above 60.0%. In his 50.4 points per game season in 1962, Chamberlain went 835-1,363 from the foul line, leading the NBA by a mile in free throws made. He eclipsed 600 made in a season just one other time in his career while sinking at least 500 six times.
David Robinson is still one of the top 10 centers in NBA history as a former MVP and Defensive Player of the Year. In his 14-year career, Robinson shot 73.6% from the foul line on an average of 8.3 attempts per game. From 1994 through 1996, arguably his best seasons on the court, Robinson led the NBA in foul shots made all three seasons on 75.0% shooting or better. He sank at least 600 free throws in a season four times and over 500 six times.
The final member of Tier 5 is the high-flying scoring machine Dominique Wilkins. In 17 seasons, Wilkins shot a respectable 81.1% from the charity stripe with just four years under the 80.0% mark. Wilkins was never one to lead the NBA in free throws but his high shooting percentage from there was good enough reason for teams to shy away from making contact with him. Due to his style of play, it was just sometimes unavoidable. He did reach 600 made free throws once in 1987 and over 500 free throws made four times.
Tier 4 – 6,500-6,999 Free Throws Made
Paul Pierce – 6,918 Free Throws Made
Adrian Dantley – 6,832 Free Throws Made
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 6,712 Free Throws Made
Dolph Schayes – 6,712 Free Throws Made
Kevin Durant – 6,631 Free Throws Made
Tier 4 consists of the NBA players who made between 6,500 and 6,999 free throws in their careers which was only five different players. The leader of this tier is Paul Pierce who made 6,918 foul shots, ranking 10th in NBA history. Pierce was a career 80.6% free throw shooter who knew how to force his way to the line when he needed to find a rhythm. Pierce led the NBA in free throws made in 2003 with Boston when he made 604 on the season, just one of two times he made at least 600 in a season.
Adrian Dantley was a scoring machine in his 15-year NBA career who averaged 30.0 or more points per game four times and won two scoring titles. He shot 81.8% from the foul line in his career with three seasons of over 85.0% shooting as well. Dantley actually led the NBA in foul shots made five different times, all with the Jazz between 1979 and 1984. Dantley knocked down a career-high 813 free throws in 1984 on 85.9% shooting and knocked down over 600 in a season four times.
When you are one of the greatest players in NBA history like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, chances are you are going to make your way to the foul line a fair amount of times. As a career 72.1% free throw shooter, it wasn’t a preferred way of scoring for the master of the skyhook but it worked nonetheless. Surprisingly, Kareem never led the NBA in free throws made though and as a matter of fact, he only ever sank more than 500 free throws in a season once in 1972 with the Milwaukee Bucks.
Dolph Schayes is not a name you hear very often from NBA analysts and fans simply because of the culture of discrediting the past that seems to be more popular today. Schayes was an extremely efficient free throw shooter in his day though, shooting 84.9% from the line in his career. He led the NBA three times in free throw shooting percentage as well as twice in total free throws made. Schayes made over 600 free throws in a season three times and led the NBA twice in 1957 and 1961.
The final member of Tier 4 is none other than Kevin Durant, one of the most efficient scorers in the history of the NBA. Durant is the best shooter from the foul line on this tier, going 88.6% for his career. He even led the NBA in 2013 with a 90.5% rate on 9.3 attempts per game. Durant even led the NBA five years in a row from 2010 through 2014 in total free throws made, knocking down over 700 free throws twice and over 500 free throws four times.
Tier 3 – 7,000-7,999 Free Throws Made
Oscar Robertson – 7,694 Free Throws Made
James Harden – 7,357 Free Throws Made
Michael Jordan – 7,327 Free Throws Made
Dirk Nowitzki – 7,240 Free Throws Made
Jerry West – 7,160 Free Throws
Tier 3 is where things start to really heat up as we crack the top nine players with the most free throws made in NBA history. Leading this tier by a considerable margin is none other than human Swiss Army Knife Oscar Robertson. In 14 seasons, Robertson shot 83.8% from the foul line, leading the NBA twice in both 1964 and 1968. Robertson even led the NBA four times in total free throws made as well, knocking down 800 in 1964 and over 700 free throws in four different seasons.
When I mentioned the players who could manipulate defenses to get to the foul line, I specifically had James Harden in mind. Harden ranks sixth in NBA history with 7,357 free throws made while shooting 86.0% from the line during his career. This helped Harden with three scoring titles from 2018 through 2020 with the Rockets. Harden would even lead the NBA six times from 2015 to 2020 in free throws made, knocking down over 700 in a season on four different occasions.
The greatest player that ever lived does not get that title without being able to hold his own at the foul line. For Michael Jordan, this rings especially true considering the physical nature in which defenses tried to slow him down. With 10 scoring titles under his belt, Jordan shot 83.5% from the line for his career. He led the NBA in back-to-back seasons in free throws made in 1987 and 1988, making 833 shots in 1987 and 723 in 1988. These were the only two seasons in which he surpassed 700 foul shots made in a season.
Dirk Nowitzki is the greatest 7-foot shooter in NBA history and his dominance from the foul line is a testament to that. Nowitzki shot an incredible 87.9% from the foul line in his career with three different seasons over 90.0%. Even with his high percentage from the foul line, his lack of aggressive play limited his attempts and he only surpassed 600 made in a season once in 2005.
The final member of Tier 3 is none other than the logo himself, Jerry West. Over the course of 14 seasons, West shot 81.4% from the foul line in his career with the Lakers while making an All-Star team every year of his career. He led the NBA twice in free throws made in 1966 and 1970, knocking down a career-high 840 in 1966. West would reach 700 made in a season just one other time in 1962.
Tier 2 – 8,000-8,999 Free Throws Made
Moses Malone – 8,531 Free Throws Made
Kobe Bryant – 8,378 Free Throws Made
LeBron James – 8,087 Free Throws Made
Only three players in NBA history have ever made between 8,000 and 9,000 free throws in their NBA careers, which are the players that make up Tier 2. Moses Malone leads this tier with 8,531 free throws made over the course of 19 years in the NBA. Malone shot 76.9% from the foul line in his career. He led the NBA twice in total free throws made while knocking down over 600 in a season on five different occasions.
Kobe Bryant became one of the best scorers in NBA history over the course of 20 seasons played with the Lakers from 1997 through 2016. Although he has an unwarranted reputation for being inefficient, Bryant shot 83.7% from the foul line for his career and only fell below 80.0% in a season once in 1998, when he shot 79.4%. Bryant led the NBA in free throws made during both of his scoring title seasons in 2006 and 2007 with Los Angeles, two of four total seasons he made at least 600 free throws.
The final member of Tier 2 and fourth all-time in free throws made is LeBron James. In his 20-year career, James has always been scrutinized for his poor free throw shooting which is literally the only weakness in his game. He shoots a less-than-average 73.5% from the foul line in his career and has never once reached the 80.0% plateau. He has led the NBA once in free throws made during his 2009 MVP season but has only made at least 600 free throws in a season once as well in 2006.
Tier 1 – 9,000+ Free Throws Made
Karl Malone – 9,787 Free Throws Made
Not only is Karl Malone the NBA’s all-time leader in free throws made, but he has over 1,200 more made free throws than any other player in NBA history. With his dominance of post-play during the 1980s and 1990s, Malone got to the line more than anyone else in NBA history as well and converted 74.2% of his attempts. Malone would lead the NBA an incredible eight times in free throws made during his career, including five straight seasons from 1989 through 1993. Malone would knock down 600 or more free throws six different times during his career and a career-high 703 in the 1989 season.
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