20 NBA Players Who Missed The Most Free Throws In History

Free throws are a crucial aspect of the game since they represent the players’ best opportunities to score quickly. Superstar players are frequently called for fouls in the current game, which allows them to score free baskets from the line. A player’s team is typically in a much stronger position at the end of a game if they can consistently get to the line and make their free throws.

But we have seen throughout NBA history that players struggle to make foul shots, and the vast majority of them are big men. For some reason, big men tend to struggle from the free-throw line on average. It might have to do with their massive limbs and inability to move around to generate momentum before shooting, but a ton of big men struggle to make foul shots. Here are the 20 NBA players with the most missed free throws in NBA history, and there will certainly be some recognizable names at the very top.

20. Alonzo Mourning – 1,805 Missed Free Throws

FTM – FTA: 4,057-5,862

Stats: 17.1 PPG, 69.2% FT, 838 Games Played

Alonzo Mourning was a defensive-minded center who won 2 Defensive Player of the Year awards and led the league in BPG on two different occasions. The center used his size, length, and defensive basketball IQ to impact the paint against any opponent he came up against. Offensively, he was very consistent during his prime years with the Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat.

But he was not the best free-throw shooter by any means, shooting under 70% from the line over his career. Mourning could hit mid-range shots in his prime, but for some reason, he was incapable of making foul shots consistently. The Hall of Famer missed over 1,800 free throws in only 838 games played as a result.

19. DeAndre Jordan – 1,869 Missed Free Throws

FTM – FTA: 1,694-3,563

Stats: 9.1 PPG, 47.5% FT, 980 Games Played

DeAndre Jordan made 2 All-Defensive Teams and even an All-Star Team in his prime as a member of the Los Angeles Clippers, mainly because he was an elite shot-blocker and paint protector. Standing 6’11” with excellent leaping ability, Jordan was a very popular player that fans truly loved to watch.

But make no mistake, Jordan has been a horrific free-throw shooter. The big man shot under 48% from the line over his career, which ranks 3rd worst ever behind Andre Drummond and Ben Wallace. In fact, only three players in NBA history hold a FT percentage under 50%. DeAndre never had an offensive ability, and his free-throw shooting is a large testament to that.

18. Johnny Green – 1,891 Missed Free Throws

FTM – FTA: 2,335-4,226

Stats: 11.6 PPG, 55.3% FT, 1,057 Games Played

Johnny Green made 4 All-Star Teams as a member of the New York Knicks and Cincinnati Royals, averaging 11.6 PPG on 49.3% from the field. The 6’5” power forward was a capable scorer during the 1960s and early 1970s, but he was never much of a foul shooter. In 1,057 games, Green did not shoot the ball well.

The power forward only managed 55.3% from the stripe over his career, a very below-average number for an NBA player. Green only shot over 60% from the line in 4 different seasons, as the rest of his career was filled with inconsistent foul shooting. Regardless, Green made 4 All-Star Teams, which is a solid achievement.

17. Patrick Ewing – 1,897 Missed Free Throws

FTM – FTA: 5,392-7,289

Stats: 21.0 PPG, 74.0% FT, 1,183 Games Played

Patrick Ewing was a force inside, using his mean streak and basketball IQ to score the ball consistently. With his length, Ewing could shoot over defenders in the post and that helped him finish with a career average of 21.0 PPG on 50.4% shooting. But somehow, Ewing was not able to shoot as well from the free-throw line.

Ewing was not a bad free-throw shooter when compared to other big men on this list, but he wasn’t great either. The All-Star center shot 74.0% from the line over his career, which constituted missing almost 1,900 foul shots. The Jamaican-born star was better off getting fouled instead of letting him score inside because shooting 50.4% from the floor was too good to allow him to get looks.

16. Bob Pettit – 1,937 Missed Free Throws

FTM – FTA: 6,182-8,119

Stats: 26.4 PPG, 76.1% FT, 792 Games Played

Bob Pettit has to be the greatest player in Hawks history because his size and dominance with the franchise were surreal. The 6’9” big man averaged 26.4 PPG on 43.6% shooting from the field and also made 11 All-Star Teams. He won two scoring titles, two MVP awards, and four All-Star Game MVP awards.

The big man was also a very solid free-throw shooter who averaged 76.1% from the stripe over his career. That number is solid, but he still missed over 1,900 foul shots from the stripe. Pettit was a very high-usage star in his prime because he was the go-to scorer on the floor and was constantly fouled to prevent easy buckets down low.

15. Buck Williams – 2,008 Missed Free Throws

FTM – FTA: 3,971-5,979

Stats: 12.8 PPG, 66.4% FT, 1,307 Games Played

Standing 6’8” and weighing 215 lbs, Buck Williams was a consistent offensive presence down low. The big man made 3 All-Star Teams, made 4 All-Defensive Teams, and even won the Rookie of the Year award. Williams had a knack for being a nuisance in the paint defensively and also scoring inside when he had enough space.

But Buck Williams was not a great free-throw shooter by any means. He shot 66.4% from the stripe from the foul line, which meant the big man missed over 2,000 foul shots. A typical big man when it comes to foul shooting, Buck never had the ability to consistently get easy points from the foul line.

14. David Robinson – 2,166 Missed Free Throws

FTM – FTA: 6,035-8,201

Stats: 21.1 PPG, 73.6% FT, 987 Games Played

David Robinson might be one of the most underrated stars ever because he does not get enough credit for being one of the most dominant two-way stars in the game. Known as “The Admiral”, Robinson averaged 21.1 PPG, 10.6 RPG, and 3.0 BPG on 51.8% shooting from the field and 73.6% from the line. Those are clearly elite numbers from a Hall of Fame player.

Robinson was a defensive phenom and also a consistent scorer, but the weakest part of his game was his free-throw shooting. The big man only shot 73.6% from the line, meaning he missed over 2,100 shots from the foul line. Had he made a few more, his scoring average would have been much better.

13. Hakeem Olajuwon – 2,198 Missed Free Throws

FTM – FTA: 5,423-7,621

Stats: 21.8 PPG, 71.2% FT, 1,238 Games Played

Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon is such a dominant offensive player, that he comes across as being perfect as a low-post scorer. When he had the ball down low and was able to pull out his moves, Hakeem was unstoppable. But he was not a great free-throw shooter by any means, because he shot under 72% from the foul line which resulted in over 2,000 foul shots missed.

Olajuwon was never able to cash in as much as he would have liked, so there was probably one way to slow down the superstar center. It did not mean much to Hakeem’s career because he won two NBA titles, two Finals MVPs, 2 Defensive Player of the Year awards, and made 12 All-Star Teams.

12. Charles Barkley – 2,294 Missed Free Throws

FTM – FTA: 6,349-8,643

Stats: 22.1 PPG, 73.5% FT, 1,073 Games Played

Charles Barkley played much bigger than he was because he only stood 6’6” and had to overcome being undersized. Charles was dominant regardless, posting 22.1 PPG over his career on 54.1% from the field and 73.5% from the free-throw line. In 1,073 games played, Barkley scored the ball very well, but he was not a great free-throw shooter.

Barkley shot 73.5% from the stripe, an average number, which meant defenders were better off fouling him than giving him a chance to score inside. The superstar power forward was an elite rebounder on both ends of the floor, and on the offensive end, he was able to get put-backs and easy layups. Fouling him was the right move to do because 73.5% from the line was not a great number.

11. Bill Russell – 2,466 Missed Free Throws

FTM – FTA: 3,148-5,614

Stats: 15.1 PPG, 56.1% FT, 963 Games Played

Bill Russell is the greatest winner in NBA history because he holds 11 NBA championships as a member of the Boston Celtics. The superstar center was not an elite offensive force, although he could score when he received the ball down low and put up layups off of offensive rebounds. But when he was fouled, Russell was not always successful.

The greatest winner in NBA history shot only 56.1% from the line, which resulted in over 2,400 free throws in only 963 games played. But like other centers on this list, Russell was simply not blessed enough to make foul shots at a consistent level. Obviously, it didn’t matter because the Celtics still won a ton of games with the center in the middle.

10. Moses Malone – 2,559 Missed Free Throws

FTM – FTA: 9,018-11,864

Stats: 20.3 PPG, 76.0% FT, 1,455 Games Played

The iconic Moses Malone, who retired with an NBA championship, a Finals MVP, and two MVP Awards, was one of the most significant players of his time. Malone was an unstoppable force in the paint and a strong rebounder who six times led the league in RPG. But Moses, unlike a lot of All-Star big men, did not seem to struggle from the free-throw line that much.

Moses shot a career 76.9%, an impressive number considering he was 6’10” with long limbs. But Malone still missed over 2,500 free throws, mainly because he was constantly fouled with a career average of 8.3 attempts per game. Essentially, the volume of foul shots the center took was a reason why he missed so many attempts. But shooting 76% from the line will work considering his career average is over 20 PPG.

9. Tim Duncan – 2,572 Missed Free Throws

FTM – FTA: 5,896-8,468

Stats: 19.0 PPG, 69.6% FT, 1,392 Games Played

Tim Duncan was near perfection as a power forward, because he was able to dominate defensively and also lead the offense on the block. The Big Fundamental had a knack for impacting the game at a superstar level, which is why Duncan retired as a 5-time NBA champion with 3 Finals MVPs.

But if there was one weakness in Duncan’s game, it was his free-throw shooting. The Spurs legend shot a career 69.6% from the stripe, an unspectacular number for an all-time great player. It was always expected that Tim Duncan would miss at least one free throw when he was at the stripe, but thankfully it did not impact his success on the court.

8. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 2,592 Missed Free Throws

FTM – FTA: 6,712-9,304

Stats: 24.6 PPG, 72.1% FT, 1,560 Games Played

The all-time leader in points scored, for now, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had a long career that spanned two decades. The big man did not need to do anything else besides let his skyhook go, because no defender had a chance in stopping it. There might have been one way to stop Kareem: foul him. Abdul-Jabbar shot a career 72.1% from the stripe, pretty subpar numbers for a man who was unstoppable with the ball in his hands.

Because the center could score whenever he wanted, fouling him was frequently the best defensive plan. It is incredible that Kareem still maintains the all-time record for points scored despite having missed almost 2,500 free throws. But the center is an all-time great offensive player regardless, and his scoring record has stood the test of time as a result of that.

7. Elvin Hayes – 2,643 Missed Free Throws

FTM – FTA: 5,356-7,999

Stats: 21.0 PPG, 67.0% FT, 1,303 Games Played

A 12-time All-Star with 6 All-NBA Team selections, Hall of Famer Elvin Hayes is one of the greatest big men of his era. Hayes is the 11th-highest scorer in NBA history with over 27,000 points scored, and he did it without being able to nail free throws consistently. Hayes missed over 2,600 free throws in his career, averaging a career 67.0% from the stripe.

The big man was normally fouled by defenders because forcing him to make foul shots was the best strategy, rather than letting him score at will. Hayes won’t be the last big man on this list, and there were certainly worse foul shooters throughout the league’s history. But he will still hold a rather unattractive record for missing over 2,600 foul shots.

6. LeBron James – 2,837 Missed Free Throws

FTM – FTA: 7,836-10,673

Stats: 27.1 PPG, 73.4% FT, 1,366 Games Played

Surprisingly, LeBron James is the lone non-center among the top 10 on the list. Despite being undoubtedly among the best players to have ever played the game, The King is not immune to criticism. In fact, James’ failure to consistently make free throws has arguably received the most criticism during his career. The biggest critic in that regard has to be Skip Bayless.

James has not let poor free-throw shooting get in the way of his success, as he is a 4-time MVP with 4 NBA championships with 3 different teams. But shooting a career 73.4% from the stripe is not very impressive for a player of James’ caliber, and that has resulted in over 2,800 free throws missed. There is no doubt that LeBron will pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s regular-season record for most points scored, and if he would have been able to make free throws more consistently, the record would have been The King’s a very long time ago.

5. Walt Bellamy – 2,975 Missed Free Throws

FTM – FTA: 5,113-8,088

Stats: 20.1 PPG, 63.2% FT, 1,043 Games Played

Walt Bellamy, a renowned center who stands 6′ 11″ and was inducted into the Hall of Fame, has accomplished a lot in his career. When the big man put up 31.6 PPG and 19.0 RPG in his rookie season, he was named to four All-Star teams and won Rookie of the Year. In fact, the first five years of his career were legendary as he averaged 26.6 points per game and 16.5 rebounds per game.

As great as Bellamy was as an inside presence, he was not a reliable free-throw shooter. He shot 63.2% from the stripe, and that resulted in a whopping 2,975 free throws missed. Bellamy ranks 38th all-time in points scored with over 20,000 scored, but he should have retired with a higher points total because shooting under 65% from the stripe was not impressive at all.

4. Karl Malone – 3,401 Missed Free Throws

FTM – FTA: 9,787-13,188

Stats: 25.0 PPG, 74.2% FT, 1,476 Games Played

The Mailman will go down in history as one of the best offensive players of all time, as evidenced by his incredible scoring resume. But in the biggest of games, having a below-average free-throw shooter as your best scorer was not ideal. That is probably why Malone never won a championship in his career, because he could never make close to 80% from the line, which would have taken his scoring to an even higher level.

Malone is presently ranked third all-time in points scored, so that shouldn’t diminish his brilliance as a scorer. Malone dominated the NBA for two decades as a top-tier mid-range shooter with a potent post-game. Despite having a respectable 74.2% shooting percentage over his career, he nonetheless missed more than 3,000 free throws.

3. Dwight Howard – 4,094 Missed Free Throws

FTM – FTA: 5,361-9,455

Stats: 15.7 PPG, 56.7% FT, 1,242 Games Played

Yet another big man appears on this list, and it happens to be 3-time Defensive Player of the Year winner Dwight Howard. The big man is one of the most dominant defensive stars in NBA history because he combined strength and leaping ability with a very high basketball IQ.

But Dwight was often criticized for not being a more consistent offensive player since he hardly had a go-to move in the post as other superstar centers on this list had. A major criticism of Dwight’s game was his putrid free-throw shooting, as he missed over 4,000 free points over his career. With nearly 8 attempts per game, Howard was never able to make more than 4 on average, something that probably held him back a little bit.

2. Shaquille O’Neal – 5,317 Missed Free Throws

FTM – FTA: 5,935-11,252

Stats: 23.7 PPG, 52.7% FT, 1,207 Games Played

Shaquille O’Neal, the most menacing force of the contemporary era, was unstoppable in his prime. The large player frequently needed opponents to commit a foul in order to prevent him from converting an easy two-point shot. Shaq was to be fouled and sent to the line at all times as part of the game strategy. That was a great strategy because Shaq shot only a career 52.7% from the stripe.

O’Neal acknowledged that his free-throw shooting was terrible, and it was frequently amusing to witness how inefficient the center was from the stripe. Despite O’Neal’s dismal percentages, he was always known to deliver when it mattered. Shaq won despite missing over 5,300 free throws since the big man retired with four NBA championships and three Finals MVP awards.

1. Wilt Chamberlain – 5,805 Missed Free Throws

FTM – FTA: 6,057-11,862

Stats: 30.1 PPG, 51.1% FT, 1,045 Games Played

The first dominant physical force in NBA history, Wilt Chamberlain set the bar for Shaquille O’Neal to follow. Wilt was a beast of a man who stood 7’1″ tall and weighed 275 pounds. Wilt once scored 100 points in a single game because not even three defenders could adequately block his shots.

However, Chamberlain had one apparent flaw: he was terrible at hitting free throws. Wilt missed at least five free throws each game throughout his career due to his lifetime 51.1% free throw shooting rate. But amazingly, the center still managed to post over 30 PPG over his career, which is a testament to the player’s greatness as a post scorer and unstoppable athlete. 

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