20 NBA Players Who Missed The Most Shots In League History

Offensive stars are required to carry their teams on offense, and that will never change. The elite stars can do it night after night and even year after year with their franchises. The elite offensive players have shown the mental and physical fortitude to get the job done, and often receive a ton of praise because of that. They say defense wins championships, which is true, but the offense is a necessity to even be in the position to win games. The aim of basketball is to put the ball in the back of the net.

But we have seen throughout NBA history that even elite players miss shots because even the greatest shooters and scorers can’t make every shot they take. That’s because perfection is simply impossible. Players who miss a lot of shots have a tendency to take bad shots, a lot of shots, or are simply high-volume scorers with a long history of carrying the offense for their teams. Here are the 20 NBA players with the most missed field goals in NBA history, and there will certainly be some recognizable names at the very top of the list.

20. Hal Greer – 10,307 Missed Shots

FGM – FGA: 8,504 – 18,811 

Stats: 19.2 PPG, 45.2% FG, 1,122 Games Played

A Hall of Famer, Hal Greer was a 10-time All-Star who excelled for the Philadelphia 76ers and Syracuse Nationals for more than a decade. Greer, a capable scorer who was in elite class during the 1960s, won the NBA championship in 1967 while playing for Philadelphia thanks to his scoring ability. The shooting guard earned his fame through his offensive consistency, 10 All-Star selections, and 7 All-NBA team selections.

Greer averaged at least 20 PPG 8 times in his career and was one of the primary scoring options on his team year after year. Therefore, he kicks off the list of players with the most missed field goals in NBA history. The shooting guard averaged 45.2% from the field over his career, meaning he missed over 10,000 shots from the floor.

19. Alex English – 10,377 Missed Shots

FGM – FGA: 10,659 – 21,036

Stats: 21.5 PPG, 50.7% FG, 21.7% 3-PT FG, 1,193 Games Played

Alex English, a legendary member of the Nuggets franchise, offered Denver a ton of scoring prowess and success during his prime. English spent the majority of his career with the Nuggets, where he amassed a stellar scoring record and even won the 1983 scoring title. English, who averaged over 25 points per game while playing for Denver, made 8 consecutive All-Star teams.

While English also played for the Indiana Pacers (2 seasons), Milwaukee Bucks (2 seasons), and Dallas Mavericks (1 season), he made his fame in Denver. Some of his best scoring seasons with the Nuggets include highs of 29.8 PPG, 28.6 PPG, 28.4 PPG, and 27.9 PPG. A 6’7” small forward with a soft touch and silky shot, Alex English was clearly a superstar offensive talent, but that also came with missed shots. The forward shot 50.7% from the field, which is extremely respectable, so his 10,377 missed shots is also respectably low.

18. Ray Allen – 10,388 Missed Shots 

FGM – FGA: 8,567 – 18955

Stats: 18.9 PPG, 45.2% FG, 40.0% 3-PT FG, 1,300 Games Played

Ray Allen is widely regarded as the second or third-best shooter of all time because the shooting guard was one of the best off-ball movers in NBA history. Allen could come off screens, spot up for shots, and also handle the ball and create for himself in his prime years. Ray shot a career 40.0% from three over his 1,300 games played, an incredible statistic.

But he was also money from mid-range, and he finished with a career average of 45.2% from the field. Allen was required to carry his team on the offensive end with the Milwaukee Bucks and Seattle SuperSonics, and that could have slightly hurt his percentages. But he was an elite marksman and was even more effective in terms of efficiency when he played alongside other stars, including Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, LeBron James, and Dwyane Wade.

17. Kevin Garnett – 10,637 Missed Shots

FGM – FGA: 10,505 – 21,142

Stats: 17.8 PPG, 49.7% FG, 27.5% 3-PT FG, 1,462 Games Played

Kevin Garnett was mainly a defensive enforcer, but he could score the ball at a superstar level as well. The Big Ticket averaged 17.8 PPG on 49.7% shooting from the field over his career, very solid numbers in over 1,400 games played. Garnett carried the Minnesota Timberwolves on offense in his prime and was able to accept a secondary role once he joined Paul Pierce with the Boston Celtics.

Garnett was mainly a mid-range scorer, although he could score around the basket at an elite level when he crashed the offensive boards and wanted to use his post moves on the block. The Big Ticket was certainly a finesse player, but that did not affect his shooting percentages much. Garnett hardly took three-point shots, but when he did, he could make them sometimes as he shot under 30% from three over his career. Overall, as a scorer, Garnett was at a superstar level for most of his career and that came down to his versatility even if he missed over 10,000 shots with over 21,000 shots taken.

16. Russell Westbrook – 10,683 Missed Shots

FGM – FGA: 8,322 – 19,005

Stats: 22.8 PPG, 43.8% FG, 30.5% 3-PT FG, 1,021 Games Played

Russell Westbrook has a reputation for being a player who is inefficient with his scoring and shooting ability. But he only ranks 16th among players with the most missed shots with 10,683 missed field goals out of 19,005 shots taken. Westbrook does have a shooting percentage of 43.8% from the field, which isn’t great but isn’t necessarily disastrous. Russ ranks 16th mainly because he was also an elite facilitator over his career.

Westbrook certainly dominated the ball, even at his advanced age, but that normally lent itself to points or himself or others. The fact that Russ averages a career 8.4 APG is a testament to the fact that the point guard was not taking all the shots on the floor, as he was normally willing to create for others when the opportunity presented itself. Westbrook’s tendency to go for assists did take away from his field-goals attempts as well, which cut down on his misses.

15. Paul Pierce – 10,797 Missed Shots

FGM – FGA: 8,668 – 19,465

Stats: 19.7 PPG, 44.5% FG, 36.8% 3-PT FG, 1,343 Games Played

Paul Pierce is a Hall of Famer because of his elite offensive ability, make no mistake about that. As soon as his second season, the small forward was responsible for being a primary scoring option for the Boston Celtics. He answered the call by averaging at least 20 PPG for 8 seasons with Boston, making 10 All-Star Teams. Armed with a sniper of a mid-range jumper and a consistent three, Pierce was always a threat on the court.

Naturally, Pierce missed a lot of shots because of the fact he carried the Boston Celtics year after year on offense until he got the help he needed in the forms of Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Known as “The Truth”, Pierce had to answer the call in clutch moments, along with getting shots up at the end of the shot clock. With a career field goal percentage of 44.5%, Pierce normally answered the call.

14. Wilt Chamberlain – 10,816 Missed Shots

FGM – FGA: 12681 – 23497

Stats: 30.1 PPG, 54.0% FG, 1,045 Games Played

Wilt Chamberlain averaged 30.1 PPG over his illustrious career and famously scored 100 points in a single game. His season average of 50.4 PPG in 1962 is impressively rated as the greatest ever because no player has come close to matching that statistic. Obviously, Wilt found it too easy to score around the rim, and that is why he accumulated so many points by the end of his career. In 1,045 games played, Wilt made over 12,000 buckets.

But he also missed over 10,000 shots, signaling a career field-goal percentage of 54.0%. That number is very respectable because again, the center averaged over 30 PPG over his career. Playing in an era with smaller players around him gave the center plenty of opportunities to shoot over them, and he was able to score easily as a result. The fact that Wilt ranks only 14th on this list is impressive because he took so many shots.

13. Allen Iverson – 11,439 Missed Shots

FGM – FGA: 8,467 – 19,906

Stats: 26.7 PPG, 42.5% FG, 31.3% 3-PT FG, 914 Games Played

Allen Iverson has to be recognized as one of the top-ten scorers of all time, as he ranks 7th all-time in career PPG average and won an incredible 4 scoring titles despite barely standing 6’0” and only weighing 165 lbs. Iverson had the mentality to dominate the ball and score at a high level, with zero consciousness about how many shots he missed. Of course, that made him a fan favorite.

But Iverson was more than just a popular star in the NBA because his scoring record was incredible when he was a member of the Philadelphia 76ers. He won the MVP award with the franchise and even led an average team to the NBA Finals in 2001. Known as “The Answer”, Iverson scored the ball by attacking and finishing at the rim and also by creating from mid-range. With over 19,000 shots attempted, Iverson missed over 11,000 shots. That isn’t a great record in terms of efficiency, but it got the job done when it came to accumulating points.

12. Elgin Baylor – 11,478 Missed Shots

FGM – FGA: 8,693 – 20,171

Stats: 27.4 PPG, 43.1% FG, 846 Games Played

Elgin Baylor was tremendously dominant as a member of the Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers because he was more physically gifted and skilled than most at his position. He is one of the greatest players in NBA history to have never won a championship. Despite this, Baylor has the third-highest PPG average overall. Quite frankly, it is very likely that no other player could score more than 38 points per game in a single season again, so Baylor will probably hold the record for the highest PPG average in Lakers history when he dropped 38.3 PPG in 1962.

Elgin scored more than 24 points per game on average for 11 seasons and recorded 38.3 PPG, 34.8 PPG, and 34.0 PPG with the Lakers. The All-Star small forward was a threat both in the half-court and during transition since he possessed practically every offensive trick in the book. Anytime a player scores at this clip, it is only expected that he missed some of his field goals. Baylor averaged 43.1% from the floor, meaning he missed over half his shot attempts.

11. Dominique Wilkins – 11,626 Missed Shots

FGM – FGA: 9,963 – 21,589

Stats: 24.8 PPG, 46.1% FG, 31.9% 3-PT FG, 1,074 Games Played

Dominique Wilkins, the third-overall pick in the 1982 NBA Draft, made a big impression when he averaged 17.5 points per game and was named to the All-Rookie Team. Wilkins would average more than 21 PPG for 11 seasons in a row, including seasons with averages of 27.4 PPG, 28.1 PPG, 29.0 PPG, 29.9 PPG, 30.3 PPG, and 30.7 PPG.

Wilkins, one of the most recognizable superstars of all time, took home the scoring title in 1988 after averaging 30.3 PPG. Wilkins, a spectacular offensive player, and high-flyer is vying to be named one of the NBA’s most underappreciated players. Not to mention, when one thinks of the Atlanta Hawks, Wilkins is the first name to come to mind. An elite scorer with a career average of 24.8 PPG, Dominique missed over 11,000 shots from the field in his career over 1,074 games played.

10. Vince Carter – 12,046 Missed Shots

FGM – FGA: 9,293 – 21,339

Stats: 16.7 PPG, 43.5% FG, 37.1% 3-PT FG, 1,541 Games Played

Vince Carter established the Toronto Raptors as one of the most popular franchises in basketball because they were overlooked due to being located in Canada. However, the best dunker of all time set a precedent in Toronto, winning Rookie of the Year after scoring 18.3 PPG in his inaugural campaign. After that, Carter made 6 All-Star Teams in a row mainly due to his elite athleticism and scoring ability.

After his debut season, Vinsanity had an incredible scoring record with the Raptors: 25.7 PPG, 27.6 PPG, 24.7 PPG, 20.6 PPG, and 22.5 PPG. These impressive results played a significant role in the Raptors’ rise to prominence as a top destination franchise. Sure, Carter could score at the rim by gaining a head of steam, but he was also an excellent three-point shooter, which helped him accumulate points. In his career, Carter missed over 12,000 shots over 22 years of playing in the NBA.

9. Michael Jordan – 12,345 Missed Shots

FGM – FGA: 12,192 – 24,537

Stats: 30.1 PPG, 49.7% FG, 32.7% 3-PT FG, 1,072 Games Played

Michael Jordan was certainly a gunner, as he took over 24,000 shots in his career despite playing in 15 seasons. Had he not retired in 1994, 1999, 2000, and 2001, MJ would have had many more shot attempts. Either way, Jordan finished his career with the highest career PPG average of all time by edging Wilt Chamberlain. MJ knew how to pick his spots, as he shot almost 50% from the floor over his career.

An elite mid-range scorer who can finish at the rim at an elite level, MJ won 10 scoring titles by carrying the offense night after night. The superstar shooting guard was not known as a terrific three-point shooter, mainly because teams did not prioritize it in the 1980s and 1990s, but he attempted enough of them to get his shot attempts up. Either way, the greatest scorer of all time finished 9th all-time in the most missed shots in NBA history.

8. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar – 12,470 Missed Shots

FGM – FGA: 15,837 – 28,307

Stats: 24.6 PPG, 55.9% FG, 5.6% 3-PT FG, 1,560 Games Played

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, arguably the most dominant and successful center in history, made his reputation with the Milwaukee Bucks by winning an NBA title, but the Los Angeles Lakers were where he found his true renown. The center terrorized defenders every year with the one shot that was unstoppable in NBA history. The sky hook was the most devastating offensive move we had ever seen, and it still hasn’t been surpassed.

In his first three NBA seasons with the Bucks, Kareem won two scoring championships. Even if he did not replicate these feats, he would average over 20 points per game for 11 straight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. Of course, the center played 20 years in the league and was a primary or at least a secondary scoring option for most of his career. Naturally, he missed a lot of shots but made most of them because he averaged 55.9% from the floor despite taking over 28,000 field goal attempts.

7. Carmelo Anthony – 12,524 Missed Shots

FGM – FGA: 10,119 – 22,643

Stats: 22.5 PPG, 44.7% FG, 35.5% 3-PT FG, 1,260 Games Played

Carmelo Anthony has been a score-first, score-second, and score-third player for most of his career. Anthony has some of the best offensive skills of all time, as he currently has a career average of 22.5 PPG on 44.7% shooting from the field. These are very solid numbers because Anthony has had a long career with over 1,200 games played as of the 2022 off-season.

Carmelo, as expected, missed a ton of shots as well. Competing for the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks as the first option for most of his career, Anthony was required to carry the offensive burden year after year. The superstar forward took mid-range shots, post shots, and even three-pointers, whether contested or not. Anthony never saw a shot he didn’t like, and that meant he missed the mark a lot of the time.

6. Dirk Nowitzki – 12,565 Missed Shots

FGM – FGA: 11,169 – 23,734

Stats: 20.7 PPG, 47.1% FG, 38.0% 3-PT FG, 1,522 Games Played

Dirk Nowitzki is one of the most efficient scorers of all time, as he ranks 6th all-time in points scored with career averages of 47.1% from the field and 38.0% from three. The German had one of the most unstoppable shots in NBA history in the form of a one-legged fadeaway, as it was unblockable and almost impossible to contest. Dirk’s career average of 20.7 PPG is also extremely impressive.

Nowitzki played over 1,500 games in his career with the Dallas Mavericks and was the primary option for most of his career. The German was supremely efficient from mid-range, the paint, and also from three-point land because he is one of the 10 greatest shooters of all time. The fact that he stood 7’0” was also amazing, meaning he was hardly deterred by defenders. Playing 21 years in the league as a primary scoring option, ranking 6th all-time in missed shots should not be an issue considering he shot the ball so well.

5. Karl Malone – 12,682 Missed Shots

FGM – FGA: 13,528 – 26,210

Stats: 25.0 PPG, 51.6% FG, 27.4% 3-PT FG, 1,476 Games Played

Karl “The Mailman” Malone took a ton of shots over his career, and he made a lot of them as well. Playing alongside the all-time assist leader in John Stockton helped the power forward pad his stats, as the big man averaged 25.0 PPG on 51.6% shooting from the field. Malone played over 1,400 games played because his physical gifts and basketball IQ helped him play a very long time for the Utah Jazz.

Malone still ranks 5th all-time in missed shots with over 12,600 field goals that did not hit the mark. The majority of Malone’s shots came from mid-range and around the rim because the big man only attempted a total of 310 three-pointers in his career. The Mailman is one of the greatest scorers of all time, as his point guard’s play in the pick-n-roll was simply devastating for defenses year after year.

4. LeBron James – 13,282 Missed Shots

FGM – FGA: 13,543 – 26,825

Stats: 27.1 PPG, 50.5% FG, 34.6% 3-PT FG, 1,366 Games Played

LeBron James has played for so long, it is only natural for him to rank among the top 5 players in NBA history in terms of shots missed. The King has been an efficient scorer for most of his career because he is a battering ram when he attacks the rim and gets most of his points around the basket. James has missed over 13,000 shots so far, and he has made over 13,500 of them. As he has aged, LeBron has fallen more in love with the three-point shot and he has shot a career 34.6% 3-PT FG.

LeBron has an average of 27.1 PPG in his career at a 50.5% clip, and he has managed to keep his efficiency as he enters his 20th season. The King has played over 1,300 games in his career and is considered a pass-first player. James is not recognized as a scorer, but he ranks 2nd all-time in field goals attempted behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. James should start being recognized as a scorer even if he is not the most consistent outside shooter because the volume speaks for itself.

3. Elvin Hayes – 13,296 Missed Shots

FGM – FGA: 10,976 – 24,272

Stats: 21.0 PPG, 45.2% FG, 14.7% 3-PT FG, 1,303 Games Played

It might be surprising to see a big man appear in the top 3, but not when it is Elvin Hayes. Hayes is one of the all-time great bigs because he won an NBA championship, a scoring title, 12 All-Star Teams, and 6 All-NBA Team selections. But he was a score-first player who took a ton of shots over his career because he attempted over 18 FGA on average over 16 seasons. A post scorer, Hayes knew where his bread was buttered.

Hayes played 1,303 games in his career, a terrific achievement, and he shot over 24,000 shots from the field. The big man made almost 11,000 shots from the field, meaning he missed over 13,000 field goals. Hayes had one of the greatest runs in NBA history as a rookie because he won a scoring title and averaged over 25 PPG for 4 straight seasons. Of course, Hayes averaged over 23 FGA per season during that span.

2. John Havlicek – 13,417 Missed Shots

FGM – FGA: 10,513 – 23,930

Stats: 20.8 PPG, 43.9% FG, 1,270 Games Played

A Boston Celtics legend and one of the icons of the NBA, John Havlicek averaged 20.8 PPG in his career that spanned 16 seasons. Havlicek was a terrific scorer as a 6’5” small forward, getting what he wanted on the court around the rim and from the perimeter. Known as “Hondo”, Havlicek was often the primary scorer for Celtics teams that featured a host of other elite Hall of Fame talents.

As expected, Havlicek dominated the NBA with the Celtics franchise even if it meant he took (and missed) a lot of field goals. The superstar forward missed more shots than he made, a hallmark of most offensive stars that played a long time, and that constituted a 43.9% field goal percentage. That did not hinder the Celtics, as he made important buckets en route to a whopping 8 NBA championships.

1. Kobe Bryant – 14,481 Missed Shots

FGM – FGA: 11,719 – 26,200

Stats: 25.0 PPG, 44.7% FG, 32.9% 3-PT FG, 1,346 Games Played

Kobe Bryant is the greatest chucker of all time, as he would take 30 shots per game if he was allowed to in Phil Jackson’s system. Even when required to be a team player, he still shot over 26,000 shots from the field and managed to make close to 45% of them. A lot of those shots were at the end of the shot clock, mainly because the shooting guard was the greatest bail-out option ever. There wasn’t a shot Kobe didn’t feel like he couldn’t make.

Bryant missed over 1,000 shots more than John Havlicek, an incredible fact to consider. While some critics will point to that as a signal of Bryant’s inefficiency, but that should be put to bed because the Lakers’ superstar ended up winning 5 championships and 2 Finals MVPs with that playing style. Kobe was an elite passer and all-around basketball player, but he was also an incredible volume scorer who averaged 25.0 PPG in his career and once scored 81 points in a single game. 

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