Great free throw shooters rank last on the list of NBA historical achievements that are studied and admired. It is uncommon for good to exceptional foul shooters to receive accolades for their effective techniques at the charity stripe. Poor free throw shooters, on the other hand, are constantly made fun of and criticised for missing the lone shot on a basketball floor when there is no defence attempting to stop you.
Just like we did with the greatest mid-range and three-point shooters in the past, we will rank the top free throw shooters in NBA history today. Only these 20 players have ever scored more points while shooting more foul shots in NBA history. These 25 individuals, more than any other NBA player ever, not only knew how to go to the foul line regularly but also made the visits there enjoyable.
The top 20 free-throw shooters in NBA history are listed below.
20 NBA’s All-Time Best Free Throw Shooters
1. Terrell Brandon
The 25th-best free throw shooter in NBA history is the former point guard Terrell Brandon, who starts off our list. Before being forced to retire at the age of 31 in 2002 due to a knee injury, Brandon played in the league for 11 seasons. Brandon was a two-time All-Star and averaged over 19.0 points and 6.0 assists per game during his prime with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Terrell Brandon, a former point guard, is the first player on our list and ranks as the 25th-best free throw shooter in NBA history. Brandon played in the league for 11 seasons before being forced to retire at the age of 31 in 2002 as a result of a knee injury. During his peak with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Brandon was a two-time All-Star and averaged over 19.0 points and 6.0 assists per game.
Brandon is one of 32 NBA players with a lifetime free throw percentage of above 87.0%, despite taking fewer attempts from the line than most of the other players on this list.
You might also be interested in reading this: 10 of Today’s Best LA 3-Point Shooters
2. Ricky Pierce
From 1983 until 1998, Ricky Pierce played in the NBA for 16 seasons, spending time with the Pistons, Clippers, Bucks, SuperSonics, Pacers, Warriors, Nuggets, and Hornets. With the Bucks and SuperSonics in 1991, Pierce was an All-Star just once throughout those 16 seasons. He also won the Sixth Man of the Year award twice with the Bucks, in 1987 and 1990.
In terms of shooting free throws, Pierce was a master. He only ever had a career-high percentage from the line in 1991 and 1992. As a rookie in 1983, he only had one season where his free-throw percentage was lower than 80.0%, shooting 56.3% on just 0.8 attempts. Pierce would have at least 300 free throws made in three further seasons in addition to two seasons with at least 400 free throws made.
3. Trae Young
The first active NBA player to appear on our list is Trae Young, who has spent the previous five seasons with the Atlanta Hawks as one of the league’s best free-throw shooters. Since joining the NBA in 2018–19, Young has led the league in both total assists and total points on many occasions. He has also been selected to the All–NBA Team once and two times, respectively.
Young has consistently shot free throws with efficiency and accuracy. In each of his five NBA seasons, he has made at least 300 free throws, and his 484 free throws in 2021 were first in the league. As a rookie in 2019, he shot the free throws with the lowest percentage in his career (82.9% on 5.1 attempts). His current career high came in 2022 when he made 90.4% of his shots on 7.3 attempts.
Young is one of the NBA’s finest offensive weapons because of his ability to elude defenders and attack the hoop as well as his proficiency as a free-throw shooter.
4. Earl Boykins
Earl Boykins, one of the smallest players in NBA history, is 5’5″ tall. Boykins had a successful career that spanned 13 seasons with 10 different clubs from 1999 to 2012 despite never being an All-Star or All-NBA level player. Boykins averaged just 8.9 points and 3.2 assists per game over the course of his career while shooting 41.7% from the field, but he will be remembered for the tremendous amount of heart and fire with which he played the game.
Boykins seldom made it to the foul line since he was at such a disadvantage due to his height. Boykins only averaged at least two trips to the line per game in his career on four occasions, and he never averaged more than 4.0 free throws per game in a season. He made 200 free throws or more twice in a season, including a career-high 279 made in 2005 while playing for the Denver Nuggets.
5. Danilo Gallinari
Danilo Gallinari, an Italian basketball player, was selected by the New York Knicks as the sixth overall choice in the NBA Draught in 2008. Since then, Gallinari has had a respectable NBA career, scoring 15.6 points per game on 42.8% field goal shooting over the previous 15 seasons. In his career, he has played for the Knicks, Nuggets, Clippers, Thunder, and Hawks, yet he has yet to earn All-Star or All-NBA recognition, and most likely never will.
Gallinari has been one of the NBA’s most dependable free throw shooters over the past 15 years, despite the lack of personal recognition. On an average of 4.7 tries, he has six times in his career shot 90.0% or higher from the line. In his career, he has made at least 200 free throws three additional times and has made 300 or more four times. Gallinari was injured in 2023 and missed the whole season; nevertheless, in 2023–2024, he will aim to be one of Boston’s primary offensive weapons off the bench. They at least know he can make his free throws in any circumstance.
6. Kyle Korver
One of the finest all-around shooters in NBA history, Kyle Korver is renowned for his outstanding shooting technique. He is most known for his three-point shooting, which helped his career last 17 seasons and six different clubs. In his career, Korver, a former All-Star, topped the NBA in three-point shooting % four times.
A player’s frequency of trips to the free throw line will undoubtedly suffer from being a three-point expert. With a 91.4% conversion percentage in 2007, Korver led the NBA in free throw shooting despite this. Korver never attempted more than 3.0 free throws a game in a season yet four times in his career he hit over 90.0% from the line.
Even though he was consistently accurate from the charity line, opponents knew that you should never intentionally foul a team’s greatest shooter, which was Korver on every stop he made during his career.
7. Jeff Hornacek
For 13 of his 14 seasons in the NBA, Jeff Hornacek played shooting guard, most notably with the Phoenix Suns and Utah Jazz. When compared to now, Hornacek was one of the most dangerous perimeter players in the NBA at a time when that aspect of the game was hardly ever used. At his best, Hornacek averaged 20.0 points per game and was selected to one All-Star game in 1992 while playing for the Suns.
Hornacek was renowned for his accurate shooting from distance, but he was also skilled at slipping between defences to get to the basket, where he frequently came into contact and was fouled. In his career, he attempted the free throw line 3.1 times on average and went over 4.0 three times. He once shot more than 90.0% from the line when playing for the Jazz in 2000, when he led the NBA with a 95.0% percentage on just 2.3 attempts.
8. Dirk Nowitzki
Power forwards and 7-footers will no longer be viewed in the same manner, thanks to Dirk Nowitzki. Over the course of 21 seasons with the Dallas Mavericks, Dirk revolutionised the game with his finesse style of play, developing into the best big-man shooter the NBA has ever seen. He also perfected his famous one-legged fadeaway. Later, Nowitzki would go on to win the NBA championship, win MVP honours in the Finals, rank among the top-10 scorers in NBA history, and make 7,240 free throws.
From any point on the court, Nowitzki was a dead-eye shooter, and the foul line was no exception. Three times, including during his 2007 MVP campaign, when he finished with 50/40/90 shooting splits, he shot over 90.0% from the line. Nowitzki was the most prolific free throw shooter on this list, making 4.8 out of 5.4 tries per game, making him not just the most accomplished star on our list thus far.
Nowitzki would finish his career with a total of nine seasons with at least 400 made free throws, three seasons with at least 500, and 615 made in 2005, proving that even as a shooting big, he was still making the effort to maximise his return from the line of scrimmage.
9. Khris Middleton
The 17 NBA players who have a lifetime free throw percentage of 88.0% or higher are introduced as we move closer to the top 15 free throw shooters in NBA history. Khris Middleton, an 11-year veteran of the NBA who has played the last 10 seasons of his career with the Milwaukee Bucks, is the first of these guys. Middleton has contributed significantly to Milwaukee’s NBA championship drive in 2021 and has averaged 17.5 points per game since joining their squad in 2013–14. He has also been selected for three All-Star games.
As crucial as Middleton has been for Milwaukee, he has also contributed significantly at the foul line. Middleton has averaged 3.2 trips to the foul line per game over his career. Since 2020, he has twice shot 90% or higher and more than 89.0$ in each of the four seasons. Middleton has only had one season with 300 free throws made, in 2018, and five previous seasons with at least 200 made. This is despite his high free throw efficiency.
It’s reasonable to argue that Middleton’s increased aggression and success at the foul line would help Milwaukee.
10. Bill Sharman
Players from the NBA in the 1950s or 1960s will be incredibly hard to find on any rankings that rank efficiency. The free throw line is an exception for Bill Sharman. Sharman developed a reputation as a sniper during his twelve seasons with the Boston Celtics, when he made eight All-Star teams, was selected for seven All-NBA Teams, and helped the club win four NBA titles.
Sharman was the best free throw shooter in the NBA, going to the line 5.0 times on average per game over the course of his career and missing only 416 of them. Sharman was the NBA’s top free throw shooter seven times, including five straight seasons from 1953 to 1957 when he averaged 87.3%. In his career, he went over 90% from the line three times, and during the Celtics’ dominant postseason run, he went over 90% on 5.2 occasions.
11. Kyrie Irving
In addition to having some of the best handles in NBA history, Kyrie Irving is one of the most talented players in the league right now. 4.4 attempts per game over his career have allowed Irving, who has become one of the finest to ever do it, to earn his way to the foul line with cunning moves and finishes. In the previous 12 years of his career, Irving has been an eight-time All-Star and a champion of the NBA. He is still working to add to his résumé, however.
Getting to the foul line is a new strategy he can use to succeed in the stat book and the victory column. Since the 2019–20 season, he has made at least 90% of his attempts at the line, including the 50–40–90 shooting season of 2021. In his career, Irving has been remarkably reliable from the line, posting eight seasons with at least 200 made free throws and 300 once.
I anticipate seeing Irving go to the foul line more frequently when he embarks on a new phase of his career with the Mavericks in 2023–24 since, as it stands, he is one of the NBA’s finest players at capitalising on such opportunities.
12. Kevin Durant
There is no denying Kevin Durant’s status as one of the best and most talented scorers in NBA history. With four NBA scoring crowns, two NBA championships, two Finals MVP awards, and an MVP award to his name over the span of 16 seasons, Durant has nearly perfected all three levels of scoring. His effort at the foul line is another underappreciated aspect of his domination and accuracy.
Durant was virtually certain to lead the NBA in free throw attempts and makes early in his career while playing for the Thunder. Every season from 2010 through 2014, Durant has the most free throws made in the NBA, shooting 88.6% from the line. By making 679 of 750 free throw attempts, or 95.0%, he topped the NBA in 2013. Durant has hit over 500 free throws in a season four times in his career, and in 2010 and 2014, he hit over 700.
13. Larry Bird
The history of the NBA is replete with references to the mythology of Larry Bird. With three NBA championships, two Finals MVPs, and three MVP trophies in 13 seasons with the Boston Celtics from 1980 to 1992, he is one of the best players in the history of the sport. In addition to his trash-talking, what really cemented Bird’s place in history was his legendary scoring, and more especially, his shooting.
Bird was able to score from any point on the court, but this was especially true at the free-throw line. With an average of 5.0 attempts per game throughout the course of his career, Bird was the league leader in free throw percentage four times. He also had five performances of 90.0% or higher, including his 50/40/90 seasons in 1987 and 1988.
Given his reputation as a shooter and all-around player, Bird’s inclusion on this list is to be anticipated. Bird was one of the NBA’s most effective free-throw shooters in history, missing only 511 of 4,471 tries over the span of 13 seasons.
14. Reggie Miller
Reggie Miller previously held the title of NBA Three-Point King before Ray Allen and Stephen Curry usurped him. In addition to being a fantastic shooter, Miller had a reputation as a trash-talking celebrity who irritated rivals and their supporters everywhere. There was no denying that for the five-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA Team selection, shooting the basketball came effortlessly. If you liked him, you adored him; if you despised him, you detested him.
From 1988 until 2005, Miller spent 18 seasons with the Indiana Pacers, when he four times led the NBA in free-throw shooting. Miller attempted 4.5 free throws on average per game while going to the line 5.1 times on average each game. Miller surpassed 500 free throws twice throughout his career and made at least 400 free throws seven times. Miller, one of the best shooters in NBA history, built a fortune by shocking his opponents in the closing minutes of games, particularly from the free-throw line.
15. Scott Skiles
Former NBA point guard Scott Skiles, who is currently the head coach, played in the NBA from 1987 to 1996 for ten seasons. As a player, he is most remembered for setting the unbeatable NBA record of 30 assists in a single game in 1990 while playing for the Orlando Magic. In 1991, while playing with the Magic, Skiles was again awarded the NBA’s Most Improved Player.
Skiles did not frequently push his way to the foul line throughout his career. In his ten seasons in the NBA, he made exactly 2.9 free throw attempts per game on average, missing just 193 shots in all. In three different seasons over a period of ten years, Skiles made over 200 free throws, reaching 340 in 1991. He had two seasons where he made more than 90% of his free throws and two additional seasons where he made at least 89.0%.
16. Calvin Murphy
Another point guard who makes it onto this list is Calvin Murphy, who played for the Houston Rockets team from 1971 to 1983. Murphy played for the Rockets for his whole career, where he averaged 17.9 points and 4.4 assists per game while also being named an All-Star in 1979. Murphy was one of the best free throw shooters of his day and averaged 20.0 points per game on many occasions.
In the course of his career, Murphy attempted 3.9 free throws per game on average. With free throw percentages above 92.0% in both 1981 and 1983, he twice led the NBA in the early 1980s. Four additional times in his career, including a career-high of 95.8% in 1981, he shot over 90.0% from the line. Murphy would also have 10 seasons with at least 200 made free throws, with five of those seasons seeing more than 300 made.
17. J.J. Redick
J.J. Redick has consistently been regarded as one of the finest all-around shooters in the world, both in college at Duke University and in the NBA. Redick and Curry both play in a very similar manner in that they spend most of their time working off screens and getting away from the ball. Jump shooter specialists don’t normally reach the foul line much, but when they do, like in J.J. Redick’s case, they make it count.
J.J. Redick averaged 2.5 trips to the line per game throughout the course of his career. In his 2,310 career tries, he only missed 250 times, enough for a lifetime three-point percentage of 41.5%. Redick averaged 12.8 points per game throughout the course of his career, however, he was never selected for an All-Star game or an NBA Team. Throughout his career, Redick only had one season in which he made more than 200 of his tries while having seven seasons in which he shot at least 90.0% from the line.
18. Ray Allen
Ray Allen will always be remembered as one of the NBA’s all-time best three-point shooters among casual NBA fans. They had foggy memories of him during his tenure as one of the NBA’s top scorers and players in Milwaukee and Seattle. Allen, a 10-time All-Star, two-time NBA champion, and previous three-point record holder, made one of the most famous three-pointers in NBA Finals history in 2013.
However, Allen was much more than simply a shooter, which led to numerous trips to the foul line. Allen attempted 3.8 free throws a game throughout the course of his 18-year career, peaking at 5.5 attempts. Allen shot free throws at a 90.0% clip for more than half of his career, particularly during his time with the Celtics in the 2000s. When he played for the Milwaukee Bucks, where the majority of his six seasons with at least 300 made free throws occurred, he was much more active at the foul line.
19. Steve Nash
The former two-time MVP and one of the best playmakers in NBA history, Steve Nash, is ranked No. 2 on our list. From 1997 until 2014, Nash played in the NBA for 18 seasons, mostly with the Dallas Mavericks and Phoenix Suns. In his career, he made eight All-Star selections, garnered five assists crowns, and won two MVP honours.
The effectiveness of his shooting and scoring, including his work at the foul line, was one of his more underappreciated skills. Only twice in his career did Nash lead the NBA, but nine times did he shoot over 90% from the line. Nash didn’t score and wasn’t expected to, but he does have four seasons with 50/40/90 shooting splits to his credit.
20. Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry tops our list of the best free throw shooters in NBA history, which should come as no surprise. Curry has one of the best resumes in NBA history and shoots an unbelievable 90.9% from the charity line. Curry has won four NBA championships since 2015, one Finals MVP award, two MVP awards, and is regarded as the best shooter in NBA history.
Curry was essentially a lock to be the best free throw shooter ever because of his uncanny ability to hit shots from all ranges. In 10 of his 14 NBA seasons, Stephen Curry has made at least 90% of his free throw attempts. With 4.3 attempts per game, he has pushed his way to the line significantly more than his three-point shooting competitors. In his career, Curry has had six seasons with at least 200 made free throws and five with at least 300.
It will be fascinating to observe how frequently Curry visits the foul line in 2023–24. With Chris Paul joining the team, he will be working off the ball to locate his shot much more frequently than in seasons past. He will be 36 years old throughout the season. Given the limited number of shots from this point on, I anticipate that his NBA-record free throw % will hold.
