In basketball, free throw shooting is a technical skill that can make the difference in the outcome of a game. It can bring joy or, in the case of a miss, lead to defeat. Many NBA players have made a name for themselves with this important skill.
However, many other players who have played on NBA courts do not possess this ability, ending their NBA careers with terrible numbers and percentages from the free throw line. So, after looking at the best NBA free throw shooters, here is the darker side of the coin with a ranking of the worst free throw shooters of all time.
Worst NBA Free Throw Shooter
The NBA player with the worst free throw shooting percentage is Ben Wallace, with a 41.4% success rate, resulting from 1,570 misses out of 2,679 free throws attempted during his 17-year NBA career with Detroit, Washington, Chicago, Orlando, and Cleveland.
Despite his poor shooting from the line, Ben Wallace won the NBA championship with the Detroit Pistons in 2004 and had excellent defensive skills that led him to win the Defensive Player of the Year award four times (2002, 2003, 2005, 2006), as well as the Best Rebounder award twice (2002 and 2003) and the Best Shot Blocker award (2002).
Among active players, the numbers of three centers stand out (in a negative way): Andre Drummond, currently playing for the Chicago Bulls, and DeAndre Jordan, center for the Denver Nuggets.
Below is the ranking of the worst free-throw shooters in the NBA (last updated: March 14, 2023).
Ranking of the Worst NBA Free-Throw Shooters
| # | Player | Missed free-throws | % |
| 1 | Ben Wallace | 1.570 | 41,4 |
| 2 | Andre Drummond | 1.766 | 47,5 |
| DeAndre Jordan | 1.892 | 47,5 | |
| 4 | Wilt Chamberlain | 5.805 | 51,1 |
| 5 | Shaquille O’Neal | 5.317 | 52,7 |
| 6 | Johnny Green | 1.891 | 55,3 |
| 7 | Bill Russell | 2.466 | 56,1 |
| 8 | Dwight Howard | 4.094 | 56,7 |
| 9 | Josh Smith | 1.380 | 63,2 |
| Walt Bellamy | 2.975 | 63,2 | |
| 11 | Antoine Walker | 2.975 | 63,2 |
| 12 | Vin Baker | 1.371 | 63,8 |
| 13 | Rudy Gobert | 1.228 | 63,9 |
| 14 | Wayne Embry | 1.347 | 64,0 |
| 15 | Tyson Chandler | 1.321 | 64,4 |
Worst NBA Free-Throw Shooters currently active
| # | Player | Missed free-throws | % |
| 1 | Andre Drummond | 1.766 | 47,5 |
| DeAndre Jordan | 1.869 | 47,5 | |
| 3 | Clint Capela | 716 | 53,1 |
| 4 | Steven Adams | 945 | 53,6 |
| 5 | Bismack Biyombo | 725 | 55,7 |
| 6 | Mason Plumlee | 1.005 | 56,6 |
| 7 | JaVale McGee | 623 | 60,4 |
| 8 | Rudy Gobert | 1.228 | 63,9 |
| 9 | Thaddeus Young | 717 | 66,3 |
| Montrezl Harrell | 603 | 66,3 |
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Author: Zeno Schievenin
March 25, 2023 | 1:47 pm
