YouTube Gold: Rick Barry On Free Throws

If you don’t know, you’re about to be surprised

Back in the 1970’s, the NBA used to have a weekly game on Sundays (this was pre-cable and you were lucky to get any basketball at all) and at halftime they had a feature called Red On Roundball.

The Red in question was Boston legend Red Auerbach, who had various guests on to discuss aspects of the game, including, in this episode, Rick Barry.

Barry, still the fourth best free throw shooter in NBA history, had a famously unique style: he shot them underhanded.

As Auerbach points out, decades prior that was the standard way to shoot free throws. Barry, who has campaigned for more than 50 years to get more people to shoot underhanded free throws, explains his technique and it works great.

Problem is, no one wants to shoot the “granny shot.”

Auerbach also brings on Jamaal Wilkes, who had a famously awkward shot, and he also hit his free throw.

Moral of the story, brilliantly simplified by Auerbach: shoot it however you want, as long as you are comfortable with it and the shot goes in.