Shaquille O'Neal, Wilt Chamberlain, and Bill Russell sucked at FT's too.

[MP.Trey]

The difference, in Shaq and Wilt's case at least, was that they were so dominant on the offensive end, that it more than compensated for their incompetence at the free throw line.

It's pretty common sense, but I came in to post practically the exact same thing.

[JimmyMcAdocious]

Shaq made his FTs when it counted.

Has someone ever looked it up? I have never seen any statistical proof either way.

Curious is all, since Shaq seems to say it once a week on TNT.

[andgar923]

Shaq made his FTs when it counted.

came here to say this.

[CavaliersFTW]

So?

If his only problem was FTs then you have a point.

But it's not. Shaq and Wilt are 10 tiers above Dwight offensively.

That WAS my point - so basically, we agree

[Deuce Bigalow]

Has someone ever looked it up? I have never seen any statistical proof either way.

Curious is all, since Shaq seems to say it once a week on TNT.

00 WCF Game 7: 8-12 FT
02 WCF Game 6: 13-17 FT
02 WCF Game 7: 11-15 FT

[Dresta]

If you miss as many FT's as Shaq then you self-evidently must have missed some that counted.

Shaq shot less than 30% from the line in the 2006 finals; yes, they won, but not because of him. In several instances Zo was preferred to him in the 4th quarter.

[RoundMoundOfReb]

Shaq career elimination games ft shooting:

1994 game 3 vs Indiana - 5/10 - L
1995 game 7 Indiana - 3/11 - W
1995 game 4 Houston - 3/8 - L
1996 game 4 chicago - 6/9 - L
1997 game 5 utah - 5/9 - L
1998 game 4 utah - 10/18 - L
1999 game 4 san antonio - 12/23 - L
2000 game 7 portland - 8/12 - W
2002 game 6 sac - 13/17 - W
2002 game 7 sac - 11/15 - W
2003 game 6 spurs - 5/10 - L
2004 game 5 detroit - 6/16 - L
2005 game 7 detroit - 5/10 - L
2007 game 4 chicago - 0/7 - L
2008 game 4 spurs - 5/10 - W
2008 game 5 spurs - 9/20 - L
2010 game 6 celtics - 3/6 - L
2011 game 5 miami - 0/0 - L

Total: 109/211 = 51.7%
Career shooting: 52.7%

Myth busted.

[LeGOAT]

Those guys are 5 times the player Dwight is so their ft struggles are easier to over look.

[andgar923]

Shaq career elimination games ft shooting:

1994 game 3 vs Indiana - 5/10 - L
1995 game 7 Indiana - 3/11 - W
1995 game 4 Houston - 3/8 - L
1996 game 4 chicago - 6/9 - L
1997 game 5 utah - 5/9 - L
1998 game 4 utah - 10/18 - L
1999 game 4 san antonio - 12/23 - L
2000 game 7 portland - 8/12 - W
2002 game 6 sac - 13/17 - W
2002 game 7 sac - 11/15 - W
2003 game 6 spurs - 5/10 - L
2004 game 5 detroit - 6/16 - L
2005 game 7 detroit - 5/10 - L
2007 game 4 chicago - 0/7 - L
2008 game 4 spurs - 5/10 - W
2008 game 5 spurs - 9/20 - L
2010 game 6 celtics - 3/6 - L
2011 game 5 miami - 0/0 - L

Total: 109/211 = 51.7%
Career shooting: 52.7%

Myth busted.

At what point of the game did he make them tho?

I think that

[Deuce Bigalow]

Shaq career elimination games ft shooting:

1994 game 3 vs Indiana - 5/10 - L
1995 game 7 Indiana - 3/11 - W
1995 game 4 Houston - 3/8 - L
1996 game 4 chicago - 6/9 - L
1997 game 5 utah - 5/9 - L
1998 game 4 utah - 10/18 - L
1999 game 4 san antonio - 12/23 - L
2000 game 7 portland - 8/12 - W
2002 game 6 sac - 13/17 - W
2002 game 7 sac - 11/15 - W
2003 game 6 spurs - 5/10 - L
2004 game 5 detroit - 6/16 - L
2005 game 7 detroit - 5/10 - L
2007 game 4 chicago - 0/7 - L
2008 game 4 spurs - 5/10 - W
2008 game 5 spurs - 9/20 - L
2010 game 6 celtics - 3/6 - L
2011 game 5 miami - 0/0 - L

Total: 109/211 = 51.7%
Career shooting: 52.7%

Myth busted.

Yeah and Kobe isn't clutch either

[RoundMoundOfReb]

[QUOTE=andgar923]At what point of the game did he make them tho?

I think that

[RoundMoundOfReb]

Yeah and Kobe isn't clutch either

Huh?

[LAZERUSS]

The rules back in Russell and Wilt's era were 2 to make 1 and 3 to make 2. Hack-a-whoever wasn't as good an idea as it would be today. Though I'm sure there are examples of it at certain times.

Most here were never aware of either of those facts, nor that ALL FTs counted. Another point... they also had single shot FTAs at the time. If a player was fouled while not in the act of shooting, and it occurred in the first five fouls of a quarter, they were awarded a single FT. If they made it it, the other team gained possession, and if they missed it, it was a rebound fight.

[RoundMoundOfReb]

The rules back in Russell and Wilt's era were 2 to make 1 and 3 to make 2.

Could you explain this further? I don't get it.

[CavaliersFTW]

Could you explain this further? I don't get it.

2 to make 1 is: If you get awarded 1 free throw, let's say for an and-1 or something, you only have the potential to earn '1' point out of the situation but you get TWO attempts to make that 1 point. Basically if you missed the first attempt, you were given another try. (but if you made the first attempt, that was your 1 point and a 2nd try wouldn't be necessary)

3 to make 2 is the same concept. Let's say you get fouled in the act of shooting and get an opportunity for two free throws. You could miss the first two attempts completely yet still have a third opportunity to shoot and salvage a point. Or if you missed the first free throw, you'd still shoot two more times so you could still make 2 FT's.

That's why you will often hear Russell telling people who criticized Wilt's free throw shooting % as an exploitable weakness as a "crock of... he'd still make 10-15 of em a game". 3 to make 2 and 2 to make 1 made any 'hack-a-whoever' tactic disadvantageous to the team trying to foul, and they also made any FT shooter an offensive threat at the line even if they shot a low percentage.