Best Field-Goal Percentages in NBA History

Putting the ball in the basket is the name of the game.

Best Field-Goal Percentages in NBA History

The most fundamental element of basketball is the shot, and the closer to the basket you shoot, the better your chance of the ball going in.

That's why the list of the best career field-goal percentages in NBA history is dotted with some of basketball's greatest big men.

These players were more accurate at getting the ball in the basket than anyone else.

Note: Minimum 200 career games and 2,000 career field-goal attempts.

30. Andre Drummond

Field goals: 3,661

Field-goal attempts: 6,760

Career FG percentage: 54.2

Years: 8 seasons (2012-present)

Teams: Detroit Pistons (2012-20), Cleveland Cavaliers (2020-present)

Position: Center

Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 280 pounds

Other stats: 14.5 points, 13.8 rebounds, 1.3 assists

NBA titles: None

Bottom line: Like many players with great field-goal percentages, Andre Drummond takes a lot of shots close to the basket.

Drummond isn't exactly an offensive juggernaut, but in just eight seasons, he's already made his mark as one of the greatest rebounders in NBA history.

29. Enes Kanter

Field goals: 3,036

Field-goal attempts: 5,596

Career FG percentage: 54.3

Years: 9 seasons (2011-present)

Teams: Utah Jazz (2011-15), Oklahoma City Thunder (2015-17), New York Knicks (2017-19), Portland Trail Blazers (2019), Boston Celtics (2019-present)

Position: Center

Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 255 pounds

Other stats: 8.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.0 assists

NBA titles: None

Bottom line: Enes Kanter's career-low field-goal percentages of 49.6 and 49.1 percent all came in his first four seasons. He hasn't shot below 53 percent from the field in a single season since 2014.

Kanter's offensive production took a nosedive in 2019-20 when he saw his scoring average dip five points from the previous season and went all the way down to 8.1 per game.

28. Eddy Curry

Field goals: 2,578

Field-goal attempts: 4,734

Career FG percentage: 54.5

Years: 11 seasons (2001-12)

Teams: Chicago Bulls (2001-05), New York Knicks (2005-11). Miami Heat (2011-12), Dallas Mavericks (2012)

Position: Center

Height/weight: 7-foot, 290 pounds

Other stats: 12.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, 0.5 assists

NBA titles: 1 (2012)

Bottom line: Eddy Curry seemed like he was headed toward an All-Star career after three seasons in the NBA, but a congenital heart condition and off-court problems squandered that potential.

Curry was stunningly efficient around the basket early in his career, but as the years piled up, he showed up to training camps up to 50 pounds overweight and out of shape.

27. Cedric Maxwell

Field goals: 3,433

Field-goal attempts: 6,293

Career FG percentage: 54.55

Years: 11 seasons (1977-88)

Teams: Boston Celtics (1977-85), Los Angeles Clippers (1985-87), Houston Rockets (1987-88)

Position: Small forward

Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 205 pounds

Other stats: 12.5 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists

NBA titles: 2 (1981, 1984)

Bottom line: Cedric "Cornbread" Maxwell was one of the more colorful players of his era and one of the greatest bench players in NBA history, twice winning NBA Sixth Man of the Year honors.

Maxwell rarely took shots more than a few feet from the basket and was so effective in the post he was named NBA Finals MVP in 1981.

26. Otis Thorpe

Field goals: 6,872

Field-goal attempts: 12,593

Career FG percentage: 54.57

Years: 17 seasons (1984-2001)

Teams: Kansas City/Sacramento Kings (1984-88, 1998), Houston Rockets (1988-95), Portland Trail Blazers (1995), Detroit Pistons (1995-97), Vancouver Grizzlies (1997-98), Washington Wizards (1999), Miami Heat (1999-2000), Charlotte Hornets (2000-01)

Position: Power forward/center

Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 250 pounds

Other stats: 14.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists

NBA titles: 1 (1994)

Bottom line: Otis Thorpe played for eight teams over 17 seasons but is best known for his seven-year stretch with the Houston Rockets and winning an NBA title with them in 1994.

Thorpe was the perfect complement for the Rockets next to Hakeem Olajuwon in the frontcourt and set the Rockets' single-season field-goal percentage record at 55.9 percent in the championship season.

25. Larry Nance

Field goals: 6,370

Field-goal attempts: 11,664

Career FG percentage: 54.61

Years: 13 seasons (1981-94)

Teams: Phoenix Suns (1981-88), Cleveland Cavaliers (1988-94)

Position: Power forward

Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 205 pounds

Other stats: 17.1 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.2 assists

NBA titles: None

Bottom line: The first winner of the NBA Slam Dunk Contest, Larry Nance had a stellar career on some pretty mediocre teams in Phoenix and Cleveland.

Nance was more than just a dunker. He made three NBA All-Star teams and three NBA All-Defensive teams, all in an eight-year stretch from 1985 to 1993.

24. Kenneth Faried

Field goals: 2,190

Field-goal attempts: 4,009

Career FG percentage: 54.63

Years: 8 seasons (2011-19)

Teams: Denver Nuggets (2011-18), Brooklyn Nets (2018-19), Houston Rockets (2019)

Position: Power forward

Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 220 pounds

Other stats: 11.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.0 assists

NBA titles: None

Bottom line: One of the greatest rebounders in NCAA history, Kenneth Faried played his way from tiny Morehead State to a first-round pick by the Nuggets in the 2011 NBA draft.

The addition of Paul Millsap in Denver sent Faried's career nosediving, but he might be a prime target for NBA teams as a free-agent addition after the 2020 season.

23. Nene Hilario

Field goals: 4,175

Field-goal attempts: 7,621

Career FG percentage: 54.7

Years: 18 seasons (2002-2020)

Teams: Denver Nuggets (2002-12), Washington Wizards (2012-16), Houston Rockets (2016-20)

Position: Power forward

Height/weight: 6-foot-11, 250 pounds

Other stats: 11.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists

NBA titles: None

Bottom line: Nene was a consistent force in the post for three NBA teams over almost two full decades and was the first Brazilian taken in the first round of the NBA draft.

Nene shot over 60 percent from the field for four seasons and led the NBA in field-goal percentage by shooting 60.1 percent in the 2010-11 season.

22. Buck Williams

Field goals: 6,404

Field-goal attempts: 11,661

Career FG percentage: 54.9

Years: 17 seasons (1981-98)

Teams: New Jersey Nets (1981-89), Portland Trail Blazers (1989-96), New York Knicks (1996-98)

Position: Power forward

Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 215 pounds

Other stats: 12.8 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists

NBA titles: None

Bottom line: Buck Williams was one of the great lunchpail post players in the NBA throughout most of the 1980s and early 1990s, and is most well known for his time with the Portland Trail Blazers.

Williams helped lead Portland to a pair of NBA Finals in that stretch and led the NBA in field-goal percentage in 1991 and 1992.

21. Bobby Jones

Field goals: 4,451

Field-goal attempts: 7,953

Career FG percentage: 55.0

Years: 12 seasons (1974-86)

Teams: Denver Nuggets (1974-78), Philadelphia 76ers (1978-86)

Position: Power forward

Height/weight: 6-foot-9. 210 pounds

Other stats: 12.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 2.7 assists

NBA titles: 1 (1983)

Bottom line: Bobby Jones was one of the most selfless, hardworking players in NBA history. He made nine NBA All-Defensive teams plus two more in the ABA.

Jones' value to his teams is best looked at through a postseason prism, as he never played on a team that didn't make the playoffs and won an NBA championship with the 76ers in 1983.

20. Marcin Gortat

Field goals: 3,401

Field-goal attempts: 6,168

Career FG percentage: 55.1

Years: 12 seasons (2007-19)

Teams: Orlando Magic (2007-10), Phoenix Suns (2010-13), Washington Wizards (2013-18), Los Angeles Clippers (2018-19)

Position: Center

Height/weight: 6-foot-11, 240 pounds

Other stats: 9.9 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists

NBA titles: None

Bottom line: Marcin Gortat was drafted by the Phoenix Suns in 2005 but didn't make his NBA debut until two years later after his rights were traded to the Orlando Magic.

Unfortunately for Gortat, many of his prime years in the NBA were spent as Dwight Howard's backup, so we never got a real idea of what the Polish center's ceiling might have been.

19. Kevin McHale

Field goals: 6830

Field-goal attempts: 12,334

Career FG percentage: 55.3

Years: 13 seasons (1980-93)

Teams: Boston Celtics

Position: Power forward

Height/weight: 6-foot-11, 210 pounds

Other stats: 17.9 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists

NBA titles: 3 (1981, 1984, 1986)

Bottom line: Few players in NBA history, if any, can compare to the offensive skillset Kevin McHale had in the post — something almost completely lost over the last decade in the league.

McHale's moves around the basket were so varied and efficient that opponents called it being in the "Torture Chamber" when he was in the zone, which was almost always.

18. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar

Field goals: 15,837

Field-goal attempts: 28,307

Career FG percentage: 55.9

Years: 20 seasons (1969-89)

Teams: Milwaukee Bucks (1969-75), Los Angeles Lakers (1975-89)

Position: Center

Height/weight: 7-foot-2, 225 pounds

Other stats: 24.6 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.6 assists

NBA titles: 6 (1971, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1988)

Bottom line: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA career scoring leader and one of the two or three greatest basketball players of all time.

He was a six-time NBA MVP, six-time NBA champion and made the All-Star team 19 times.

His signature shot, the skyhook, was impossible to defend.

17. Jonas Valanciunas

Field goals: 2,753

Field-goal attempts: 4,896

Career FG percentage: 56.2

Years: 8 seasons (2012-present)

Teams: Toronto Raptors (2012-19), Memphis Grizzlies (2019-present)

Position: Center

Height/weight: 6-foot-11, 265 pounds

Other stats: 12.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 0.9 assists

NBA titles: None

Bottom line: Jonas Valanciunas began playing basketball professionally in Lithuania when he was 17 years old.

He was picked No. 5 overall in the 2011 NBA draft — most notably selected ahead of likely future Hall of Famers Klay Thompson, Kawhi Leonard and Jimmy Butler in the first round.

He joined the Toronto Raptors until 2012 and has averaged 25.3 minutes per game in his career.

16. Jeff Ruland

Field goals: 2,105

Field-goal attempts: 3,734

Career FG percentage: 56.4

Years: 8 seasons (1981-87, 1992-93)

Teams: Washington Bullets (1981-86), Philadelphia 76ers (1986-87, 1991-92), Detroit Pistons (1992-93)

Position: Center

Height/weight: 6-foot-11, 240 pounds

Other stats: 17.4 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.2 assists

NBA titles: None

Bottom line: Jeff Ruland's career numbers are pretty remarkable — he averaged a double-double with 17.4 points and 10.0 rebounds.

What's more remarkable is the long break he took after foot injuries derailed his career in 1987.

Ruland was away from basketball for five years before returning for two seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers.

15. Bo Outlaw

Field goals: 2005

Field-goal attempts: 3534

Career FG percentage: 56.7

Years: 13 seasons (1994-2007)

Teams: Los Angeles Clippers (1994-97), Orlando Magic (1997-2002, 2005-07), Phoenix Suns (2002-03, 2004-05), Memphis Grizzlies (2003-04)

Position: Power forward

Height/weight: 6-foot-8, 220 pounds

Other stats: 5.4 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists

NBA titles: None

Bottom line: Bo Outlaw makes this list almost out of sheer longevity alone. His career average of 5.4 points is all the evidence you need to know he wasn't on the court because of his offense.

Outlaw didn't take many shots, and he was truly horrendous shooting the ball anywhere except a few feet from the basket.

He was a career 52.1 percent free-throw shooter, one of the few players who had a higher field-goal percentage than free-throw percentage.

14. Amir Johnson

Field goals: 2,558

Field-goal attempts: 4,490

Career FG percentage: 56.9

Years: 14 seasons (2005-19)

Teams: Detroit Pistons (2005-09), Toronto Raptors (2009-15), Boston Celtics (2015-17), Philadelphia 76ers (2017-19)

Position: Power forward

Height/weight: 6-foot-9, 240 pounds

Other stats: 7.0 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists

NBA titles: None

Bottom line: Amir Johnson was the last direct-from-high school player to be selected in the NBA draft when the Pistons picked him in the second round in 2005.

Johnson cracked Detroit's rotation in his third season and spent the next game as a more-than-serviceable role player for several teams, averaging career highs of 28 minutes, 10.0 points and 7.5 rebounds with the Raptors in the 2014-15 campaign.

13. James Donaldson

Field goal: 3,105

Field-goal attempts: 5,442

Career FG percentage: 57.1

Years: 14 seasons (1980-93, 1995)

Teams: Seattle SuperSonics (1980-83), San Diego/Los Angeles Clippers (1983-85), Dallas Mavericks (1985-91), New York Knicks (1991-92), Utah Jazz (1993, 1995)

Position: Center

Height/weight: 7-foot-2, 225 pounds

Other stats: 8.6 points, 7.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists

NBA titles: None

Bottom line: James Donaldson had one of the top 10 greatest single-season NBA field-goal percentages in 1984-85 when he led the league by shooting 63.7 percent from the field.

The only problem was he played for the lowly Los Angeles Clippers, but he got a reprieve when he was traded to the Mavericks in 1985 and made his only All-Star appearance in 1988.

12. Darryl Dawkins

Field goals: 3,477

Field-goal attempts: 6,079

Career FG percentage: 57.20

Years: 14 seasons (1975-89)

Teams: Philadelphia 76ers (1975-82), New Jersey Nets (1982-87), Utah Jazz (1987), Detroit Pistons (1987-89)

Position: Center

Height/weight: 6-foot-11, 255 pounds

Other stats: 12.0 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists

NBA titles: 1 (1989)

Bottom line: Darryl Dawkins was a master of the most high-percentage shot in basketball history — the dunk.

He famously shattered two backboards on dunks within just three weeks of each other in 1979 and was continually one of the league's leaders in field-goal percentage throughout his 14 seasons.

Dawkins won his lone NBA title in his final season, 1989, as a bench player for the Detroit Pistons.

11. Steve Johnson

Field goals: 2,841

Field-goal attempts: 4,965

Career FG percentage: 57.22

Years: 10 seasons (1981-91)

Teams: Kansas City Kings (1981-84), Chicago Bulls (1984-85), San Antonio Spurs (1985-86), Portland Trail Blazers (1986-89), Minnesota Timberwolves (1989-90), Seattle SuperSonics (1990), Golden State Warriors (1990-91)

Position: Power forward/center

Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 235 pounds

Other stats: 11.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists

NBA titles: None

Bottom line: Steve Johnson was naturally a power forward but ended up forced into duty at center multiple times in his career.

His career took a journeyman turn when he was traded away from the Chicago Bulls after Michael Jordan's rookie year to play for the Trail Blazers as part of a dynamo frontcourt alongside center Sam Bowie.

10. JaVale McGee

Field goals: 2,364

Field-goal attempts: 4,113

Career FG percentage: 57.5

Years: 12 seasons (2008-present)

Teams: Washington Wizards (2008-12), Denver Nuggets (2012-15), Philadelphia 76ers (2015), Dallas Mavericks (2015-16), Golden State Warriors (2016-18), Los Angeles Lakers (2018-present)

Position: Center

Height/weight: 7-foot, 270 pounds

Other stats: 7.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 0.4 assists

NBA titles: 3 (2017, 2018, 2020)

Bottom line: JaVale McGee was picked in the first round of the 2008 NBA draft but bounced around between four different teams through his first eight seasons.

McGee finally found his footing with the Warriors, where he was on back-to-back NBA championship teams before signing with the Lakers and winning another title in 2020.

9. Mark West

Field goals: 2,528

Field-goal attempts: 4,356

Career FG percentage: 58.0

Years: 17 seasons (1983-2000)

Teams: Dallas Mavericks (1983-84), Milwaukee Bucks (1984), Cleveland Cavaliers (1984-88, 1996-97), Phoenix Suns (1988-94, 1999-2000), Detroit Pistons (1994-96), Indiana Pacers (1997-98), Atlanta Hawks (1999)

Position: Center

Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 230 pounds

Other stats: 5.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 0.4 assists

NBA titles: None

Bottom line: Mark West's best years came on some great Phoenix Suns teams in the early 1990s, most noticeably on the 1993 Western Conference championship team that lost to the Chicago Bulls in the NBA Finals.

West led the NBA in field-goal percentage in 1989-90 when he shot 62.5 percent.

He also shot over 60 percent from the field in five straight seasons from 1988 to 1993.

7. Hassan Whiteside (Tie)

Field goals: 2,346

Field-goal attempts: 4,029

Career FG percentage: 58.2

Years: 8 seasons (2010-12, 2014-present)

Teams: Sacramento Kings (2010-12), Miami Heat (2014-19), Portland Trail Blazers (2019-present)

Position: Center

Height/weight: 7-foot, 265 pounds

Other stats: 13.7 points, 11.7 rebounds, 0.7 assists

NBA titles: None

Bottom line: Hassan Whiteside flamed out in his first NBA go-round with the Sacramento Kings, but played his way back into the league thanks to two solid seasons overseas.

Since his return, Whiteside has been a dominant post player during the regular season.He's led the league in blocks twice, rebounds once and averaged over 60 percent from the field three times.

7. Shaquille O'Neal (Tie)

Field goals: 11,330

Field-goal attempts: 19,457

Career FG percentage: 58.2

Years: 19 seasons (1992-2011)

Teams: Orlando Magic (1992-96), Los Angeles Lakers (1996-2004), Miami Heat (2004-08), Phoenix Suns (2008-09), Cleveland Cavaliers (2009-10), Boston Celtics (2010-11)

Position: Center

Height/weight: 7-foot-1, 325 pounds

Other stats: 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists

NBA titles: 4 (2000-02, 2006)

Bottom line: One of the most dominant players in NBA history, Shaquille O'Neal dunked at as frequent a rate as almost any player in NBA history.

O'Neal had over 200 dunks in seven straight seasons from 1999 to 2006 — a stretch that included four NBA titles on two different teams and his lone NBA MVP award in 2000.

Shaq's 10 seasons leading the league in field-goal percentage is an NBA record.

6. Dwight Howard

Field goals: 6,739

Field-goal attempts: 11,494

Career FG percentage: 58.6

Years: 16 seasons (2004-present)

Teams: Orlando Magic (2004-12), Los Angeles Lakers (2012-13, 2019-present), Houston Rockets (2013-16), Atlanta Hawks (2016-17), Charlotte Hornets (2017-18), Washington Wizards (2018-19)

Position: Center

Height/weight: 6-foot-10, 265 pounds

Other stats: 16.7 points, 12.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists

NBA titles: 1 (2020)

Bottom line: Dwight Howard is one of the most dominant big men of his generation, if not NBA history. He's also one of the most polarizing players in league history.

Howard won an NBA title as a role player with the Lakers in 2020, but that hardly makes up for the decade he spent alienating teammates, coaches and fans after he left the Magic in 2012.

5. Steven Adams

Field goals: 2,157

Field-goal attempts: 3,664

Career FG percentage: 58.9

Years: 7 seasons (2013-present)

Teams: Oklahoma City Thunder

Position: Center

Height/weight: 6-foot-11, 265 pounds

Other stats: 9.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists

NBA titles: None

Bottom line: Steven Adams became the first New Zealand native selected in the first round of the NBA draft in 2013 after one season at the University of Pittsburgh.

Adams averaged a career-high 13.9 points and shot a career-high 62.1 percent from the field in 2017-18, the same season he signed a four-year, $100 million contract with Oklahoma City.

4. Tyson Chandler

Field goals: 3,558

Field-goal attempts: 5,964

Career FG percentage: 59.7

Years: 19 seasons (2001-present)

Teams: Chicago Bulls (2001-06), New Orleans Hornets (2006-09), Charlotte Bobcats (2009-10), Dallas Mavericks (2010-11, 2014-15), New York Knicks (2011-14), Phoenix Suns (2015-18), Los Angeles Lakers (2018-19), Houston Rockets (2019-present)

Position: Center

Height/weight: 7-foot, 235 pounds

Other stats: 8.2 points, 9.0 rebounds, 0.8 assists

NBA titles: 1 (2011)

Bottom line: Tyson Chandler, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft, is one of many players with a high field-goal percentage who have made their mark more on the defensive end.

Chandler at least has an NBA title to show for it as a key part of the Dallas Mavericks' stunning upset of the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.

3. Artis Gilmore

Field goals: 9,403

Field-goal attempts: 16,158

Career FG percentage: 59.9

Years: 12 seasons (1976-88)

Teams: Chicago Bulls (1976-82, 1987), San Antonio Spurs (1982-87), Boston Celtics (1988)

Position: Center

Height/weight: 7-foot-2, 240 pounds

Other stats: 18.8 points, 12.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists

NBA titles: None

Bottom line: NBA fans weren't able to enjoy the prime of Artis Gilmore's career. He spent his first five seasons in the ABA with the Kentucky Colonels and was the ABA MVP in 1972 and won the ABA title in 1975.

Gilmore still did well in the NBA. He was a six-time All-Star, led the league in field-goal percentage four times and retired as the career leader in field-goal percentage.

He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011.

2. Rudy Gobert

Field goals: 2,043

Field-goal attempts: 3,193

Career FG percentage: 64.0

Years: 7 seasons (2013-present)

Teams: Utah Jazz

Position: Center

Height/weight: 7-foot-1. 260 pounds

Other stats: 11.7 points, 11.4 rebounds, 1.4 assists

NBA titles: None

Bottom line: For good reason, Rudy Gobert's career has been mostly defined by his defensive abilities. He's a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year.

His emergence on the offensive end has helped the Jazz become one of the Western Conference's best teams over the last two seasons. He averaged over 15.0 points in back-to-back seasons from 2018 to 2020.

1. DeAndre Jordan

Field goals: 3,337

Field-goal attempts: 4,985

Career FG percentage: 66.9

Years: 12 seasons (2008-present)

Teams: Los Angeles Clippers (2008-18), Dallas Mavericks (2018-19), New York Knicks (2019), Brooklyn Nets (2019-present)

Position: Center

Height/weight: 6-foot-11, 265 pounds

Other stats: 9.6 points, 10.9 rebounds, 0.9 assists

NBA titles: None

Bottom line: DeAndre Jordan has five NBA field-goal percentage titles. That puts him at No. 3 on the league's career list, behind only Hall of Famers Shaquille O'Neal and Wilt Chamberlain.

Drummond's rise to the top of the NBA career leader board for field-goal percentage is pretty easy to unravel. The three-time All-NBA pick has led the league in offensive rebounds six times.