Best Free-Throw Shooters in NBA History

These former and current players have the best career shooting percentage at the charity stripe.

Best Free-Throw Shooters in NBA History

Free throws should be easy points on a basketball court.

These uncontested shot attempts, 15 feet from the basket, after a foul (personal, technical or flagrant), can mean the difference between winning or losing a game. But shooting free throws is as much a mental exercise as a physical art. While some NBA players struggle from the charity stripe, other players should never be sent to the line, especially in a close game.

These former and current NBA players have the best career free-throw shooting percentage. To qualify, they needed to have 1,200 career free-throw attempts. Some of the names might surprise you.

Spoiler alert: Jose Calderon, who holds the record for best free-throw percentage in a season at 98 percent (151 of 154 free-throw attempts made with the Toronto Raptors in the 2008-09 season), doesn’t make the cut for this career list with an 87.3 career free-throw percentage.

30. Mike Newlin

Length of career: 11 seasons (1972-82)

Teams: Houston Rockets, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks

Free-throw attempts: 3,456

Free throws made: 3,005

Free-throw percentage: 87.0

Mike Newlin had a good field-goal percentage of 46.6, and shot only 30 percent from 3-point land, mainly because the 3-point line was not implemented until the 1979-80 season. Despite those numbers, he averaged double-digit scoring per game for all of his career, except his rookie season and last season, and put up 20 points a game in the 1979-80 season and 1980-81 season. Although he did not attempt more than six free throws per game in his career, Newlin was an excellent free-throw shooter.

29. Hersey Hawkins

Length of career: 13 seasons (1988-2001)

Teams: Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets, Seattle SuperSonics, Chicago Bulls

Free-throw attempts: 3,985

Free throws made: 3,466

Free-throw percentage: 87.0

Hersey Hawkins was a shooting guard, who had a good field-goal percentage at 46 percent, including shooting 39 percent from beyond the arc. He made the All-Star team in the 1990-91 season with the 76ers when he averaged 22.1 points per game on 47.2 percent from the field, including 40 percent for 3-pointers and 87.1 from the charity stripe. Throughout his career, Hawkins was always money from the free-throw line.

28. Kevin Martin

Length of career: 12 seasons (2004-16)

Teams: Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, San Antonio Spurs

Free-throw attempts: 4,091

Free throws made: 3,561

Free-throw percentage: 87.0

Known as a pure scorer, Kevin Martin had an array of shots he could make, including a pull-up jumper and a turnaround jumper. Martin averaged 20 or more points in seven seasons, with his best seasons coming early in his career with the Sacramento Kings. Although his field-goal percentage and 3-point percentage are not staggering at 43 percent and 38 percent, respectively, his free-throw percentage is high.

27. Mo Williams

Length of career: 13 seasons (2003-16)

Teams: Utah Jazz, Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Charlotte Hornets

Free-throw attempts: 1,795

Free throws made: 1,563

Free-throw percentage: 87.1

Mo Williams was a solid point guard with nice ball-handling skills and a great jumper. Although his career field-goal percentage at 43.4 percent does not suggest he was a good scorer, Williams could pick his spots and score when his team needed it. He never averaged 20 points in a season, but he had many seasons averaging double figures in points, as his 13.2 career scoring average shows. Williams was a consistent solid shooter from the free-throw line and could be counted on at the end of games.

26. Jeff Malone

Length of career: 13 seasons (1983-96)

Teams: Washington Bullets, Utah Jazz, Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat

Free-throw attempts: 3,383

Free throws made: 2,947

Free-throw percentage: 87.1

Jeff Malone was a solid scorer during his time in the NBA, coming off screens to shoot his jump shot. He averaged at least 15 points per game in nine of his 13 seasons. His career field-goal percentage was 48.4 percent, including 27 percent from beyond the arc. Although his field-goal percentage was slightly under 50 percent, Malone was a dead-eye shooter from the free-throw line.

25. Darrell Armstrong

Length of career: 14 seasons (1994-2008)

Teams: Orlando Magic, New Orleans Hornets, Dallas Mavericks, Indiana Pacers, New Jersey Nets

Free-throw attempts: 1,679

Free throws made: 1,463

Free-throw percentage: 87.1

Darrell Armstrong was an average field-goal shooter at 40 percent, including 33 percent from beyond the arc. Despite the low field-goal percentages, Armstrong was a good free-throw shooter. He did not a lot of opportunities at the charity stripe, but he made them count.

24. Kiki Vandeweghe

Length of career: 13 seasons (1980-93)

Teams: Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers

Free-throw attempts: 3,997

Free throws made: 3,484

Free-throw percentage: 87.2

Kiki Vandeweghe was an above-average field-goal shooter, with a 52.5 percent average, including mid-30s behind the arc. After his rookie season, Vandeweghe was a scorer, averaging more than 20 points per game for seven consecutive seasons, with 29.4 points per game being the highest he averaged in his fourth year in the league. But he was not just a great scorer. He also was a great shooter, from the field and the free-throw line.

23. Terrell Brandon

Length of career: 11 seasons (1991-2002)

Teams: Minnesota Timberwolves, Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers

Free-throw attempts: 2,043

Free throws made: 1,784

Free-throw percentage: 87.3

Terrell Brandon was a decent shooter from the field at just under 45 percent and a mid-30s 3-point shooter, but he made his stamp at the free-throw line. Although he did not get to the charity stripe often, he made the majority of the free throws he shot in his career.

22. Kyrie Irving

Length of career: 8 seasons (2012-present)

Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics

Free-throw attempts: 1,969

Free throws made: 1,723

Free-throw percentage: 87.5

Kyrie Irving is already a five-time All-Star and an NBA champion with the Cleveland Cavaliers. His ball-handling wizardry makes opposing defenses dizzy and off-balance. The ballhandling ability with his soft shooting touch makes him one of the most dynamic point guards in the league today. Irving is a great shooter from midrange, particularly from the free-throw line.

21. Ricky Pierce

Length of career: 16 seasons (1983-98)

Teams: Detroit Pistons, San Diego Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics, Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers, Denver Nuggets, Charlotte Hornets

Free-throw attempts: 3,871

Free throws made: 3,389

Free-throw percentage: 87.5

Ricky Pierce played for several teams during his NBA career, including the Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle SuperSonics and Indiana Pacers. He was a proficient shooter from the field over the course of his career at just under 50 percent. His free-throw shooting was even better.

20. Earl Boykins

Length of career: 13 seasons (1998-2012)

Teams: New Jersey Nets, Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks, Charlotte Bobcats, Washington Wizards, Houston Rockets

Free-throw attempts: 1,433

Free throws made: 1,255

Free-throw percentage: 87.58

At only 5-foot-5, Earl Boykins was the second-shortest player in NBA history behind Muggsy Bogues, who was 5-foot-3. Height limitations did not stop Boykins from making an impact. With speed and quickness that cannot be taught, Boykins found many homes — and free-throw opportunities. After his 2002-03 season in Golden State, Boykins never shot lower than 83 percent from the free-throw line, and he shot over 90 percent in two seasons (2004-05 and 2006-07) with the Denver Nuggets.

19. Isaiah Thomas

Length of career: 9 seasons (2011-present)

Teams: Sacramento Kings, Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets

Free-throw attempts: 2,551

Free throws made: 2,236

Free-throw percentage: 87.65

Isaiah Thomas has carved out a niche for himself since entering the league in 2011. A two-time All-Star, Thomas starts the 2018-19 season with his sixth team, the Denver Nuggets. At every stop, he has never shot lower than 83 percent from the free-throw line. He had his best year in 2016-17, averaging 28.9 points with the Boston Celtics while shooting 90.9 percent from the free-throw line.

18. Jeff Hornacek

Length of career: 13 seasons (1986-2000)

Teams: Phoenix Suns, Utah Jazz, Philadelphia 76ers

Free-throw attempts: 3,390

Free throws made: 2,973

Free-throw percentage: 87.70

The Phoenix Suns drafted Jeff Hornacek with the 22nd pick out of Iowa State in 1986. The consummate "glue guard" with perfect shooting form, Hornacek averaged over 13 points in Phoenix and Philadelphia with 86 percent free-throw shooting over his first eight NBA seasons. He joined the Utah Jazz in 1993 and hit the national stage toward the end of his career, playing alongside John Stockton and Karl Malone as annual second fiddles to Michael Jordan’s Bulls.In Hornacek’s final season in 1999-2000, the 36-year-old shot 95 percent from the free-throw line, making 171 of 180 free throws in 77 games.

17. Dirk Nowitzki

Length of career: 20 seasons (1998-present)

Team: Dallas Mavericks

Free-throw attempts: 8,189

Free throws made: 7,201

Free-throw percentage: 87.94

Where does the time go? Dirk Nowitzki is entering his third decade in the NBA and keeps building on his Hall of Fame resume as one of the best international players in league history. With a 7-foot frame and superior shooting skills, Nowitzki has revolutionized the game, changing the way power forwards and centers can play offense.

16. Kyle Korver

Length of career: 17 seasons (2003-present)

Teams: Philadelphia 76ers, Utah Jazz, Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers

Free-throw attempts: 1,365

Free throws made: 1,202

Free-throw percentage: 88.06

You might not think of Kyle Korver as an NBA great, but his quick release and dead-on accuracy make him one of the greatest shooters in league history. Korver has shot 44.4 percent from the field for his career, including 43.1 percent from 3-point land, and he is one of the best catch-and-shoot players in the NBA today. That success translates to the free-throw line.

15. Kevin Durant

Length of career: 11 seasons (2007-present)

Teams: Seattle Supersonics, Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors

Free-throw attempts: 6,000

Free throws made: 5,294

Free-throw percentage: 88.23

Nine-time All-Star. Eight-time All-NBA. Four-time scoring champion. Two-time NBA Finals MVP. League MVP. And Rookie of the Year. Like him or not, Kevin Durant has entered the NBA’s GOAT conversation. Although he was criticized for leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder in free agency, do the Golden State Warriors win back-to-back championships without him?

14. Bill Sharman

Length of career: 11 seasons (1950-61)

Teams: Washington Bullets, Boston Celtics

Free-throw attempts: 3,559

Free throws made: 3,143

Free-throw percentage: 88.31

Bill Sharman played 10 years of his 11-year NBA career as a shooting guard with the Boston Celtics and point guard Bob Cousy from 1951 to 1961. Some consider the Cousy-Sharman duo to be the best backcourt in hoops history, with good reason. Together, they won four NBA championships. Sharman also was one of the first players to shoot better than 40 percent from the field, and he led the NBA in free-throw percentage for seven straight seasons. He was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 1976 and then as a coach in 2004.

13. Damian Lillard

Length of career: 6 seasons (2012-present)

Team: Portland Trail Blazers

Free-throw attempts: 2,692

Free throws made: 2,381

Free-throw percentage: 88.45

One of the more efficient shooters in today’s NBA, Damian Lillard has proved to be a lethal scorer since entering the league in 2012. The three-time All-Star is fearless on the floor, with a knack for hitting big shots and delivering clutch performances in the fourth quarter.

12. Larry Bird

Length of career: 12 seasons (1979-1992)

Team: Boston Celtics

Free-throw attempts: 4,471

Free throws made: 3,960

Free-throw percentage: 88.57

He's not called Larry Legend for nothing. One of the greatest players to ever play the game, Larry Bird amazed basketball fans with a silky-smooth shooting stroke. The Hall of Famer led the Boston Celtics to three NBA world championships in 1981, 1984 and 1986. He finished his career with a 49.6 shooting percentage from the field, including 37.6 percent from behind the arc, and was an assassin in crunch time anywhere on the court.

11. Reggie Miller

Length of career: 18 seasons (1987-2005)

Teams: Indiana Pacers

Free-throw attempts: 7,026

Free throws made: 6,237

Free-throw percentage: 88.77

Before Uncle Drew, there was Uncle Reg. Reggie Miller played his whole career for the Indiana Pacers and created a library of shooting highlights, making 47.1 percent from the field, including 39.5 percent from beyond the arc. One of his most famous shooting displays came in Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference semifinals against the New York Knicks, when "The Knick Killer" scored eight points in nine seconds—including two free throws with 7.5 seconds remaining — to lift the Pacers to a 107-105 win. That wasn't the only time he broke the hearts of opposing teams.

10. Scott Skiles

Length of career: 10 seasons (1986-96)

Teams: Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers, Orlando Magic, Washington Bullets, Philadelphia 76ers

Free-throw attempts: 1,741

Free throws made: 1,548

Free-throw percentage: 88.91

Scott Skiles might not have looked like a dominant athlete, but he could ball with the best of them. After a ho-hum start to his career with the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers, Skiles was drafted by the Orlando Magic in the expansion draft in 1989 and found his NBA game. He became the starting point guard in Orlando — averaging a career-high 17.2 points per game and 8.4 assists per game in the 1990-91 season — and earned a reputation as a floor leader and clutch shooter over the course of his career.

9. J.J. Redick

Length of career: 13 seasons (2006-present)

Teams: Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers

Free-throw attempts: 1,818

Free throws made: 1,618

Free-throw percentage: 89.00

J.J. Redick remains one of the NBA's premiere sharpshooter, just as he was when entered the league in 2006. With a quick release and pinpoint accuracy, he has been a solid contributor throughout his career, hitting 44.9 percent of his field goals and 41.5 percent of his 3-point and being Mr. Consistent at the free-throw line.

8. Calvin Murphy

Length of career: 12 seasons (1970-83)

Teams: San Diego Rockets, Houston Rockets

Free-throw attempts: 3,864

Free throws made: 3,445

Free-throw percentage: 89.16

Calvin Murphy was a pure shooter and broke numerous records, including the best free-throw percentage in a season, in the 1980-81 campaign. The 5-foot-9 guard played 12 seasons for the Rockets (one in San Diego, 11 in Houston) and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993.

7. Ray Allen

Length of career: 17 seasons (1996-2014)

Teams: Milwaukee Bucks, Seattle Supersonics, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat

Free-throw attempts: 4,920

Free throws made: 4,398

Free-throw percentage: 89.39

Ray Allen could not walk on water, but Jesus Shuttlesworth was one of the game's most dangerous — and smoothest — shooters. Allen cemented his status as a legend in 2011 when he passed Reggie Miller as the most prolific 3-point shooter in NBA history. Allen finished his career with 2,973 3-pointer to Miller’s 2,560, and the marksmanship of Allen carried over to free throws, where he was money.

6. Chauncey Billups

Length of career: 17 seasons (1997-2014)

Teams: Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks, Los Angeles Clippers

Free-throw attempts: 5,029

Free throws made: 4,496

Free-throw percentage: 89.40

Known as "Mr. Big Shot," Chauncey Billups had ice water in his veins in every situation. He was a clutch performer, especially in the 2004 playoffs when he helped the Detroit Pistons win the NBA championship, and averaged over 90 percent in free-throwing in eight seasons of his 17-year career.

5. Peja Stojakovic

Length of career: 13 seasons (1998-2011)

Teams: Sacramento Kings, Indiana Pacers, New Orleans Hornets, Toronto Raptors, Dallas Mavericks

Free-throw attempts: 2,500

Free throws made: 2,237

Free-throw percentage: 89.48

Peja Stojakovic established himself as a dangerous package of fadeaways and catch-and-shoot shots with the Sacramento Kings. Lethal from long range, he was a 45-percent shooter from the field, including 40.1 percent from behind the 3-point arc. He also was clutch from the free-throw line.

4. Rick Barry

Length of career: 10 seasons (1965-80, took six-year hiatus from 1967-72 to play in the ABA)

Teams: San Francisco Warriors, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets

Free-throw attempts: 4,243

Free throws mae: 3,818

Free-throw percentage: 89.98

Rick Barry was a different kind of shooter, most known for shooting his free throws underhand style. Although his field-goal percentage and three-point percentages are not eye-popping at 44.9 and 33 percent, respectively, his 90 percent career shooting from the charity line made him an elite shooter.

3. Stephen Curry

Length of career: 9 seasons (2009-present)

Team: Golden State Warriors

Free-throw attempts: 2,514

Free throws made: 2,271

Free-throw percentage: 90.33

Stephen Curry has redefined the way people think of a "shooter." With range from 35-plus feet and incredible ball-handling skills, the 6-foot-3 point guard has transcended how the game is played. Of course, he also is proficient at the free-throw stripe.

2. Mark Price

Length of career: 12 seasons (1986-98)

Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers, Washington Bullets, Golden State Warriors, Orlando Magic

Free-throw attempts: 2,362

Free throws made: 2,135

Free-throw percentage: 90.39

Mark Price could shoot it from anywhere on the floor. His field-goal percentage stands at 47.2 percent, including a 40.2 percent clip from the three-point line. But his most lethal spot on the floor was at the free-throw line.

1. Steve Nash

Length of career: 18 seasons (1996-2014)

Teams: Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers

Free-throw attempts: 3,384

Free throws made: 3,060

Free-throw percentage: 90.43

Steve Nash was more than a great passer. Nash also was an elite shooter, shooting 49 percent from the field, including 42.8 percent from beyond the arc. But he was close to automatic at the free-throw line with a consistent, near-flawless stroke.