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. The uncontested shot attempts, 15 feet from the basket after a foul, 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.

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

Spoiler alert: Jose Calderon — who holds the NBA record for best free-throw percentage in a season at 98.1 percent, making 151 of 154 free throws with the Toronto Raptors in 2008-09 — doesn't make the all-time cut with his 87.3 career free-throw percentage because he had only 1,060 career attempts.

50. Larry Siegfried

Length of career: 9 seasons (1963-72)

Teams: Boston Celtics, San Diego/Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks

Free-throw attempts: 1,945

Free throws made: 1,662

Free-throw percentage: 85.45

Bottom Line: Larry Siegfried

Larry Siegfried was always in close proximity to greatness — as a college basketball player at Ohio State alongside John Havlicek and Jerry Lucas, and then in the NBA on five NBA championship teams for the Boston Celtics.

Siegfried's value as a role player was directly tied to the free-throw line, where he hit 85 percent of his free throws for his career.

49. Kawhi Leonard

Length of career: 11 seasons (2011-present)

Teams: San Antonio Spurs, Toronto Raptors, Los Angeles Clippers

Free-throw attempts: 2,325

Free throws made: 1,987

Free-throw percentage: 85.46

Bottom Line: Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi Leonard has already etched his name alongside the greatest players in NBA history as a two-time NBA Finals MVP leading two teams to NBA championships.

Part of Leonard's complete game is his consistency at the free-throw line, where he's hit 85.5 percent.

48. Jarrett Jack

Length of career: 13 seasons (2005-2018)

Teams: Portland Trail Blazers, Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, New Orleans Hornets, Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, Brooklyn Nets, New Orleans Pelicans, New York Knicks

Free-throw attempts: 2,316

Free throws made: 1,981

Free-throw percentage: 85.54

Bottom Line: Jarrett Jack

Jarrett Jack scrapped and clawed his way to 13 NBA seasons with nine different teams because he was always a reliable role player.

Jack's ability to hit free throws is one reason why he lasted that long in the NBA since he's one of the best in NBA history from the charity stripe.

47. Ben Gordon

Length of career: 11 seasons (2004-2015)

Teams: Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Hornets, Orlando Magic

Free-throw attempts: 2,394

Free throws made: 2,051

Free-throw percentage: 85.67

Bottom Line: Ben Gordon

Ben Gordon was drafted just a tad too high at No. 3 overall in 2004, but he did earn some respect his rookie year as the NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 2005.

Gordon was always money at the free-throw line, hitting 85.6 percent of his attempts.

46. Fred Brown

Length of career: 13 seasons (1971-1984)

Team: Seattle SuperSonics

Free-throw attempts: 2,211

Free throws made: 1,896

Free-throw percentage: 85.75

Bottom Line: Fred Brown

Fred Brown was among the league leaders in free-throw percentage throughout his career — he also led the NBA in 3-point shooting the first year the 3-point line was implemented.

Brown was also a winner. He was an NBA All-Star in 1976 and captained the SuperSonics during their 1979 NBA championship season.

45. Dana Barros

Length of career: 15 seasons (1989-2004)

Teams: Seattle SuperSonics, Philadelphia 76ers, Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons

Free-throw attempts: 1,456

Free throws made: 1,294

Free-throw percentage: 85.78

Bottom Line: Dana Barros

Dana Barros was an NBA All-Star in 1995 — the same year he was named NBA Most Improved Player.

Barros had to be great at the free-throw line. He was only 5-foot-11.

44. James Harden

Length of career: 11 seasons (2009-present)

Teams: Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets

Free-throw attempts: 7,336

Free throws made: 6,296

Free-throw percentage: 85.82

Bottom Line: James Harden

Already one of the most prolific scorers in NBA history, former NBA MVP James Harden didn't get to that level by giving away points at the free-throw line.

The only thing missing on Harden's resume is an NBA championship. He has made the finals just once, in 2012 with the Oklahoma City Thunder alongside Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.

43. Wally Szczerbiak

Length of career: 10 seasons (1999-2009)

Teams: Minnesota Timberwolves, Boston Celtics, Seattle SuperSonics, Cleveland Cavaliers

Free-throw attempts: 1,899

Free throws made: 1,633

Free-throw percentage: 85.99

Bottom Line: Wally Szczerbiak

Wally Szczerbiak made one NBA All-Star team in 2002, but was a consistently great free-throw shooter for all 10 seasons he was in the league.

The reason he only played 10 seasons was that by the end of his career doctors determined he had so little cartilage left in his left knee that another surgery might hinder his ability to lead a normal life.

42. Sam Cassell

Length of career: 16 seasons (1993-2009)

Teams: Houston Rockets, Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, New Jersey Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Los Angeles Clippers, Boston Celtics

Free-throw attempts: 4,144

Free throws made: 3,567

Free-throw percentage: 86.08

Bottom Line: Sam Cassell

The reason Sam Cassell's career lasted so long was because of his consistency on the court, including at the free-throw line.

Most people know Cassell won two NBA titles with the Houston Rockets in the mid-1990s.

Did you know he won another with the Boston Celtics in 2008?

41. Jamal Crawford

Length of career: 20 seasons (2000-present)

Teams: Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Golden State Warriors, Atlanta Hawks, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Phoenix Suns, Brooklyn Nets

Free-throw attempts: 4,286

Free throws made: 3,694

Free-throw percentage: 86.19

Bottom Line: Jamal Crawford

Jamal Crawford's name holds weight in NBA circles.

Considered by his contemporaries to be one of the greatest scorers and teammates of his generation, Crawford is a three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year and was named NBA Teammate of the Year in 2008.

Which is news to us that the award even exists.

40. John Long

Length of career: 14 seasons (1978-1991, 1996-1997)

Teams: Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors

Free-throw attempts: 2,104

Free throws made: 1,814

Free-throw percentage: 86.22

Bottom Line: John Long

John Long was a high-scoring guard who played 14 seasons in the NBA.

He was the original backcourt mate to Isiah Thomas on the Detroit Pistons before he was replaced by Joe Dumars.

But Long returned to the Pistons as a reserve in 1989 and won an NBA title.

39. Luke Ridnour

Length of career: 12 seasons (2003-2015)

Teams: Seattle SuperSonics, Milwaukee Bucks, Minnesota Timberwolves, Charlotte Bobcats, Orlando Magic

Free-throw attempts: 1,496

Free throws made: 1,290

Free-throw percentage: 86.23

Bottom Line: Luke Ridnour

We knew Luke Ridnour was pretty great at shooting free throws in college. He set the Pac-10 record with 62 consecutive made free throws at the University of Oregon.

He kept that going in the NBA, and his consistency helped him last 12 seasons.

38. Allan Houston

Length of career: 12 seasons (1993-2005)

Teams: Detroit Pistons, New York Knicks

Free-throw attempts: 2,979

Free throws made: 2,572

Free-throw percentage: 86.34

Bottom Line: Allan Houston

Allan Houston was a great free-throw shooter throughout his entire career, but his greatest accomplishment was getting New York Knicks owner James Dolan to gift him with one of the most maligned contracts in NBA history.

Houston signed a six-year, $100 million contract in 2001 that was so bad for the team the next CBA included an "Allan Houston Clause" to rid teams of one bad contract.

37. D.J. Augustin

Length of career: 12 seasons (2008-present)

Teams: Charlotte Bobcats, Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic

Free-throw attempts: 2,180

Free throws made: 1,886

Free-throw percentage: 86.51

Bottom Line: D.J. Augustin

This probably isn't the way D.J. Augustin planned his career going when he was taken as the No. 9 overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft — he's on his eighth team in 12 seasons.

But there's something to be said for staying in the league. A big part of that is his ability to shoot free throws at such a high level.

36. Chris Mullin

Length of career: 16 seasons (1985-2001)

Teams: Golden State Warriors, Indiana Pacers

Free-throw attempts: 4,178

Free throws made: 3,616

Free-throw percentage: 86.55

Bottom Line: Chris Mullin

Big surprise to see Chris Mullin on this list. He is one of the greatest shooters in NBA history.

Mullin also was a five-time NBA All-Star, three-time All-NBA pick and member of the "Dream Team" at the 1992 Summer Olympics — the greatest collection of basketball talent in the history of the sport.

35. Micheal Williams

Length of career: 11 seasons (1988-1999)

Teams: Detroit Pistons, Phoenix Suns, Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers, Minnesota Timberwolves, Toronto Raptors

Free-throw attempts: 1,780

Free throws made: 1,545

Free-throw percentage: 86.80

Bottom Line: Micheal Williams

Micheal Williams still holds the NBA record for consecutive free throws made during the regular season with 97.

Williams won an NBA title riding the bench for the Pistons in 1989 and had his best season in 1992, when he was named to the NBA All-Defensive Team.

34. 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: 86.95

Bottom Line: Mike Newlin

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.

33. 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: 86.98

Bottom Line: Hersey Hawkins

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.

31. (Tie) Chris Paul

Length of career: 15 seasons (2005-present)

Teams: New Orleans Hornets, Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, Oklahoma City Thunder

Free-throw attempts: 4,892

Free throws made: 4,258

Free-throw percentage: 87.04

Bottom Line: Chris Paul

Future Hall of Famer Chris Paul has been one of the NBA's best point guards since he entered the league in 2005.

His run to the NBA playoffs with the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA restart in 2020 seemed to truly cement his legacy.

31. (Tie) 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: 87.04

Bottom Line: Kevin Martin

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.

29. (Tie) Devin Booker

Length of career: 5 seasons (2015-present)

Team: Phoenix Suns

Free-throw attempts: 1,989

Free throws made: 1,732

Free-throw percentage: 87.08

Bottom Line: Devin Booker

Devin Booker is one of the most exciting players of his generation.

With his play during the NBA restart in 2020, he turned expectations on their head for what the Phoenix Suns could accomplish with him as the team's best player.

Part of Booker's complete game is his free-throw shooting, where he's hit almost 90 percent of his attempts through five seasons.

29. (Tie) 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: 87.08

Bottom Line: Mo Williams

Mo Williams was a solid point guard with nice ballhandling 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 also was a consistent solid shooter from the free-throw line and could be counted on at the end of games.

28. 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: 87.11

Bottom Line: Jeff Malone

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.

27. 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: 87.14

Bottom Line: Darrell Armstrong

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 get a lot of opportunities at the charity stripe, but he made them count.

26. 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: 87.17

Bottom Line: Kiki Vandeweghe

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.

25. 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: 87.23

Bottom Line: Isaiah Thomas

Isaiah Thomas has carved out a niche for himself since entering the league in 2011.

A two-time All-Star, Thomas has played for seven teams. At every stop except one (Denver Nuggets in 2018-19), he has shot over 80 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.

24. Danilo Gallinari

Length of career: 11 seasons (2008-present)

Teams: New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder

Free-throw attempts: 3,083

Free throws made: 2,691

Free-throw percentage: 87.29

Bottom Line: Danilo Gallinari

Danilo Gallinari started playing professional basketball in his native Italy in 2004, at just 16 years old, before making his NBA debut with the New York Knicks in 2008 after being named Italian League MVP.

Gallinari has four seasons where his free-throw percentage was over 90 percent.

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: 87.32

Bottom Line: Terrell Brandon

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. 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: 87.55

Bottom Line: Ricky Pierece

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.

21. 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

Bottom Line: Earl Boykins

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.

20. Khris Middleton

Length of career: 8 seasons (2012-present)

Teams: Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks

Free-throw attempts: 1,576

Free throws made: 1,381

Free-throw percentage: 87.63

Bottom Line: Khris Middleton

The Detroit Pistons essentially gave Khris Middleton away early in his career, and he's become one of the NBA's most consistent players alongside NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo on the Milwaukee Bucks.

As inconsistent as Middleton may have been during the NBA's restart in 2020, he's always been uber-consistent at the free-throw line.

18. (Tie) Kyle Korver

Length of career: 17 seasons (2003-present)

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

Free-throw attempts: 1,479

Free throws made: 1,297

Free-throw percentage: 87.69

Bottom Line: Kyle Korver

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.

18. (Tie) Kyrie Irving

Length of career: 9 seasons (2012-present)

Teams: Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets

Free-throw attempts: 2,316

Free throws made: 2,031

Free-throw percentage: 87.69

Bottom Line: Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving is already a six-time All-Star and an NBA champion with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

His ballhandling wizardry makes opposing defenses dizzy and off-balance, and 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.

17. 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

Bottom Line: Jeff Hornacek

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.

16. Dirk Nowitzki

Length of career: 21 seasons (1998-2019)

Team: Dallas Mavericks

Free-throw attempts: 8,339

Free throws made: 7,240

Free-throw percentage: 87.87

Bottom Line: Dirk Nowitzki

Where does the time go? Dirk Nowitzki played in three decades in the NBA and built a Hall of Fame resume as one of the best international players in league history.

With a 7-foot frame and superior shooting skills, Nowitzki revolutionized the game, changing the way power forwards and centers play offense.

15. Kevin Durant

Length of career: 13 seasons (2007-present)

Teams: Seattle SuperSonics, Oklahoma City Thunder, Golden State Warriors, Brooklyn Nets

Free-throw attempts: 6,506

Free throws made: 5.742

Free-throw percentage: 88.26

Bottom Line: Kevin Durant

The former NBA Most Valuable Player, four-time scoring champion and two-time NBA Finals MVP is facing a career crossroads — how will he come back from a devastating Achilles injury?

Kevin Durant now plays for the Brooklyn Nets, but one thing that definitely won't change is the stellar free-throw shooting.

He's hit almost 90 percent of his free throws for his career.

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

Bottom Line: Bill Sharman

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. 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

Bottom Line: Larry Bird

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.

12. 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

Bottom Line: Reggie MIller

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.

11. Damian Lillard

Length of career: 8 seasons (2012-present)

Team: Portland Trail Blazers

Free-throw attempts: 3,723

Free throws made: 3,309

Free-throw percentage: 88.88

Bottom Line: Damian Lillard

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.

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

Bottom Line: Scott Skiles

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: 14 seasons (2006-present)

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

Free-throw attempts: 2,011

Free throws made: 2,258

Free-throw percentage: 89.06

Bottom Line: J.J. Redick

J.J. Redick remains one of the NBA's premier sharpshooters, 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-pointers.

And he's 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

Bottom Line: Calvin Murphy

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

Bottom Line: Ray Allen

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

Bottom Line: Chauncey Billups

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 he averaged over 90 percent at the free-throw line 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

Bottom Line: Peja Stojakovic

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 made: 3,818

Free-throw percentage: 89.98

Bottom Line: Rick Barry

Rick Barry was a different kind of shooter, most known for shooting his free throws underhand style.

Although his field-goal percentage and 3-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. 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

Bottom Line: Mark Price

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 3

-point line. But his most lethal spot on the floor was at the free-throw line.

2. 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

Bottom Line: Steve Nash

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.

1. Stephen Curry

Length of career: 11 seasons (2009-present)

Team: Golden State Warriors

Free-throw attempts: 2,560

Free throws made: 2,827

Free-throw percentage: 90.56

Bottom Line: Stephen Curry

Stephen Curry has redefined the way people think of a "shooter."

With range from the parking lot and incredible ballhandling skills, the 6-foot-3 point guard has transcended how the game is played.

And no one has ever been better at the free-throw stripe.