Who holds the record for the best free throw percentage in the NBA?

Who holds the record for the best free throw percentage in the NBA?

Steve Njuguna
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:23 PM

Free throws are crucial in the game of basketball. They are the main way of penalizing foul plays in the game. For NBA teams, having a good free throw shooter could be the difference between winning and losing a game. Today we list the best free throw shooters in the history of the NBA.

Today we discuss the best free throw shooters of all time.
Damian Lillard of the Portland TrailBlazers attempts a free throw. Photo by Amanda Loman.
Source: Getty Images

Free throws are shot from a line positioned 15 feet horizontally from the basket. They require a lot of precision and concentration as well as practice. Here are some of the greatest shooters of all time.

Who has made the most free throws in NBA history?

Former Utah Jazz big man Karl Malone has made the most free throws in the history of the NBA, with 9787 made over his 19-year career from 1985-2004. Below is the list of the top 5 NBA players with the most made free throws.

Karl Malone has made the most free throws in the history of the NBA
Karl Malone is an NBA hall of fame inductee. Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE.
Source: Getty Images

Player

Career period

Free throws made (as of January 2023)

Karl Malone

1985-2004

9787

Moses Malone

1974-1995

8531

Kobe Bryant

1996-2016

8378

Lebron James

2003- Ongoing

7993

Oscar Robertson

1960-1974

7694

Who holds the record for the best free throw percentage in a season?

Spanish shooting guard Jose Calderon holds the record for the highest-ever shooting percentage in a single season. Calderon achieved this in the 2008-2009 NBA season while playing for the Toronto Raptors. He achieved an incredible 98.1% percentage totalling 873 points from free throws in 68 games. These are the five players with the best single-season percentages:

Jose Calderon has the best single free throw percentage in a season in the history of the NBA.
Jose Calderon during a previous NBA game. Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE.
Source: Getty Images

Player

Team

Season

Games played

Free throw percentage

Jose Calderon

Toronto Raptors

2008-2009

68

98.1%

Calvin Murphy

Houston Rockets

1980-1981

76

95.8%

Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf

Denver Nuggets

1993-1994

80

95.6%

Ray Allen

Boston Celtics

2008-09

79

95.2%

Jeff Hornacek

Dallas Mavericks

1999-2000

77

77: 95%

Who is the best free throw shooting centre in history?

In the NBA, centres are known for struggling with free throw shooting. One of the most famous centres, Shaquille o' neal, AKA Shaq, was known for this. Shaq's percentage over his 19-year NBA career was only 52.7 %. However, some centres have much higher percentages. The best in history is former Seattle Supersonics centre Jack Sikma who shot 84.8 % during his 14-year NBA career from 1977-1991. These are the top 5 best centres in that category.

Jack Sikma is the best free throw shooting center in the history of the NBA.
Jack Sikma, during his time at the Milwaukee Bucks. Photo by Scott Cunningham/NBAE.
Source: Getty Images

Player

Teams

Career period

FT Percentage

Jack Sikma

Seattle Supersonics, Milwaukee Bucks

1977-1991

84.8 %

Mike Gmisnki

New Jersey Nets,Philadelphia 76ers,Charlotte Hornets,Milwaukee Bucks

1980-1994

84.5%

Bill Laimbeer

Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons.

1980-1984

84.0%

Karl Anthony Towns

Minnesota Timberwolves

2015- Ongoing

83.5%

Yao Ming

Houston Rockets

2002-2011

83.3

Who holds the record for the best free throw percentage in the NBA?

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry has the best free throw percentage of all time, with a whopping 90.8 %. These are the top 5 players with the best career free throw percentages:

Steph Curry has the best free throw percentage of all time.
Steph Curry attempts a free throw during an NBA game. Photo by Ron Hoskins/NBAE.
Source: Getty Images

Player

Team

Career period

Percentage

Stephen Curry

Golden State Warriors

2009-Ongoing

90.8 %

Steve Nash

Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, LA Lakers

1996-2015

90.4 %

Mark Price

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

1986-1998

90.4%

Rick Barry

New York Nets, Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets

1965-1980

90.0 %

Peja Stojakovic

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

1992-2011

89.5%

Who is the best free throw shooter in the history of the WNBA?

Elena Delle Donne is the best free throw shooter in the history of the WNBA, with an impressive 93.69 percentage in her decade-long spell in the league so far. These are the best free throw shooters in the WNBA:

Elena Della Donne is the best free throw shooter in the history of the WNBA.
Elena Delle Donne in a WNBA game for the Washington Mystics. Photo by Joshua Huston/NBAE.
Source: Getty Images

Player

Career Period

Teams

Percentage

Elena Delle Donne

2013-ongoing

Chicago Sky, Washington Mystics

93.69%

Kayla Mcbride

2014-ongoing

San Antonio Stars, Minnesota Lynx, Las Vegas Aces

89.82%

Becky Hammond

1999-2014

New York Liberty, San Antonio Silver Stars

89.68%

Tiffany Mitchell

2016-Present

Indiana Fever

89.46%

Allie Quigley

2008-Present

Phoenix Mercury, Chicago Sky

89.28%

Good shooters tend to perform well in pressure situations. They also have the commitment and discipline to practice and perfect their technique until it is flawless. We have just broken down for you who holds the record for the best free throw percentage in the NBA.

READ MORE: Top 15 best Spanish NBA players of all time: Find out who is on the list

Sportsbrief recently made a list of the top 15 best Spanish NBA players of all time. Spain has a rich basketball history, with gold medals at the FIBA World Championships in 2006 and 2019 and a silver medal at the Beijing 2008 Olympics.

Spanish basketball players are known for their flair and great shooting. The Gasol brothers duo of Pau and Marc Gasol have won NBA championships with the LA Lakers and Toronto Raptors, respectively. Who do you think is the greatest Spanish NBA player of all time? Find out by clicking the link above!

Authors
Steve Njuguna photo
Steve Njuguna
Steve Njuguna is a media professional with close to a decade of experience in the sports media industry. He has previously worked as a sports journalist with Bamba Sports TV, Vybez Radio and The Nairobian newspaper.