NBA News: Hall Of Famer Rick Barry Explains History Behind Unorthodox Free-Throw Style

Most basketball players have a certain kind of shooting form they follow to get the ball into the hoop.

Some may be unorthodox, and the NBA has gotten some of that in its years of existence.

There is perhaps no other NBA player that comes to mind other than Hall of Famer Rick Barry.

The 6-foot-7 cager spent eight seasons playing in the league, plus six years in the American Basketball Association (ABA).

His underhand free-throw shooting is something that stands out when one comes across saved videos of his games during his prime.

Barry appeared on the Sports for All PH podcast hosted by Vincent Juico and Brian Yalung recently and was asked where it all originated.

The 1975 NBA champion bared that it was something that originated from his dad.

“It was my father that got me to do it. I was in high school and I didn’t want to do it because girls shot that way in those days,” Barry stated.

However, the eight-time NBA All-Star added that his dad told him not to mind it and that the more important thing is that he is making them.

“I remember him saying, ‘Dad, I can’t do that. Everyone is going to make fun of me because girls are shooting that way. His exact words were ‘Son, they can’t make fun of you if you are making them,'” the 77-year-old said.

Barry could not recall when he first tried doing the underhand free-throw. However, he shared what motivated him to stick with it.

“In the first game I did it, I can’t remember this was my junior year or senior year in high school... There was this guy from the stands who yelled at me [who said] ‘Hey Rick Barry, you sissy, shooting like that.' And I heard that guy next to him saying, 'What are you making fun of him for? He doesn’t miss.' And once I heard that I was fine. I knew it was a good thing when my dad gave it a sincere effort to teach me,” Barry explained.

From there, the 1966 NBA Rookie of the Year realized that even though it may seem unusual, shooting free-throws in the manner he did was efficient and quickly gained the confidence on it.

“In the very short period of time I realized, it was really a very efficient way to shoot free-throws and I got confidence very quickly in it. And that’s what it takes in anything in life. You have to have that confidence in what you are doing. Believe in yourself to be very successful,” he stated.

“So I gained confidence very quickly. And after that first game on the floor, I was good…. I wish I had been smarter earlier in my career to make the change that I made, the technique late in my career,” he added.

Barry stuck to his underhand free-throw shooting since his last years of playing competitive ball.

Up to until his final years, the former Golden State Warrior shared how his free-throw percentage remained high and even improved before he called it a career.

“My last six years, I changed the technique a little bit, got the wrist out of it and I shot over 92% in those six years. In my last two years, I shot over 94%. And so I think I was the best free-throw shooter in the history of the NBA coz no one has put up those numbers on a consistent basis and it’s the only part of the game where you can be selfish to help your team,” Barry ended.