Top 5 memorable free-throw shooting techniques in NBA history featuring Jeremy Sochan’s one-handed throw
The NBA recently saw Jeremy Sochan shooting one-handed free throws against the Houston Rockets.
The image reminded most fans of Chicago Bulls legend Dennis Rodman, who also used to shoot free throws with just one hand. The shooting technique is not the only point of comparison between San Antonio Spurs’ rookie Jeremy Sochan and Rodman, as Sochan sports a similar green haircut that “The Worm” was popular for. Sochan had struggled to make free throws the entire season and is currently converting at a paltry 45.8% in the NBA.
The number needs to improve quickly as the power forward ended up trying one-handed free throws in Spurs’ recent victory over the Houston Rockets. The following article looks at some other memorable free-throw shooting techniques that the NBA has seen over the years.
Memorable free throw shooting techniques in the NBA
#5 - Jeremy Sochan
Sochan squared up against the Rockets with a Dennis Rodman-inspired haircut. However, the copying did not end here as the rookie ended up shooting free throws one-handedly, something Rodman was also popular for. Rodman was also an inconsistent free throw shooter and only converted around 54% of his total shots from the charity stripe.
Jeremy Sochan is struggling from the free throw line this season (45.8%), so he’s now attempting something new: one-armed free throws.
youtu.be/5yIVdb2FKOA https://t.co/GPfyQMGjSo
Jeremy Sochan will be looking to improve his current efficiency of 45.8%, and his newest technique, however, might not be the best to hold on to.
#4 - Chuck Hayes
Former Toronto Raptors center Chuck Hayes enjoyed a decent NBA career. However, he played his best years for the Houston Rockets where he was a regular starter as well, something which the American could not afford for most of his career since.
A.I.'s reaction to Chuck Hayes’ free throw attempts was hilarious 🤣
(via @shaqtin)
https://t.co/VdU07E0nbP
A brief look over his statistics tells us that he had a free throw conversion rate that was slightly above 49%. This can be attributed to Hayes’ unorthodox shooting technique which was often said to be a travel. Hayes took a brief pause before shooting each free throw. He would tilt his body in an unnatural way before finally shooting.
#3 - Rick Barry
Golden States Warriors legend Rick Barry won the 1975 NBA championship and was an eight-time NBA All-Star with 24.8 ppg in the NBA through his career. He finished his career with the Houston Rockets and had a healthy 87.5% efficiency from the free throw line throughout his career.
Rick Barry perfected the art of the underhand free throw 🎯 https://t.co/uhTdgJxaNH
Still, Barry had an unorthodox free throw technique and would shoot underhanded, with his gigantic hands holding on to the ball from the bottom. This not only makes the technique difficult to look at, but also makes shooting the ball more difficult for most players.
#2 - Andris Bierdrins
Biedrins finished his career with the Utah Jazz in the 2013-14 NBA season. He, however, spent a majority of his career at the Golden State Warriors. The seven-foot center enjoyed his best season in 2010-11 and finished with double-double figures of 11.9 points and 11.2 rebounds.
Still, his free-throw shooting was poor throughout his career as Biedrins only converted sightly more than 50% of his overall shots. His technique involves a slow buildup at the end of which Biedrins would tilt the ball to one side before finally letting go of it.
#1 - Desmond Mason
Desmond Mason last played in the NBA for the Sacramento Kings back in 2009. He won the 2001 slam dunk contest and enjoyed his best years at the Milwaukee Bucks. The 6' 5" former Seattle Supersonics man could play at both the center and the forward positions. While he had a healthy free throw conversion rate of more than 74%, Mason’s technique was as unorthodox as they come.
Take a look back at the epic #ATTSlamDunk duel between Jason Richardson and Desmond Mason at 2003 NBA All-Star weekend! #NBA75 https://t.co/XbuDjDck1f
Mason would keep the ball at an arm’s length and hold onto it with both his hands for seconds before awkwardly pushing it toward the basket. The technique might work better than some of the others mentioned above, but it was always difficult to look at.