its not so much that he refused to learn or to shoot underhand, but just the way he refused, if i was rick and if shaq wasnt 600 lbs i would kick his ass.
my friend once said that the nba is rigged. shaq can do everything, except shoot. hes got almost everything down but he's never learned to pick up free throws. WTF? thats one of the most basic moves in basketball ( that and layups). if shooting underhand helped me win games in crunch time (reason why they always take him out and stick mourning or someone else in). i do just fine with shooting normally so i dont have to resort to another method. i dont get why its so hard to shoot that ball straight. all he has to do, is take time out of his busy schedule and practice on the courts shooting a couple hundred freethrows. its called pratice and all of the greats have done it. you can never stop learning, the end.
Yeah cause if there's anybody who has sown goodwill and positive karma during his time in basketball.....it's Rick Barry........
Ya...Shaq knows he's a terrible FT shooter and trying to shoot under-handed at his stage in his career would bring more laughs than anything else. Shaq probably could have responded in a more mature way but at the end, nobody wants to shoot underhanded. And with 4 rings, he doesn't really have to.
that minor detail shouldn't deter you, don't be scerrred. what if you were 500 lb, would you then take him on?
I do recall an instance years ago when Rick Barry said that Shaq will never be one of the all-time great big men because of his free throws. So I could understand him being upset about that. It's not about Shag being arrogant, but to me it sounds more like Rick Barry being the hater. If you want to offer help, that's not the way to go about doing it. I know there are a lot of Shaq haters on this board, but he is without a doubt a top 5. Not just big men, but of all-time. And it's not like his free throws give the game away. He often hits them in the clutch, and I'm talking about back to his Orlando days. You people can say that "I'll shoot underhand if it helps my FT% and my team wins" but ain't none of you gonna stand in front 25000 people with 50 million more watching and shoot an underhanded free throw.
Shooting underhand is for girls and grandmas. No REAL MAN would shoot like that. Anyways, I think Rick Barry was joking anyways.
Have you ever seen the size of Shaq's hand. It almost covers the whole ball. If you think it's easy, then take a mini basketball and do some free-throws on a Fisher-Price rim. On top of that he had a major accident which prevents him from bending his wrist backwards, so it's not like he can get any rotation on the ball. So while you're at it try shooting it without bending your wrist back.
considering the fact that shaq's place in history (HOF, one of the greatest big men in history) is already cemented... considering the fact that shaq has 4 rings (and counting)... considering the fact that shaq has been the face of the nba for 10+ years... considering the fact that shaq is a gazillionaire... considering the fact that shaq is the most imposing figure in the past 30 years... i understand why he doesn't want to do something that would embarass himself on the court. sure, you could argue that missing free throws is embarassing but, strangely, it is not so embarassing when you have become accustomed to it. he is used to missing free throws. it is part of who he is and, obviously, it has not kept him from winning titles.
The amount of Shaq hating is funny. Why don't we suggest underhand to Ben Wallace? Shaq has won 4 rings without being able to shoot FTs. He can do whatever the hell he wants to.
That is the biggest myth, or lamest excuse, about Shaq's ft shooting. He can't shoot ft not because of the size of his hand. Plenty of NBA players have big hands. It's obvious that the problem is about touch and mechanic. Because no one cares about Ben Wallace's offense. Shaq won 4 rings playing with a dominating player who could take over at crunch time.
That isn't a myth. It's for real. It isn't easy shooting mini-balls. I personally have never heard anyone using that as an excuse. You go and shoot 200 FT at a mini-rim then come back to me.
Its about touch. The dude can probably bench press a car which limits his touch. How many really big guys not named Yao (Yao is not nearly as strong as Shaq) could shoot free throws. I can only think of one, Sabonis. Sobonis was also a freak of nature. Duncan can't shoot free throws, no one is dogging on him. What makes shaq special is the the ability to shoot and move at all at his size. He makes most offensive linemen in the NFL look small and he can run up and down the court and dribble the ball better than almost everyone on this board. Think about a 350 pound doing a crossover on you. BTW, Phil Jackson and Riley have said that Shaq hits free throws all day long during practice. He just can't hit them during the game. Maybe its fatigue from playing basketball at an NBA pace or maybe its in his mind, but practice hasn't helped Shaq.
...and the truth comes out. LOL! All this FT talk is nothing more than a camouflage for Shaq hatred and -- if I might suggest -- a reflection of some serious inferiority complex. You can try to mask it anyway you want, it's so transparent it's silly. 4 rings and counting, even when he is nowhere close to his prime it's still enough to win a championship. If nothing else, the fact that the Heat won it all last season gave me enormous hope for the Rockets. If, judging by the logic thrown around here, Yao being a superior FT shooter means that he will help us win four championships, then I am all for it.
Seriously. Shaq's had a lot of respect for the greats. Hell, even our own Dream. There's probably a lot more to this than just Shaq's 'attitude'.
I already have. When in college, betting with a friend, I shot ft with those mini foam ball and made 78 out of 100. I could also shoot a paper ball into a regular glass beaker with high accuracy. For a person with good touch and good mechanic, all you need is practice. Size is no excuse.
The logic is not that if you were a superior ft shooter, you would win 4 championships. Winning championships involves many factors. It's funny how people keep arguing: Player A won x number of rings, he must be great no matter what. Saying that Shaq won 4 championships so his ft didn't matter is just bad logic. Yao's ft shooting doesn't guarantee championship. But to say that it doesn't matter is another thing. It matters. Every facet of a player's game matters, especially when he is the superstar of the team. Shaq's ft shooting mattered. He just didn't want to admit it.
