“Don’t make me shoot that granny shot”: Shaquille O’Neal once refused to take free throws like Rick Barry

"Don't make me shoot that granny shot": Shaquille O'Neal once refused to take free throws like Rick Barry

Shaquille O’Neal is the most dominant player in NBA history, whilst simultaneously having a poor free throw shooting percentage!

At 7’1, and 325lbs, there was nothing that could’ve prepared the NBA for what they were about to witness. The stature, size, and physique possessed by O’Neal rendered it impossible for opposing ‘Big Men’ to stop him.

His NBA highlights are an attestation to that. It’s also the reason he became such a formidable force to play against. His ability to dominate the paint with ease made him a prolific threat during a time when the game was played around the basket.

Not to mention, ‘Diesel’ was the protagonist for a Los Angeles Lakers side that would go on to assert their supremacy over the rest of the league, vanquishing their competition for three successive years. More fondly remembered as the iconic ‘Three-peat’!

But like every other colossal force, ‘Shaq’ had his flaws. Maintaining his rather large structure in shape being the primary, but let’s not sweep the carpet over his abysmal free throw shooting

Also read: “I Never Wanted To Be The Best. I Wanted To Be The Meanest!”: Shaquille O’Neal Described His Mindset During His Legendary NBA Career

Shaquille O’Neal refused to take his free throws replicating Rick Barry, in light of his poor free throw shooting!

O’ Neal’s free throw shooting troubles go long before his NBA career unfolded. ‘Diesel’ shared his insights on how his former LSU coach, Dale Brown, hounded him to perfect his flaw of free throws.

It’s no secret the former NBA ‘MVP’ struggled at the line. However, given the fact he was unstoppable, opponents resorted to the tactic, with predetermined knowledge, that the four-time NBA champion, was horrendous in that aspect.

When O’Neal’s form wasn’t improving, Coach Brown stated to him-

“You know what I’m going to do? I’m going to get you to soot underhand. Rick Barry, who was in the ‘Hall of Fame’ was the best at it.”

To which O’Neal responded-

“Coach, please don’t do that. Please don’t make me shoot that granny shot. It’s embarrassing.”

Shaquille O’Neal continued to dominate with poor free throw shooting

This just goes to show that even the greatest players of all time have their flaws. It’s the hard work, resilience, and perseverance we denote to the profession and skill we wish to excel at, that makes us stand out from the rest.

Fortunately, for the 50-year-old, he was dominant enough that he would go on to become one of the greatest NBA players of all time, in spite of his poor free throw shooting!

Also read: “I’m Joel Embiid, Shaquille O’Neal was a freaking monster when he played”: The Sixers center believes he dominates the game in other ways unlike a physical specimen like The Diesel

Post Edited By: Adit Pujari
lsu NBA Shaquille O'Neal

About the author

Anujit Vijayakumar

Anujit Vijayakumar is an NBA and Combat Sports writer at The SportsRush. An avid sports enthusiast, Anujit has been involved in the NBA and Combat Sports spectrum for over five years. Having joined The SportsRush in 2022, Anujit has been an integral member of both the basketball and combat sports community. He has published over 200 articles for NBA and over 150 articles for MMA primarily since his tenure began as a content writer.

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