Friday, December 19, 2008

Shaq, The King of the Brickmasons

In backetball, if you put up a really ugly shot that doesn't come close to going in, clangs off of the rim, wedges itself between backboard and back part of rim, etc., it is often said that you have thrown up "a brick". If that's the case, then Shaquille O'Neal, center for the Phoenix Suns, is coming up on a big milestone in bricklaying history -- his 5000th MISSED free throw. Shaq shoots about 52% free throws for his career, well below a typical NBA player who makes 70-90% of his free throws. See article on ESPN here, by John Hollinger.

To put this in perspective, Shaq has MISSED more free throws than many hall of fame NBA players have free throw total ATTEMPTS in their careers. Hollinger lists many of these players.

Photo credit: Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images

Only Wilt Chamberlain has more FT misses than Shaq. Apparently Wilt, who once famously claimed that he slept with 20,000 women in his life, was missing approximately one FT for every 3.4 women slept with!

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