25 Greatest Shooters in NBA History

14. Rick Barry

By most accounts, Rick Barry was the original Larry Bird. He was a do-it-all player whose leadership and poise under pressure helped him become one of the greatest performers in NBA history.

Barry’s appeal was his versatility, but he carved out his legacy as a scorer behind the strength of his all-time shooting touch.

Barry will inevitably have detractors due to the fact that he shot under-handed free throws. That unconventional form will rub people the wrong way simply because of the negative connotation it’s received.

A career 89.3 percent free throw shooter between the ABA and NBA, there’s only one rational response to the negativity: the form worked. Very well.

The NBA was without a 3-point field goal for most of Barry’s career, and his time in the ABA featured his somewhat ambiguous use of it. With a marvelous in-between game and an all-time level of efficiency at the charity stripe, however, Barry easily makes the list.

It’s not about how they look going up, but how they come down.

Next: International Star, Part I