Free throws are free, but the process of getting to the free throw line isn't a random one.
Some NBA greats mastered the art of drawing fouls, whether by their style of play or the fact they simply couldn't be stopped any other way. In the NBA Finals, free throws can make all the difference between a win and a loss.
A close game on the NBA's biggest stage often comes down to who makes their free throws and who doesn't. Getting to the line and giving yourself even more chances to make free throws is just as important.
Here's a look at which players attempted the most free throws in an NBA Finals, from Dwyane Wade to Elgin Baylor.
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1. Elgin Baylor, Lakers, 99 FTA (1962)
Lakers legend Elgin Baylor scored an NBA Finals record 61 points in Game 5 against the Celtics, and it's hard to do anything like that without shooting (and making) a significant number of free throws.
Baylor attempted 19 free throws in that game, part of a series that saw him go to the line a record 99 times over seven games. Baylor only went to the line 15 times over the first two games of the series, but he took on an even more prominent role the rest of the way and did damage partly by drawing fouls.
Baylor averaged more than 40 points per game in the 1962 Finals, but the Lakers fell to the Celtics in Games 6 and 7 to miss out on a championship.
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2. Bob Pettit, Hawks, 98 FTA (1957)
A year before the Hawks upset the Celtics in the NBA Finals, Bob Pettit tried as hard as he could to will St. Louis to a championship — and he got himself to the free throw line 98 times along the way.
The 24-year-old Pettit averaged 30.1 points per game over the course of seven games, struggling in Games 2 and 3 but finding ways to draw contact as the series went on. He topped out at 22 free throw attempts in a narrow Game 6 win, which forced a Game 7 the Hawks would lose in overtime.
A year later, a 50-point game from Pettit allowed the Hawks to close out an NBA Finals win over the Celtics.
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3. Dwyane Wade, Heat, 97 FTA (2006)
Former Heat star Dwyane Wade has the advantage over Baylor in terms of free throws per game, as he attempted 97 free throws over six games in a 2006 NBA Finals win over the Mavericks.
Wade averaged nearly 35 points per game in the series, going to the line 25 times in Game 5 and 21 times in Game 6. He shot 77.3 percent from the line over those six games, missing 22 free throws, but his stellar performances in the waning games of the series were enough to rally the Heat to a championship after an early 2-0 deficit.
Wade attempted a career-high 10.7 free throws per game during the 2005-06 season, so getting to the line was very much part of his skillset; he averaged a whopping 16.2 attempts per game during the 2006 Finals.
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4. Shaquille O'Neal, Lakers, 93 FTA (2000)
"Hack-a-Shaq" was in full effect during the 2000 NBA Finals, as the Pacers tried to send Shaquille O'Neal to the line as much as possible knowing how much he struggled with free throw shooting.
O'Neal attempted 93 free throws in six games, including a remarkable 39 attempts in a Game 2 win. He didn't attempt even half as many free throws in any other game during the series, but the strategy could still be called effective with O'Neal shooting just 38.7 percent from the line.
Still, O'Neal was just too dominant. He averaged 38 points and 16.7 rebounds per game during the series, never scoring less than 33 points in a game and leading the Lakers to their first of three consecutive championships.
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5. Jerry West, Lakers, 90 FTA (1970)
Jerry West was no stranger to losing efforts in the NBA Finals, as the Lakers spent much of the 1960s coming up short against the Celtics, but 1970 brought a new opponent: the New York Knicks.
As usual, West was terrific, averaging 31.3 points per game and posting two games with double-digit assists. He attempted 90 free throws, including 48 through the first three games alone, and shot 83.3 percent from the line.
Despite his best efforts, the Lakers came up short in seven games. Motivated by Willis Reed's gutsy performance through injury, the Knicks rolled to a Game 7 victory and prevented West from winning his first NBA championship.
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6. Jerry West, Lakers, 87 FTA (1969)
West got to the line frequently during the 1969 NBA Finals as well, and it again wasn't enough to result in a championship.
The Lakers star's 53-point effort in Game 1 included 13 free throw attempts, and he went to the line 20 more times in Game 2. In all, West attempted 87 free throws during the seven-game series and shot 83.9 percent from the line.
L.A. won the first two games of the series but fell in seven games to the rival Celtics despite a largely efficient all-around performance by West.
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7. George Mikan, Lakers, 86 FTA (1950)
Lakers great George Mikan attempted 86 free throws in six games against the Syracuse Nationals during the 1950 NBA Finals, which L.A. won.
The Hall of Famer recorded double-digit free throw attempts in each of the six games, scoring at least 28 points in each game and missing more than three free throws only once. He finished the series averaging 32.2 points per game, buoyed by a 77.9 percent mark from the free throw line.
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T-8. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bucks, 85 FTA (2021)
The Suns tried their own version of "Hack-a-Shaq" with Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo at times during the 2021 NBA Finals, but Antetokounmpo made them pay for it in the series-clincher.
After struggling from the free throw line for much of the playoffs, Antetokounmpo attempted 47 free throws over the first three games of the series, two of which were Suns wins.
Following a difficult 4-of-11 performance in a Game 5 win, Antetokounmpo attempted a series-high 19 free throws in Game 6 and overachieved expectations. In a historic 50-point performance, Antetokounmpo sank 17-of-19 free throws and led the Bucks to their first championship in 50 years.
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T-8. Jerry West, Lakers, 85 FTA (1962)
A 23-year-old West showcased his stardom in a seven-game 1962 NBA Finals loss to the Celtics, averaging 31.1 points per game and leading the Lakers to a 3-2 series lead before Boston came back and won the final two games of the series.
West attempted 85 free throws along the way, including 45 in the first three games alone, and he was efficient at 84.7 percent from the line despite the Lakers' defeat.
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10. Bob Pettit, Hawks, 79 FTA (1958)
Pettit put the Hawks on his back during the 1958 NBA Finals, leading St. Louis to a championship against the favored Celtics after Bill Russell went down with an injury.
By the time Russell went down, however, the Hawks had already pulled a Game 1 upset behind 30 points from Pettit. Pettit drew more contact as the series went on, recovering from a difficult Game 4 by shooting 19-of-24 from the free throw line in Game 5 and scoring 50 points with the help of 15 free throw attempts in Game 6 to close out the series.
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11. Shaquille O'Neal, 76 FTA (2001)
The 76ers attempted a similar strategy in 2001 as the one the Pacers deployed a year earlier, as they had no problem sending O'Neal to the line while trying to pull off an upset.
While O'Neal's 12 missed free throws in Game 1 were a major difference maker, playing a role in a surprise win for Philadelphia, he shot an improved 51.3 percent from the free throw line overall during the series and helped lead the Lakers to four consecutive wins the rest of the way.
O'Neal averaged 33 points and 15.8 rebounds per game over five games in the 2001 NBA Finals, and he holds the record for most free throw attempts in an NBA Finals that lasted five or fewer games.
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