The "Granny" Free Throw: Barry’s Famous Oddity and 90% Touch
The underhand "granny" free throw is Barry's most visible tag. While everyone else fired one-handed from the shoulder, he cupped the ball with both hands and lofted it from below—the motion looked like holding a chamber pot, earning fans' "granny" jibe.
The form was ungainly but devastatingly effective. Barry's career free-throw rate was 90.6%, often leading the league, a freak among high-scoring forwards. He later begged young players to ignore looks and chase makes, yet almost nobody would surrender their pride to learn the style.
In a sense the "granny" shot was a microcosm of Barry's character: he never cared what others thought, only the result. That pragmatism ran through his whole career—from free throws to defensive reads, he was always the "effective first" school.
Related Reading
Related
The 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers: A Miracle After 1-3
Fifty Years Later: A Deep Dive Into the 2021 Championship
We The North: A Deep Dive Into the 2019 Championship
