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This article breaks down Rick Barry's Finals MVP wins, the years, the opponents, and the context of each championship run.

What years did Rick Barry win Finals MVP?

The article lists every NBA Finals series in which Rick Barry was named Finals MVP, with team, opponent, and key stats.

What made Rick Barry's Finals MVP performances special?

The article highlights Rick Barry's defining moments, advanced stats, and narrative impact during each Finals MVP run.

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The "Granny" Free Throw: Barry’s Famous Oddity and 90% Touch

FMVP Club

NBA

22 views07/02/2026, 22:38 ET

Rick Barry shot free throws underhand—the "granny" style—mocked by fans yet a career 90.6% from the line, among the most accurate in NBA history.

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.