# What year did the NBA ban slam dunking free throws? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 7, 2007, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-year-did-the-nba-ban-slam-dunking-free-throws/429125 "2007-12-07T04:59:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-year-did-the-nba-ban-slam-dunking-free-throws/429125/1 "2007-12-07T04:59:42Z")
I’ve got a 6-pack riding on this. It was actually a bet I made years ago which was one of the reasons I joined the Dope. I am under the impression that Wilt Chamberlain used to dunk his free throws in college. He’d kind of do a Michael Jordon run up to the free throw line and slam the ball. This was rather effective as Wilt could not shoot a free throw to save his life. I believe they banned jumping over the free throw line because of this. My friend claims that when Wilt scored 100 points in a single game he was slamming his free throws. I say no way, and I assume they banned the slam free throw even before he entered the NBA. During that game, he was 28 for 32 from the charity stripe, but he had a lifetime 50% free throw average. Does anyone know what year the slam dunk free throw was banned or what free throw technique Wilt Chamberlain used the night he scored 100 points? ---
**Author:** ![Cuckoorex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Cuckoorex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cuckoorex)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 6:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-year-did-the-nba-ban-slam-dunking-free-throws/429125/2 "2007-12-07T06:40:21Z")
According to a few sites I have found via Google, Wilt did indeed dunk from the foul line for his foul shots in the 100 point game and the NBA banned that method of shooting foul shots the very next season. I have no real solid confirmation of this, though. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-year-did-the-nba-ban-slam-dunking-free-throws/429125/3 "2007-12-07T07:14:16Z")
[This ESPN story says that it’s true](http://espn.go.com/nba/news/1999/1012/110842.html) > [@](#): > > Years ago, teams could pass the ball over the backboard or take a running start when attempting a foul shot. The former was outlawed because Chamberlain would use the backboard as a screen, cherry-picking passes and converting them into layups; the latter was banned after Chamberlain took a running start, leapt from the foul line and dunked the ball. > > Yes, Chamberlain dunked foul shots. ---
**Author:** ![Rysto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ecccb3/32.png) [@Rysto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysto)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-year-did-the-nba-ban-slam-dunking-free-throws/429125/4 "2007-12-07T07:20:23Z")
Edit: Should have read the OP; that cite is totally useless for resolving the question. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-year-did-the-nba-ban-slam-dunking-free-throws/429125/5 "2007-12-07T14:21:48Z")
Well I learned something new today- does anyone have video of someone doing this? ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-year-did-the-nba-ban-slam-dunking-free-throws/429125/6 "2007-12-07T14:49:21Z")
He had to start his run from inside the free throw circle. He couldn’t run from half court to get the distance. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-year-did-the-nba-ban-slam-dunking-free-throws/429125/7 "2007-12-07T15:16:08Z")
The New York Times report on the “Hershey Hundred” at the time makes no mention of dunking foul shots. It probably would have been mentioned, since dunks were much rarer back then. Chamberlain was one of the few who could do it, but did it far less often than players do today. IIRC, even the rules of the time required you had to stay behind the foul line. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-year-did-the-nba-ban-slam-dunking-free-throws/429125/8 "2007-12-07T15:20:16Z")
[QUOTE=Wee Bairn] Well I learned something new today- does anyone have video of someone doing this? [/QUOTE] [You’re kidding right?](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EfHnG-e-vE) ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-year-did-the-nba-ban-slam-dunking-free-throws/429125/9 "2007-12-07T15:59:18Z")
I’m a little skeptical of these free throw dunks, considering that (a) even today, only the most skilled and athletic players can just barely dunk from beyond the free throw line _with a full flying start_, and (b) Chamberlain was always a crappy free throw shooter. [This report](http://schoolforchampions.com/sports/basketball_rule_changes.htm), purely anecdotal, may be closer to the truth: > [@](#): > > When Wilt Chamberlain was in high school, he had a unique way of shooting free-throws. He would stand at the top of the key, throw the ball up toward the basket, take two steps, jump toward the rim and jam the ball through the net. Doing this resulted in basketball rules to state that a player cannot cross the plane of the free-throw line when shooting a free-throw. This is a little unclear, but I believe the author is referring to _missing a free throw on purpose_ and dunking the rebound, which is possible with a mini-running start from the top of the key. This strikes me as a more plausible motive for a rules change. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-year-did-the-nba-ban-slam-dunking-free-throws/429125/10 "2007-12-07T16:19:48Z")
[QUOTE=Cluricaun] [You’re kidding right?](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EfHnG-e-vE) [/QUOTE] His foot is over the line. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-year-did-the-nba-ban-slam-dunking-free-throws/429125/11 "2007-12-07T16:48:18Z")
He doesn’t need to dunk it-a finger roll will suffice just fine once he is in the vicinity of the basket. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-year-did-the-nba-ban-slam-dunking-free-throws/429125/12 "2007-12-07T17:18:31Z")
[QUOTE=Cluricaun] [You’re kidding right?](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EfHnG-e-vE) [/QUOTE] No, I meant while shooting a free throw- I’ve never heard of it once being allowed to do anything but stand there, bounce the ball and shoot. If it is as **Freddy the Pig** says that he would miss on purpose and get the rebound, I get that, but I’ve never heard that you could run and jump passed the line on a free throw. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-year-did-the-nba-ban-slam-dunking-free-throws/429125/13 "2007-12-07T18:18:10Z")
Thanks people, I always thought I had decent Google skills so it’s nice to know that a definitive answer is hard to find. I wonder if the game was televised. [QUOTE=Cuckoorex] According to a few sites I have found via Google, Wilt did indeed dunk from the foul line for his foul shots in the 100 point game and the NBA banned that method of shooting foul shots the very next season. I have no real solid confirmation of this, though. [/QUOTE] If you get the chance, can you link to some of the sites? ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-year-did-the-nba-ban-slam-dunking-free-throws/429125/14 "2007-12-07T18:33:54Z")
According to this quote from Wilt via Wiki, he tried this as a freshamn (high school? college?) but never did it in a game. A couple of sites have people claim this is how he was 28-32 in his 100 point game, but I have seen clips and he definitely did not do this then. Methinks someone read the Wiki quote and extrapolated that it was legal and he did it in games. If it were ever legal, at some point he would have been a 100% or close shooter, but he was 62% in college, 51% in pros. I also think he’s stretching it a bit- I don’t see even someone his size being able to dunk from the free throw line with a two step start. **Darryl Lict** , those sites **Cuckoorex** cites are just some guys comments on a website, nothing official, just some random guy spouting untruths. _“When I was a freshman, I fooled around with shooting free throws this way: For some reason, I thought you had to stay within the top half of that free-throw circle, so I would step back to just inside the top of the circle, take off from behind the line and dunk. They outlawed that, but I wouldn’t have done it in a game, anyway.”_ ---
**Author:** ![obfusciatrist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/4af34b/32.png) [@obfusciatrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/obfusciatrist)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-year-did-the-nba-ban-slam-dunking-free-throws/429125/15 "2007-12-07T18:37:27Z")
No, there’s no video recording of the 100-point game (and there were only 4000-ish people actually at the game) and it was not televised. There is a record of the radio broadcast and I’d imagine that if he was slamming his free throws there’d be some indication of it in that. ---
**Author:** ![Wee\_Bairn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/90db22/32.png) [@Wee\_Bairn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wee_Bairn)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-year-did-the-nba-ban-slam-dunking-free-throws/429125/16 "2007-12-07T18:40:00Z")
The fact that an ESPN article mentions he dunked them in games is a bit odd though- they should know better. **obfusciatrist** is correct though- I must be thinking of video of him of that era, not that game, but still, none show him dunking a free throw. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-year-did-the-nba-ban-slam-dunking-free-throws/429125/17 "2007-12-07T18:42:17Z")
[QUOTE=Cluricaun] [You’re kidding right?](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4EfHnG-e-vE) [/QUOTE] Basketball’s not my sport, but that doesn’t look like a free throw to me. That looks like a slam dunk contest. ---
**Author:** ![Cluricaun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/bb73d2/32.png) [@Cluricaun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cluricaun)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-year-did-the-nba-ban-slam-dunking-free-throws/429125/18 "2007-12-07T20:06:28Z")
[QUOTE=KneadToKnow] Basketball’s not my sport, but that doesn’t look like a free throw to me. That looks like a slam dunk contest. [/QUOTE] He did say “Well I learned something new today- does anyone have video of someone doing this?” Well that’s video of someone dunking from the free throw line (or just thereabouts for \*\*Adam Yax’s \*\* benefit 😃 ), and not even a good video at that. Leave my crappy cites alone! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![misterW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f1d935/32.png) [@misterW](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/misterW)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-year-did-the-nba-ban-slam-dunking-free-throws/429125/19 "2007-12-07T22:12:10Z")
[QUOTE=Darryl Lict] My friend claims that when Wilt scored 100 points in a single game he was slamming his free throws. I say no way, and I assume they banned the slam free throw even before he entered the NBA. During that game, he was 28 for 32 from the charity stripe, but he had a lifetime 50% free throw average. [/QUOTE] So your friend thinks he dunked from the foul line 28 times!!! Dunking from the foul line is extremely difficult, even in a situation like a slam dunk competition. Imagine trying it during a game in which you are running up and down the court constantly – and scoring 100 points! I doubt even michael jordan would have the strength to do that in a game more than a couple of times. Sorry, no cite here, but I am 100% certain that Chamberlain did not dunk ANY of those free throws. And I dont see how that would be a practical technique in any game situation. ---
**Author:** ![Darryl\_Lict](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/7cd45c/32.png) [@Darryl\_Lict](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darryl_Lict)\ **Post date:** [December 7, 2007, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-year-did-the-nba-ban-slam-dunking-free-throws/429125/20 "2007-12-07T22:27:14Z")
Man, did part of this thread get lost? I have found this [quote] ([http://www.armchairgm.com/Slam\_Dunk\_Contest](http://www.armchairgm.com/Slam_Dunk_Contest)): > [@](#): > > At the University of Kansas, Wilt Chamberlain was able to dunk from the free throw line while starting his movement from within the free throw circle; this led to a rule change prohibiting shooting free throws by dunking the basketball (The Leaping Legends of Basketball, The Los Angeles Times; Feb 12, 1989; Scott Ostler). I may actually have read this article since I am a huge fan of Scott Ostler and have subscribed to the L.A. Times since 1981 or so. Perhaps that is why I was so convinced about myself being right about this bet. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-year-did-the-nba-ban-slam-dunking-free-throws/429125.md?page=2)