When looking at some freethrow stats this week I noticed that two of my favorite basketball players - Shaquille O’Neal and Blake Ahearn – are tied.  Well,  kinda sorta.

Through games of February 10, 2011 Shaq and Blake have both missed 58 freethrows.   But…     Shaq has missed those shots in 36 games this year with the Celtics, making   73 out of 131 for 55.7%, which is 3% higher than his career average.

Blake Ahearn, who plays for the Erie Bayhawks of the NBDL, played 12 games for Miami at the end of the 2008 season and two games for San Antonio at the beginning of the 2009 season,  made 32 of 33 freethrows in those games.  One miss.

In college at Missouri State Blake played 129 games and led the NCAA in freethrow percentage for his first three years(and finished as the all-time leader, with 94.6%).  He made 435 out of 460 freethrows.  25 misses.

He played 13 pro games in Spain, going 57 for 58 from the line.  In six games playing in Italy he was 14 for 14.  His NBDL freethrow percentage for 134 games (including two playoff games) is 95.77%.  That’s 702 out of 733 shots.Since his college career began in 2003 Blake has played  297 games and made 1240 of 1298 freethrows.  An average of one miss every FIVE games.   In his 14 games this season he is perfect – 53 out of 53.  Only 58 misses in almost 300 games.

Shaq has averaged shooting more than twice as many freethrows per game because of being a center and his physical inside play, so can you imagine what his points per game COULD have been??  If only he had cared a little bit.  Just focused a little more.