On Tuesday night, Houston Rockets rookie forward Chinanu Onuaku caused quite a stir when he sank two free throws late in the fourth quarter during their exhibition match against the New Orleans Pelicans in China.
Making both shots may seem like a normal occurrence but the Louisville product shot them using the underhand technique.
Ben DuBose of Locked on Rockets captured the moment and shared it via his Twitter account.
Textbook. #Rockets pic.twitter.com/sa1wUPOxYd
— Ben DuBose (@BenDuBose) October 12, 2016
His way of shooting from the foul line was made famous in the 1960's by NBA legend Rick Barry and was also called the “Granny Style.”
It may seem odd to see someone from today's generation shooting like that, but this is not the first time the 37th overall pick of this year's draft has done it. During last year's FIBA U19 World Championship in Greece, Onuaku already shot free throws with that form.
With the help of the Granny method, the 6-foot-10 forward has increased his free-throw shooting percentage back in college by almost 13%, from 46.7% on his freshman year to 59.6% the year after, per Seth Davis' article for Sports Illustrated.
Still, it may not be a decent average but credit must be given to him for changing his technique in order to be more efficient. Maybe DeAndre Jordan or Dwight Howard can take notes from the 19-year-old.
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