While LeBron James was spectacular during 2016-17, he wasn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination. That was especially evident from the free throw line, where LeBron had the worst season of his career. He connected on 67.4 percent of his shots from the charity stripe, and heading into the postseason, he decided to ask a teammate for help.
One of the biggest moves Cleveland made this year occurred when it went out and acquired Kyle Korver, who is revered for being an incredible free throw shooter – after joining the Cavs, Korver connected on 14 of 15 attempts from the stripe. For LeBron, who wanted to improve heading into the playoffs, asking one of the best shooters to ever live seemed like pretty solid advice.
According to The Athletic, Korver noticed that James’ form was a bit off. Namely, he pointed to how James didn’t dip low enough at the waist and that his feet were not staggered, both of which are similar to how he shoots jumpers.
“I never shoot like this,” James told The Athletic. “I’m always shooting off the hip. I like it. I’m sticking with it.”
Here is a picture from the broadcast of Monday’s game between Cleveland and Indiana that illustrates how James has adjusted his feet.
Is this a little funky? Sure, but if Kyle Korver is telling you how to be a better free throw shooter, he’s probably on to something.
