Knicks share origins of free-throw routines: ‘I was watching Kobe’

For most of Karl-Anthony Towns’ life into his first several NBA seasons, he did the same thing every time he made a trip to the charity stripe — a deep breath, two dribbles and then a deep squat before shooting.

But a few years ago, after shooting 80-plus percent from the free-throw line through his first four seasons, Towns did what many creatures of habit wouldn’t dare to: he changed up his routine.

“I was watching Kobe (Bryant), the way he was shooting, the way he was minimizing energy used at the free-throw line,” Towns said. “I played a ton of 2K to get that free-throw style down.

“You think I’m joking? I’m deadass serious.”

Towns said the old routine was putting too much stress on his body in a moment where a player usually wants to find the ultimate solace. So, in the midst of growing into one of the league’s best players, he tweaked his routine and dropped the squat. Furthermore, aside from honoring the late, great Bryant, the New York Knicks center also carries a piece of advice from another all-time great, a former teammate with him every time he attempts a free throw.

“I take a deep breath, relax my shoulders, like Kevin Garnett taught me when I was a rookie,” Towns said, “two dribbles, perfect placement on my hand.”

Free throws are quite arguably the most boring action in all of sports. Yet, in a world full of obsessives who don’t tend to stray away from their routines, nothing else in the midst of game action embodies these people’s ritualistic nature like a trip to the charity stripe.

Only the free-throw shooter can tell you if their three dribbles are a mindless means to an end or come with a deeper meaning. Only the free-throw shooter can tell you if there is something personal behind such a mundane act. Only the free-throw shooter can make sense of what they do in a moment when every eyeball is fixated on them.

“When I was growing up, free-throw routines were really, like, a thing. So, I had to make my own,” Knicks guard Jalen Brunson said.

Brunson has the busiest routine on the roster, and possibly the oldest.

“Honest, probably since elementary school,” Brunson said when asked when he created the routine he has today.

Most players catch the basketball from the official at the free-throw line and prepare for them, but Brunson catches the ball near the top of the key in stride, looks for the needle-sized dot that is on every stripe — which lets a player know where the center is — and then proceeds to do five dribbles in total after a deep breath. It starts with three quick dribbles, a spin dribble and then one more.

Is there a reason for five dribbles? Was it your favorite number as a kid?

“It was my favorite number as a kid, but it wasn’t because…” Brunson started to say before abruptly trying to tap into the elementary version of himself.

Maybe subconsciously?

“Maybe?” he said.

Then, there are some players whose dribbles at the free-throw line have a deeper meaning. Josh Hart, for example, brings his faith with him to the line.

“I take three dribbles for The Holy Trinity — the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit,” said Hart, who said he has had the same routine since his youth. “The spin after is kind of just random.”

Conversely, other players don’t put too much thought into their free-throw routines. Miles McBride takes one dribble and said there is no reason at all other than it’s comfortable.

“I don’t need to be up there showing off my handles,” McBride said.

McBride said he’s had that routine since high school. However, prior to high school, McBride said he used to wrap the ball around his waist to honor a current player at the time.

“I can’t remember who did it, but I saw it at the time and liked it,” he said.

In the most OG Anunoby fashion possible, Anunoby has absolutely no rhyme or reason for his routine.

How many dribbles do you do again? Is it two?

“I don’t even know,” Anunoby said. “I just do stuff. In high school, I don’t even know how many dribbles … I think I did way more than two.”

So, is there anything important to you when stepping up to the line? Do you like to get a breather?

“It’s just making a shot,” he said. “It’s not that hard.”

The young players on the Knicks’ roster tend to keep it short and sweet in comparison to their older teammates. Jacob Toppin takes one dribble, which is a decision rooted in understanding how his mind works.

“I just know that I’m an overthinker, so I just do one dribble and shoot it.” Toppin said.

The same goes for Tyler Kolek, who takes one dribble, spins the ball, takes a deep breath and releases his shoulders.

“Some guys can stand up there for 10 seconds, and their mental gets messed up,” Kolek said. “I think less is more with that.”

Like Brunson, Cameron Payne has had the same free-throw routine since he was a kid. His, too, is very busy. Payne spins the ball, takes three dribbles, spins the ball again and takes a deep breath.

As Payne thinks back to why he has this routine, the only thing he can think of is how he was told it should be done.

“That’s what my dad taught me when I was younger,” Payne said. “Some people want to get the shot up fast, but the deep breath can settle you, calm you down and put you in that one spot.

“Because I do so much with my routine, I don’t have time to overthink the shot.”

Television broadcasts will sometimes show a Taco Bell commercial on a split screen as a player is at the line. Sometimes, these broadcasts only show a player releasing the ball. And yet, free-throw routines might tell you more about the person, not just the player, on the court than at any other moment in the game.

In sports, there is a story for everything … even free throws.

(Photo of Jalen Brunson shooting a free throw: Jeff Haynes / NBAE via Getty Images)