A Grandparent Mystery That Will Never Be Solved

[Spock]

I read recently in Sports Illustrated about a college player who shoots freethrows "Granny-Style" or underhand. I was reminded of my paternal grandfather.

I played (ostensibly) basketball in 7th/8th/9th Grade in the early 80's and My grandpa who was roughly 80 at the time showed me how to shoot a free throw. He shot "Granny Style" and made it. This is the only time that I ever saw him pick up a ball.

The mystery that is bugging me now-is when did he ever shoot a basketball? or even see it shot Granny style?

My dad played basketball in the late 50's and said that time was when the swith from Granny style free throws to the modern version took place. However, my grandparents never went to any of the games (different times).

He was born in 1902 to a very large, very poor family and went to school through 8th Grade. It is unlikely that a hoop was on school grounds as my when dad attended country school (a different one) in the late 40's/early 50's and there was no hoop then.

He married in 1930 after several years of working-so obviously he shot baskets or something sometime during those years.

I remember Grandma (and Grandpa?) watching the state basketball tournament in the early 1970's. However, Granny shots were gone by then.

Just a weird odd thing that is going to bug me for awhile.

His youth was not that long after the invention of basketball-how fast did it spread to the hinterlands?

[elwoodblues]

Rick Barry, who played in the NBA from 1965 to 1980 and is in the Hall of Fame, shot free throws that way, if that helps.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Barry

[SpacemanSpiff]

Rick Barry, who played in the NBA from 1965 to 1980 and is in the Hall of Fame, shot free throws that way, if that helps.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Barry

I believe the college player referenced in SI is Rick's son.

[Bob78164]

Rick Barry, who played in the NBA from 1965 to 1980 and is in the Hall of Fame, shot free throws that way, if that helps.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Barry

While watching games on ESPN, I saw commercials featuring Barry shooting free throws and making them. Including one while blindfolded. --Bob

[Estonut]

Rick Barry, who played in the NBA from 1965 to 1980 and is in the Hall of Fame, shot free throws that way, if that helps.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Barry

I believe the college player referenced in SI is Rick's son.

Yup. He has 4 sons with his first wife. All 4 are retired players with various success in the NBA (and elsewhere). The son in the SI article, Canyon, is with his third wife.

[andrewjackson]

I read recently in Sports Illustrated about a college player who shoots freethrows "Granny-Style" or underhand. I was reminded of my paternal grandfather.

I played (ostensibly) basketball in 7th/8th/9th Grade in the early 80's and My grandpa who was roughly 80 at the time showed me how to shoot a free throw. He shot "Granny Style" and made it. This is the only time that I ever saw him pick up a ball.

The mystery that is bugging me now-is when did he ever shoot a basketball? or even see it shot Granny style?

My dad played basketball in the late 50's and said that time was when the swith from Granny style free throws to the modern version took place. However, my grandparents never went to any of the games (different times).

He was born in 1902 to a very large, very poor family and went to school through 8th Grade. It is unlikely that a hoop was on school grounds as my when dad attended country school (a different one) in the late 40's/early 50's and there was no hoop then.

He married in 1930 after several years of working-so obviously he shot baskets or something sometime during those years.

I remember Grandma (and Grandpa?) watching the state basketball tournament in the early 1970's. However, Granny shots were gone by then.

Just a weird odd thing that is going to bug me for awhile.

His youth was not that long after the invention of basketball-how fast did it spread to the hinterlands?

Basketball spread pretty quickly via the YMCAs. Naismith invented it in 1891-92. Colleges started playing in 1893, often against YMCA teams. Hamline University in St. Paul played Minnesota A&M in 1895 in what might have been the first intercollegiate game. In 1896 the University of Chicago played Iowa using the new 5 on a side rules.

I'm from Indiana, a noted hotbed of the sport. The game was introduced there in 1893 at a YMCA in Crawfordsville, a small town northwest of Indianapolis. It took off like crazy. High schools had teams by 1894. In 1911 they started the high school state tournament. Purdue, my alma mater, which is close to Crawfordsville, had a team starting in 1896. Their first game was against the local YMCA.

I remember talking to my great-grandfather about basketball. He was born in 1889 with a twin sister. They were named for the new president, Benjamin Harrison, and his wife, Caroline. He played basketball outside their church in Muncie, IN right around the turn of the century. He said he would never forget seeing his first ever game indoors when he was 12 years old. One of my grandfathers was the designated free throw shooter for his high school team in the 1920s. Back then one person took all the foul shots. He shot granny-style. My dad who played in the 50s at a very small rural high school, graduating class of seven, said he had to learn to shoot jump-shots instead of set shots during the game but he still sometimes shot free throws granny-style. He always pointed out how few free throws they shot. Their games were often in the 20 point range because they weren't shooting a lot overall and there weren't as many fouls. The high school game at that point was still pretty slow most places.

[Vandal]

It worked for Ollie in Hoosiers:

[silverscreenselect]

It worked for Ollie in Hoosiers

On the other hand, Wilt Chamberlain, a notoriously poor free throw shooter used the underhand technique for a good part of his career, but he was a career 51% free throw shooter. With Chamberlain, it could well have been a mental thing, because in his famous 100-point game, he was 28 for 32 from the free throw line. Back then, the rules were more offense friendly for free throws. On shooting fouls, if a team was in the bonus, they got three chances to make two free throws on shooting fouls (or two chances to make one free throw if the shooter made the basket).

[tlynn78]

I'd think kids were throwing balls into baskets, boxes, or some other target long before Naismith came along, each with their own technique.

[silverscreenselect]

I'd think kids were throwing balls into baskets, boxes, or some other target long before Naismith came along, each with their own technique.

Yes, but I doubt they used objects the size of a basketball very often.

[tlynn78]

I'd think kids were throwing balls into baskets, boxes, or some other target long before Naismith came along, each with their own technique.

Yes, but I doubt they used objects the size of a basketball very often.

Oh, I don't know. I'd bet most guys had bigger balls back then.

[themanintheseersuckersuit]

I'd think kids were throwing balls into baskets, boxes, or some other target long before Naismith came along, each with their own technique.

Yes, but I doubt they used objects the size of a basketball very often.

Oh, I don't know. I'd bet most guys had bigger balls back then.

The bored needs a mic drop button

[jarnon]

Rick Barry, who played in the NBA from 1965 to 1980 and is in the Hall of Fame, shot free throws that way, if that helps.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Barry

I believe the college player referenced in SI is Rick's son.

Yup. He has 4 sons with his first wife. All 4 are retired players with various success in the NBA (and elsewhere). The son in the SI article, Canyon, is with his third wife.

Barry just got two crucial foul shots in OT, granny style, with his parents watching.