FEBRUARY 9th - If it Works, It Works



On this day in 1980, Rick Barry set a then NBA record for 3 pointers made in a game, hitting 8 against the Utah Jazz. The record has since been broken many, many, many times, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that Barry was one of the greatest shooters in NBA history. For those unfamiliar with the man, he was the guy who shot his free throws Granny Style. That’s right, homeboy underhanded those bad boys like he was tossing a beach ball to a baby. Except he did so at a very high percentage. In fact, he held records for free throw percentage both in a season and for a career. More importantly, I think, was that he didn’t care that the Granny Shot was seen as sissy or different or inferior. He just did his thing. And he did it well. Some other people should have taken his lead. He offered to teach both Shaq and Dwight Howard the secret of the Granny, but they were too concerned with image and so have left thousands of points at the line. All because underhanded was seen as inferior. But as they say, there is more than one way to skin a cat. Though I’m not sure why they say that. I really can’t think of more than one way in which one could in fact skin a cat. Plus, I’m not sure who skins a cat. I don’t think that’s actually a thing. Perhaps the phrase should be “more than one way to skin a deer.” People skin deers all the time. Or a snake. Although my original sentiment that there really can’t be too many ways to skin something would still hold. However, I guess you just need one extra way for the cliché to ring true. In any case, Rick Barry found his way to shoot free throws, and he didn’t care what anybody else thought about it. Cause if it works, it works.

This day has been Marked.

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