Sharp shooter

Joseph Boo

COSTA MESA - Dr. Tom Amberry’s reputation as the world record

free-throw shooter preceded him to Costa Mesa High on Tuesday. There was

a student hanging around the gymnasium as he set up, watching his every

move.

“Did you play in the NBA,” he asks.

“I’m so old, the NBA didn’t exist during my time,” Amberry replied.

The girls volleyball team was watching, too, before its practice. And a

group of girls walking across the court couldn’t help but stare at the

76-year-old man shooting free throws.

“I bet he could make those with his eyes closed,” one of them said.

Despite the distractions, Amberry was fixated on the basket. He made 15

in a row, with some swishing in while others bouncing around the rim. He

finally missed one when the girls volleyball team got up and moved to

another court.

“Those girls distracted me,” Amberry said. “You have to concentrate and

focus when you shoot free throws.”

Soon, the Costa Mesa boys basketball team wandered onto the court.

Amberry, a Seal Beach resident, has traveled around the world teaching

the art of free-throw shooting. Now, the Mustangs will get advice from

the man who made 2,750 free throws in a row.

The former podiatrist now devotes his entire life to traveling and

teaching at basketball clinics. He also competes in senior free-throw

contests, and is the two-time defending world champion.

Amberry only picked up free-throw shooting at 70, and he learned

everything from books and videos. In less than two years though, he

shattered the world record and has turned into a worldwide curiosity.

His life has since turned into a giant press release. He has been

featured in countless news and magazine articles. David Letterman had him

shoot free throws on his show. ESPN came to see him. He mad emany more TV

appearances.

“This is great,” Amberry said. “I think I’ve died and gone to heaven.”

Amberry’s whirlwind tour made a stop at Costa Mesa after new Mustangs

basketball coach Bob Serven ran into him at a summer basketball camp.

“I want him to come in and talk about his style of free throw shooting,”

Serven said. “Obviously, he must know something about it, since he made

2,750 in a row.”

Serven’s invitation was triggered by atrocious free-throw shooting from

the Mustangs in the summer leagues. “We were so bad at free throws,”

Costa Mesa senior Rick Hatsushi said.

“We played well in the summer leagues,” Serven said. “But we couldn’t hit

our free throws. The free throw is an equalizer. It is 25 percent of

every game. So we have to increase that part of the game.”

It is in this wanting atmosphere that Amberry came in and tried to work

his magic. The Mustangs gathered around and listened to his tips. Elbows

in, body square, get the ball above the rim, he told the team. Amberry

missed a couple of warmup shots, but once he got going, he started to

swish them.

At the end of the session, he told about 20 youngsters to stand under the

basket and try to distract him by jumping up and down and yelling. They

did, and Amberry quieted them by hitting all his shots.

Afterward, many of the players gathered around to ask questions. For some

of the Mustang players, they were grateful for any tips at free throws.

“It was pretty cool, him coming in,” Hatsushi said.

“He taught us a lot of things I was doing wrong,” senior Brandon Knox

said, “like having the elbows in, and positioning.”

Amberry finds that younger pupils are easier to teach, since they are

more impressionable. But he calls some kids “contaminated,” and advice

can only help them get rid of bad habits.

“Some will shoot their way whether they make it or not, he said. “As long

as they look good. I thought it was basketball, not a beauty contest. You

can lead a horse to water, but you can’t tell it where to go. Some of the

kids, after an hour’s talk, they still have their feet like this.”

And he demonstrates by putting one foot behind the other, like Utah guard

Jeff Hornacek. But Hornacek, bad mechanics and all, is one of the NBA’s

best free-throw shooters. It seems as if the pros exist on another place

from Amberry when it comes to free throws.

Although he is regularly invited to NBA summer camps, having players

listen proved to be difficult. This is surprising considering the fact

that free-throw shooting has steadily declined and is now a relic found

only on the Classic Sports Network. Amberry points out Seattle star

forward Vin Baker, who shot an embarrassing 34 percent from the line last

year, or two points under Larry Walker’s batting average.

Amberry also offered Laker center and notoriously poor free-throw shooter

Shaquille O’Neal advice, but was turned down. And when now-Sacramento

guard Nick Anderson had a $1 million clause in his contract with Orlando

if he hit 75 percent of his free throws, he still turned down Amberry’s

help.

“They’re not interested,” Amberry said. “They’ve got more important

things to do. If you and I had $5 million, would you care about free

throws?”

It’s not only the players though. After a summer basketball game, ESPN

had seven NBA coaches evaluate Amberry after he shot 50 free throws.

“You know what’s the best thing they said about me?” he said. “One of

them said I was very, very lucky. Two said I would’ve made more if I had

more arc on the ball. One said I needed more backspin. One said I bend my

knees too much, while another said I didn’t bend them enough.”

This is after he made all 50 free throws.

Not all pro players ignore Amberry. He was invited to Michael Jordan’s

Flight Camp to teach free-throw shooting, and he has gained the respect

of His Airness.

“He’s a great guy,” Amberry said. “I also showed him a thing or two.”

After Costa Mesa, Amberry is off to Las Vegas to the National Coaches

Clinic where he is a guest. “It’s Bobby Knight, Rick Majerus, Pat

Summitt, Tara Vanderbeer and little old me,” he said.

Amberry will continue to travel around the world showing off his skills

and giving tips. He probably won’t equal the 450,000 frequent flier miles

he racked up last year, since he wants to stay closer to home. But

there’s no way he’ll stop doing what he loves.

“I love this,” he said. “I’ve been rejuvenated. I was a podiatrist for 43

years and had a midlife crisis at 70. I touched a lot of feet, but never

a basketball.”

“I’m the world champ, and when I defend the title again, I’ll be 80. And

I’ll be there. The shots will go in during competitions.”

And he will continue to amaze people with his skills and help them become

a better free throw shooter.

“We haven’t had anybody like him before,” Hatsushi said. “I think we’ll

improve our shooting since he came.”