Last night was our state's 4A boys championship game. Tigard (my local HS, where my 3 kids attended) played Jesuit of Beaverton. A kid on Tigard hit a 3 from beyond the NBA line (this was played at Memorial Coliseum in Portland where the Jailblazers used to play, so the pro line is also marked on the floor) with 5 seconds left to send the game into overtime and then Tigard outscored Jesuit 17-7 in the overtime to win.

Here's the incredible part. During the game, Tigard hit 23 of 24 free throws, including 13 of 13 in the overtime!

The 13 in overtime were part of a streak of hitting their final 19 straight.

Remember, the ball, the distance to the hoop and the height of the hoop are all the same in HS, college and pro.

So.....why do adults who get paid pathetically huge sums of money to do nothing all year but play basketball miss so many free throws?

So what you are really trying to tell us in a very unassuming manner is that your alma mater won the state 4a championship. Way to go! :)

To answer your question: Beacuse they can miss those free throws and still cash their bonus checks. Shaq's FT average is 53% so far this year.

Actually, I didn't go there. I grew up in Chicago and went to HS there. My kids went to this school here in Oregon, where I have lived since 1971. However, I have reffed at least 9 of the 12 roster players on the team since 3rd grade rec ball, so I feel a part of it. The dad of one of the players is Marc Lasswell. He is a buddy of mine and a HS and college ref.