Doctor Who Discovers Early Man by Fred Newman

“It was something I could do, and it turns out I got pretty good at it,” Newman says of his ability to consistently make unobstructed shots from a spot on the floor 15 feet from the basket. “It didn’t affect my shot any,” he says of the blood, “but the ball got sticky and I had to wipe it off every hour or so.”Īmong his other free-throw records: highest percentage made in a 24-hour period (98.2%) and, though he says the mark was not recognized by Guinness, most made in an hour (2,034). Newman, however, set a record for most free throws made in a 24-hour period, soldiering on to sink 20,371 even after the skin on his fingertips separated and bled.

Without blindfold, Newman has made 1,481 consecutive free throws, far short of St. Martin turned his foul-line marksmanship into a career replete with sponsorships, appearances and instructional book and video, Newman devoted countless hours to no tangible reward other than a few scattered TV appearances.Ī divorced father of two, the former Caltech basketball player and assistant coach says free throws did not befoul his marriage.īut when asked what his ex-wife thought of his singular obsession, Newman says with a slight shrug and nervous chuckle, “Maybe she thought it was going to end, but it never did.” Whereas fellow sharpshooter and similarly aged Ted St. “What Fred has accomplished, making 88 in a row blindfolded, really is … incredible,” Barry told the audience.Įqually remarkable is the 73-year-old Newman’s persistent pursuit of the perfect foul-shooting stroke.įor no apparent reason other than to chase obscure records and perhaps test his own limits, the onetime computer programmer has dedicated nearly half his life to free throws. In fairness, though, he was the only one shooting blindfolded.Įarlier, Newman set a Guinness world record for consecutive free throws made with eyes covered, a feat noted by Barry after the Basketball Hall of Famer outshot Newman during an episode of the 1980s reality television show “That’s Incredible!” Fred Newman, Caltech graduate, once tested his free-throw shooting ability against Rick Barry, at the time the most accurate free-throw shooter in NBA history.

Doctor Who Discovers Early Man by Fred Newman