World B. Free helped NBA Commissioner David Stern open a Reading and Learning Center at the Universal Charter School in Philadelphia on Wednesday, Jan. 30, 2002.

World B. Free’s Tips On Jump Shooting

Eye Contact: good shooters see the basket clearly and have great vision.

Concentration: staying focused on the basketball and the opponent are keys to great shooting.

Practice close shots: Too many kids practice shooting three-point and other long shots. Great shooters shoot hundreds of shots in close before moving out and attempting longer shots. Never shoot long shots to start out with. You will get more two-points shots per game than three-point shots.

Legs: Jump shooters have great legs and get great elevation. Jogging up hills, doing squats with weights or riding a bicycle can help develop leg strength.

Conditioning: Great shooters never tire. When the defender runs out of energy, the great shooter must be in great condition so he can exploit the tired defender.

By Julani Ghana

When it comes to balancing basketball and the community, few can do it better than former Sixer and NBA All-Star World B. Free. Despite his retirement from the NBA more than a decade ago, this former New York City playground legend is still scoring big-time points with thousands of fans in the Delaware Valley as the Ambassador of 76ers Basketball.

While preparing for the Eighth annual Summer Hoops Tour, Free took some time out to share his thoughts on today’s NBA and reflected on some of his own personal memories as a player. In this three part series, he also discusses why he feels so strongly about giving back to the community and how working with kids through recreational basketball has given him a great career off the court.

Part three of a three part series.


You are known throughout the Philadelphia area for speaking at schools, appearing at hospitals and supporting various community events. But you have really impacted the Delaware Valley through the Summer Hoops Tour. Tell us about the SHT, and why it is so important to you personally?

I enjoy the faces of the kids. I love the smiles and impact we have on them. It’s amazing how this thing first started off eight years ago as four or five clinics. But it started growing and now kids come to the games and say, “Hey World, remember me from the hoops tour?” It really touches me. Some of them are only six years old, but they remember the speeches on drugs or education. Many kids have come up to me and have thanked me for saving them from drugs. You never know who you touch but someone’s listening. I know this is a blessing from God. You can’t save the world but you can touch some people and that is why this is so important. These clinics show that we are a part of the community. We are not just taking things out of the community but also giving back.

The NBA has had some great scorers and defenders throughout its history. Who were some of the toughest opponents for you to guard and which players did you feel you could dominate?

George “Iceman” Gervin was really tough for me. I knew that when I went up against him, I would be in for a long night. He used to say to me, “Young fella, you’d better tie those shoes up real tight!” And then he went on to score 50 points and that was only after the third quarter. Another tough scorer was “Super” John Williams. He did not have a long NBA career (though he was a star in the ABA), but he was strong and a greater scorer. I also had the chance to guard Pete Maravich. He was along in years but still tough. Of the younger generation there was Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson. Defensively, I did not like to be guarded by little guys like Norm Nixon and Mo Cheeks. They were super quick and always swiping at the ball. They could mess up your shooting rhythm so I had to jump over them. I also remember Dennis Johnson. He was a big guard and was known as a defensive player.

World B. Free was on hand to help usher Michael Jordan into retirement when MJ played his final NBA game on April 16, 2003, in Philadelphia.

Every NBA player’s goal is to make it to the NBA Finals and win the championship. You appeared in the Finals in the 1976-77 season but unfortunately the Sixers lost to the Blazers. What was that experience like and what memories do you have about that team and that season?

I remember Doc (Julius Erving) talking about winning a championship since he won with the New Jersey Nets of the ABA. It was really something. Reporters were all over the place and from every country all inside the locker room each night. They were watching everything you did. It was a very special time, and it took a lot of energy to come out each night and perform at a high level. There were many distractions including friends, coaches, family members, and girlfriends asking you for tickets or your time. You didn’t want to disappoint anyone, and it was a lot of pressure. You had the two best teams in the world and only one could be the winner. That is why I tell the young guys, “When you get there enjoy it because you never know if you will ever get there again!” I got there after my first two years in the league. I never went back.

Q: At the end of this past season, we witnessed the retirement of Michael Jordan. How tough was it for you to finally accept that your professional basketball career was over and what retirement advise do you have for Michael Jordan?

Retirement wasn’t too hard for me because I knew that I was going home to New York City as I had done for most of my career. I loved sports but hated traveling. So, while I missed the competition, I did not miss the traveling. I would tell Michael, who is a good friend of mine, like I told Bernard King. I would tell them, “It’s a different world. You become a mere mortal, but people will know you and remember you for what you’ve done with your God given talent”. So if you played for a long time in this league, you should be able to enjoy the rest of your life. Once you start missing dunks and easy shots, it is time to go. I thought it was classy of Mike to come back out during his last game here. I know he was tired and did not want to do it. And I applaud Coach Larry Brown for fouling him so he could end his career the right way. But I would tell him, “Mike, it’s time to move on!”

<< Part One | << Part Two

WORLD B. FREE World B. Free officially retired from the NBA in 1989 after 13 seasons. His 17,955 career points are more than old school NBA Hall of Famers such as Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Kevin McHale, Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, and Lenny Wilkens. Free was a member of the 76ers from 1975 through 1978 and then returned to the Sixers during the 1986-87 season after playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers, San Diego (now Los Angeles) Clippers, Golden State Warriors, and Houston Rockets. Eight times in his NBA career, he averaged at least 22.3 ppg for the season and was a Second Team All-NBA selection in 1979. In 1980, Free scored a career best 30.2 ppg and made his first and only NBA All-Star Team where he started in the backcourt with Magic Johnson. He finished his NBA career with an average of 20.3 ppg. If you are wondering where to find Free these days, look no further than perhaps the children’s ward at a local hospital or maybe a classroom at a nearby elementary school. If he’s not at either place, you will probably find him greeting thousands of fans before each home game at the Wachovia Center or “hooping it up”, full-court with a bunch of kids at the neighborhood recreation center or playground. Free still loves the game of basketball and is always looking to share his good fortune on the court or in the community. As a matter of fact, this summer Free will once again conduct nearly 40 free basketball clinics for the young people of the Tri-State area beginning in late June and ending in mid-August. At these clinics, kids will get the chance to hear about how to be a success as a player and in life from one of the NBA’s premier spokesmen.