LeBron James’ final NBA goal: Make 80% of his free throws

LeBron James has won three championships, three NBA Finals MVPs and four regular MVPs. He won Rookie of the Year then reached 13 straight All-NBA teams, 11 of them first teams. He’s generally regarded as the best play of his generation.

But…

LeBron, via Dave McMenamin of ESPN:

“I want to shoot 80 [percent] from the free throw line, man,” James told ESPN. “That’s my only goal. That’s my last goal of my NBA career. That’s my last one. I’ve done everything else.”

LeBron has eyed that 80% target for years. After shooting a career-low 67% last season, he vowed to shoot 80% in the playoffs – and fell well short at 70%.

The goal is clearly still on his mind.

But he’s never shot higher than 78% from the line:

Can he get to 80% for a full season? Maybe. It’ll require a lot of concentration, but LeBron has shown an amazing ability accomplish what he puts his mind to.

This is also more of a mental than physical challenge for him, which means he’ll have a chance even as he ages. That difference probably explains why it sounds as if he has given up on another goal – winning Defensive Player of the Year.