Duane Shaw makes 90 straight free throws – and loses

World Senior Games inducts Ola and Duane Shaw into Hall of Fame

by Alan Hoskins

Duane Shaw did not repeat as world champion free throw shooter at this year’s Huntsman World Senior Games in St. George, Utah.

What the 79-year-old Kansas City, Kansas, resident did do was not only more impressive but stunning and spectacular. In one of the most prolonged head-to-head showdowns in any sport, Shaw made 90 free throws in a row – and lost.

“I missed my 91st and he (Ed Palubinskas) made his 91st,” Shaw said. Dubbed the “Surgeon General of Free Throws,” the 67-year-old Palubinskas is a two-time world champion who consistently shoots better than 99 percent in competition, coached Shaquille O’Neal, conducts clinics and has written books on free throwing.

An Australian playing for his country, Palubinskas was the leading scorer in the 1976 Olympic Games after finishing second in scoring in the 1972 Games. A two-year starter at LSU where he averaged 16.5 points, he was drafted into the NBA but never played.

“I was more proud of that than if I had won the world championship again by making 25 straight,” said Shaw of the historic duel. Making Shaw’s performance even more extraordinary, he was competing with a painful hip that will be replaced by surgery this coming week.

The epic marathon came just hours after Shaw and his late wife, Ola, were inducted into the World Senior Games Hall of Fame. In their years of competing together, Ola won 13 golds, 14 silvers and 4 bronze medals in bowling while Duane won 16 golds, 4 silver and 8 bronze in basketball shooting.

The only basketball inductee, Shaw was inducted into the 2017 Hall, which also included two racquet ball players, one pickle baller and one multi-sport inductee.

“It was awesome, a once in a lifetime occasion,” Shaw said of the induction banquet. “In my remarks, I said I had been very fortunate over the years to receive several awards in education and athletics but this award was the most meaningful to me because Ola and I had won them together. I know this would have been a highlight in Ola’s life. We are both thankful and grateful to have been able to compete and be active these many years. God is good – we have been blessed.”

For Shaw, the excitement actually heated up in the Opening Ceremonies when he was selected to carry the flag for the basketball contestants in the Parade of Athletes.

“They had the flags of all of the 77 nations that had competed in the Senior Games and not one person was kneeling or sitting; it sent tingles up and down your spine,” Shaw said.

Shaw’s 90 consecutive free throws were made in the Las Vegas Games and came after he had won three golds in his age bracket – Hot Shot, 3-Point and Free Throws. He defeated two shooters to reach the free throw finals and finished the day making 140 of 143 attempts. Paulubinskas was 141-of-141.

Back in St. George the next day for the World Senior Games which drew 11,000 participants (100 in basketball skills) from all 50 states and 34 foreign countries, Shaw had to settle for silver in both the Hot Shot and Free Throw/3-Point competition in his age group. He also qualified for the overall championship but was eliminated in the quarterfinals (final eight) – perhaps by the carryover from four hours of non-stop shooting in Las Vegas during which he made the 90 straight.

“My wrist was so sore; it hurt just to drive my car,” Shaw said. “On Friday in Las Vegas, I started shooting at 7:30 a.m. and didn’t finish until 11:30 a.m. I kept on shooting because I wanted to stay loose.”

A long-time director of student activities and athletic director at Kansas City Kansas Community College, Shaw was also widely known as a high school and college official in basketball, baseball and softball. Married 52 years, he and Ola had two sons, Howard of Dallas and Danny of KCK. He is a graduate of Pomona High School and Kansas State University.