World B. Free wasn’t drafted by what was then the San Diego Clippers, nor did he spend a significant amount of time with the organization, just two seasons in fact. But in those two years, Free had what are probably his two best seasons in an NBA career that lasted over a decade.
A miniature 6-foot-2 manning the shooting guard position, Free had the ultimate offensive package stuffed into his diminutive frame. He was incredibly quick with the ball in his hands, able to ignite the fastbreak and get easy layups.
If after attacking the bucket a defender was in his way, the former second-round pick had an immense amount of creativity in avoiding the defense with acrobatic finishes mostly unseen back in his day.
In the halfcourt setting, he was adept at pulling up from anywhere on the court. He’d dribble and prod around the defense, throwing away what the opposition was giving him and getting to the spot where only he felt comfortable and firing away with a high-arcing jumper.
Free had been an above-average scorer in his first three seasons in the league, but it wasn’t until he arrived in San Diego where he’d explode. He averaged a career-best 28.8 points in his inaugural Clipper campaign, only to top it the following year at 30.2 a game.
While he may be more recognized for his name and not his game, Free was one of the game’s best scorers at the peak of his career. He was somehow unguardable at his size and frustrating in his seemingly impossible shot-making abilities.