“I’ve missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. Twenty-six times, I’ve been trusted to take the game-winning shot and missed. I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed,” Michael Jordan once said about the role of failure in his life. Before NBA legends became legends, they had to face failure. Furthermore, attaining success did not guarantee a failure-free career. LeBron James is one of those players who understand the unavoidability of failure.

With over 40,000 career points, the Lakers star is the NBA’s all-Time Leading Scorer. Throughout his 21-year NBA career, LeBron has reportedly made over 14,837 career baskets, the second-highest behind Kareem Abdul Jabbar. However, the road to this record has never been smooth, there’ve been constant challenges. LeBron has also missed over 14,476 field goals, 3,014 free throws, and over 4,500 three-pointers. In the missed shots department, LeBron ranks second and is outmatched only by another legend. Although, they’re separated by only 5 field goal misses.

Let’s identify the player who has missed the most career shots and find out who the three players are after LeBron. Let’s dive deep.

Which players boast the most missed shots in NBA history?

#1 Kobe Bryant

With 14,481 missed field goals, the late Kobe Bryant holds the top rank. While he did not stay in the NBA for as long as LeBron James, he did devote the entirety of his 20-year career to the Los Angeles Lakers. Along with the field goals, Kobe also missed over 3,719 three-pointers (11 highest), and over 1,633 free throws (below top 25).

However, despite eight years since his retirement and four years since his tragic death, the Black Mamba remains the fourth-highest overall scorer, with over 33,643 points and 11,719 successful field goals a part of his legacy. With a shooting percentage of 44.7%, no one could have accused him of being sloppy.

#3 John Havlicek

After LeBron, we have a Celtics legend at third—John Havlicek. Throughout his career (1962-78), Havlick won over 8 NBA championships and is amongst the three players to have an 8-0 record in the NBA Finals. However, ‘Hondo’ also missed 13,417 field goals in his career, along with over 1,220 free throws.

#4 Elvin Hayes

A member of both the 50 and the 75th-anniversary team of the NBA, the former Baltimore Bullets (now known as Washington Wizards) player is well-regarded for his longevity in the game. After all, he only missed nine games in his NBA career which spanned over 16 years. While he made over 10,900 successful shots, the ninth-highest, he also missed 13,296 field goals.

#5 Karl Malone

Even 20 years after he retired from the NBA, Karl Malone still ranks as the third-highest overall scorer, right behind LeBron James and Kareem-Abdul Jabbar. While never having secured the Larry O’Brien trophy, he boasts 2 MVP titles and over 14 All-NBA Team honors. Throughout his 19-year career as a player, Malone missed 12,682 field goals. The former player also holds the record for the fourth highest missed free throws, at 3,401.

Success never comes easy to those who start from scratch to pursue it. If the five players mentioned above have created a mark for themselves as some of the most memorable players in NBA history, they have also had more misses than the others.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.