Is Steph Curry Now All Greatest Three Point Shooter?- Steph Curry nailed his 2,974th career three-pointer in a 105-96 win over the Knicks on Tuesday night at basketball’s Mecca, passing Ray Allen for the most all-time.
- Curry:Â 2,977
- Allen:Â 2,973
- Reggie Miller:Â 2,560
- James Harden:Â 2,509
- Kyle Korver:Â 2,450
“I never wanted to call myself the greatest shooter until I got that record. I’m comfortable saying that now.”
- Three minutes later, on a quick-trigger catch-and-shoot, he splashed a 28-footer and the Garden erupted.
- Play then stopped as Steph took in the moment and made his way around the arena to share embraces with Allen, his father, Dell, and his mother, Sonya.
“No better scenario than having Ray in the building and Reggie on the call. … My respect for [them], guys who set the bar for what it meant to be a sharpshooter … I’ve tried to own that in my journey.”
“I pride myself on shooting a high percentage, I pride myself on that helping us win games. Now I can pride myself on the longevity of getting to that number Ray set, hopefully pushing it to a number nobody can reach.”
— Curry, after the game
- In his rookie season (2009-10), teams attempted 18.1 threes a game. Now it’s up to 35.4 as the league has evolved around the analytics his transcendent play helped unearth.
- “What he’s done has just completely redefined what’s a good shot,” said coach Steve Kerr. “It’s amazing how much he’s impacted the game both strategically and artistically.”
In a 105-96 triumph over the New York Knicks on Tuesday night, the Golden State Warriors star guard passed Hall of Famer Ray Allen for the all-time lead in 3-pointers with his 2,974th.
Curry drained a 28-footer from the right wing off a feed from Andrew Wiggins with 7 minutes, 33 seconds left in the first quarter to set the record. Curry was fouled and the Warriors called a timeout so he could enjoy the occasion.
As teammates rushed onto the court to congratulate Curry, he was greeted with a strong hug from teammate Draymond Green. Curry took the ball he was gripping in his arm and presented it to his father, Dell, on the floor, to a standing ovation from the Madison Square Garden audience. Curry returned to center court a few moments later for a hug and congrats from Allen
Then Curry, who had attempted for weeks to downplay the significance of the moment, couldn’t hold it in any more. Tears welled up in his eyes as he sat back down on the bench.
After the game, Miller and Allen gave Curry a Warriors jersey with the number 2,974 on the back. Curry conceded that the experience, which included Miller sitting courtside for Turner Sports and Allen flying in to attend the game in person, “exceeded” any expectations he had.
“My respect for Reggie and Ray, guys who set the bar for what it meant to be a sharpshooter,” Curry said. “And have longevity, as well. And for me, I’ve tried to own that in my journey in terms of range, volume, efficiency. All those things go into it. So, I pride myself on shooting a high percentage. I pride myself on allowing that to help us win games. And now I can pride myself on the longevity of getting to that number that Ray set and hopefully pushing it to a number that nobody can reach. We’ll see what happens.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver congratulated Curry in a statement released during the game.
“It was thrilling to see Steph break the NBA’s all-time record for three-pointers,” Silver said. “He has revolutionized the way the game is played and continues to leave fans in awe with his amazing artistry and extraordinary shooting ability. We congratulate him on this historic achievement.”
Curry finished 5-of-14 from 3-point range, bringing his career total to 2,978. He had 22 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists in the win. And after the game, he made sure to thank his teammates for how much he believes they have helped him accomplish.
“Steph in the locker room was vintage Steph,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “Joyful, grateful. He talked to the team about how much they mean to him. How much the game means to him, the process. He is who he is; that’s the beauty of Steph. He’s so authentic. He’s so genuine. I thought the night was perfect. It just pretty much encapsulated who he is, and his reaction to it was perfect.”
Curry personally gifted engraved Rolexes to his longest-tenured teammates: Green and Andre Iguodala, and he saved one more for Klay Thompson, who is back in the San Francisco Bay Area rehabbing his Achilles and ACL injuries.
“I always say not often do you have the opportunity to interact with someone great at something, let alone go to work with someone that is great, the absolute best at something,” Green said. “That’s a very rare thing, because there are very few people that are the best at said thing. Steph is the best to ever shoot a basketball, and we get the opportunity to go to work with him every day. It’s a very special thing.”
Green noted that the only thing he felt was missing from Curry’s moment was Thompson’s presence in the locker room.
“His jersey was in the locker room next to mine,” Curry said of Thompson. “It will be good to get back to celebrate with him. And then obviously celebrate his return hopefully soon.”
Curry T-shirts and hats were worn by players and staff members to commemorate his achievement. Curry, Green, and Kerr all expressed a distinct feeling of “relief” in recent days. While everyone on the Warriors’ staff wanted Curry to break the record, they were also aware that the record was looming over everything they did. Curry attempted to divert mention of the impending record by emphasizing how significant the achievement is to him. Those close to him say they are aware of his accomplishments and are proud of him.
“I can’t explain it,” Dell Curry recently told ESPN. “And I played with and against Ray, played against Reggie, I know how great shooters those guys were. But to know my son’s going to leave the game being the best — he already is the best shooter ever to play, and have that record, it’s unbelievable.”
Curry, 33, is an early favorite to win his third career MVP award this season. He has made a 3-pointer in 152 consecutive games, a streak that started on Dec. 1, 2018. That streak is second only to his stretch of 157 games with at least one 3-pointer from Nov. 13, 2014, to Nov. 3, 2016.
“This is something I’ve been dreaming about,” Curry said. “I don’t know when the first dream happened, but I love to shoot the ball. It’s something I’ve been doing since I was 3 years old. When you kind of go through the ranks, you love the work that you put in, and you love the results that come from it, but I told them it’s been an amazing journey being a part of the Warriors for these 12½ years.
“All the guys that have set screens for me, that have passed me the ball, that have bought into the system, creates that beautiful Warriors style and brand of basketball. All that plays into this moment, so I hope they appreciate it as much as I do.”
As Curry prepared to wrap up his postgame press conference, he was asked who he thought was the best 3-point shooter of all time now that he had set the record. He admitted that he hesitated to answer the question before breaking Allen’s record. He was certain now that he had the record in his hands.
He smiled as he leaned back in his chair, raising both arms in the air and banging the table in front of him for emphasis.
“I got that baby!” Curry said.
The bottom line:Â Curry’s been the greatest shooter on Earth for the better part of a decade. On Tuesday night, he made it official.