Draining 2,612 3-pointers through 723 games apparently isn’t enough to be considered the greatest of all time or G.O.A.T 3-point shooter in Ray Allen’s world.
Instead, Allen, the all-time leader in 3-pointers made, believes Reggie Miller is the GOAT from behind the 3-point line.
“Yes, Reggie [is the GOAT] because of the way he set the game up, the way he played the game,” Allen told CBS Sports. “Obviously, I incorporated a lot of who he is into how I played. He was the standard-bearer. Without him, we don’t have a formula for moving forward. So that’s how I view it because it allowed me to do the things that I was capable of doing.”
Miller, who played for the Indiana Pacers for his 18-year career and is now in the Hall of Fame, made 2,560 3-pointers through 1,389 career games. He shot 39.5 percent from behind the arc.
Stephen Curry recently passed Miller in threes made despite playing 674 fewer games. Additionally, the 32-year-old former MVP shoots a career 43.5 percent from deep.
Curry also holds the record for most 3-pointers in a season with 402. He holds the third and fourth highest totals in a season, too.
In terms of efficiency, volume and the eye test, Curry is the GOAT 3-point shooter, and many analysts agree.
"Steph Curry is the greatest shooter in the history of the game. He's the first guy that there is no bad shot. I have Larry Bird 2nd because he can shoot from anywhere on the court. I got Ray Allen 3rd, Klay 4th and Reggie at 5."@ShannonSharpe on the NBA's greatest shooter pic.twitter.com/uoDfaORRVE
— UNDISPUTED (@undisputed) June 3, 2020
Steph Curry is the best shooter of all time. Why?
“I have not seen anybody who can shoot that way, in as many ways, in as unlikely ways, as consistently as Steph Curry.” — @BarackObama
More on this from the #BSPod with @BillSimmons and @Bakari_Sellers: https://t.co/nDUsRfhvYg pic.twitter.com/7SMDRc1Ytl
— The Ringer (@ringer) December 18, 2020
Nevertheless, Allen, a Hall of Famer, believes Miller better fits the bill and said that Curry is in a different category of shooters.
“I think it comes with categories when you talk about shooters,” Allen told CBS Sports. “Steph is in a category of his own, the way he plays the game. When I think about shooters, someone like Klay Thompson comes to mind. He’s more in the realm of how I shot, how Reggie shot — coming off screens, moving without the ball. Steph is more on the ball, the point guard shooter. So it’s a different approach to the game.”
Barring any catastrophic injuries, Curry is projected to surpass Allen’s all-time record for 3-pointers made. Allen played a total of 1,300 games and made 2,973 3-pointers.
