Jordan Stephenson – Staff Writer
On Dec. 14, 2021, Stephen Curry officially became the greatest shooter of all time, but in retrospect he was already considered by most the unofficial greatest shooter of all time. Curry tied Ray Allen, then passed him by hitting his 2,947th three-pointer, in Madison Square Garden vs the surprisingly slumping Knicks. His record-breaking three-pointer came in the first quarter, with seven minutes and 33 seconds left.
Curry made 28 plus three-pointers, from the right wing, off a pass from Andrew Wiggins; the Warriors then immediately fouled and called a timeout so that everyone could enjoy the moment with Curry. Curry said, “The build up to getting this number, it was a special atmosphere. I knew the Garden would deliver just in terms of how iconic this place is.”
He also said, “It was a special moment for sure, that I appreciate, and I’ll remember for the rest of my life. In terms of what it means to pass Ray, him and Reggie {Miller}, guys I’ve looked up to coming into the game is definitely special.” Draymond Green gave Curry a huge hug, as him team went onto the court to congratulate him. He then gave the game ball to his dad Dell Curry. After that, Curry went back to center court, to get a hug and congrats from Allen.
Over the past weeks leading up to the record being broken, Curry would try to deflect the significance of the special moment. About five minutes after it happened, Curry sat on the bench and couldn’t hold back some of his tears. After the game, Allen and Miller, number two and three respectively on the all-time three-pointers list, presented Curry with a Warriors jersey, with the number 2,974 on the back of it.
Miller was calling the game for Turner Sports, and Allen flew down to see the game in person. Curry said Reggie and Ray set the bar for what it meant to be a sharpshooter, with the longevity factor. He also said, “I’ve tried to own that in my journey in terms of range, volume, and efficiency; now I pride myself on shooting high percentages during every season, also getting to Ray’s record and extending it.”
The NBA’s Commissioner Adam Silver said, “It was thrilling to see Steph break the NBA’s all-time record for three-pointers. He has revolutionized the way the game is played and continues to leave fans in awe with his amazing, extraordinary shooting ability.” Warrior coach Steve Kerr said, “Steph in the locker room was vintage Steph, being joyful and grateful.”
Curry said before he broke Allen’s record, he hesitated to answer the goat shooter question; now with the record in hand, he has no doubt. I know Steph definitely gives a lot of credit to his teammate Klay Thompson, who has been sidelined by injuries the past couple of seasons, because how great of a shooter he is and how much space his shooting ability gives Steph, I definitely felt like Steph Curry was already the greatest shooter of all time before he broke the record. Now the record solidifies him without a doubt as the greatest shooter of all time.
stepj39@mail.broward.edu