Steph Curry is the fastest to 1,000 3s in NBA history
Most every basketball fan knows that Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry is one of the most fantastic outside shooters the game has ever seen. He holds the single-season record for made three-pointers, has led the league in three-point makes and attempts for the past two seasons, and looks like the only active player with a chance of challenging Ray Allen’s career record for made three-pointers.
In part, that’s because Curry has accomplished a lot in relatively few career games. Heading into Wednesday’s home game against the Indiana Pacers, Curry had hit 999 three-pointers in 368 appearances. He hit the millennium mark relatively early with this shot halfway into the first quarter:
With that make, Curry became the fastest player to 1,000 three-pointers in NBA history, breaking Dennis Scott’s previous record of 457 games. That’s a difference of 88 games, or more than a full 82-game season. Curry did play in only 26 games of the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season due to persistent ankle issues, but he has otherwise never missed more than eight games.
The next question is if Curry can ever break Allen’s career record of 2,973 threes (possibly more if he returns to the league). The 39-year-old Allen has accomplished that mark in 1,300 games, a testament to his longevity and ability to grow into different roles as he has aged. Curry turns 27 on March 14 and could conceivably average 200 threes into his early 30s, but it’s not clear if he can keep pace with Allen when he is not his team’s primary ball-handler.
Regardless, Curry’s latest record makes enough of a case that we are looking at one of the greatest shooters in basketball history. The record is almost secondary to the experience of witnessing it.
– – – – – – –
Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don’t Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter!
