Klay Thompson reacts after becoming 6th player to join elite 3-point record club
Dallas Mavericks star Klay Thompson reached another historic milestone, with the shooting guard joining an elite club on Friday. Thompson became only the sixth player in NBA history to record 2,500 3-pointers. Following the Mavericks' game against the Houston Rockets, the 34-year-old took to social media to celebrate the special moment.
On Friday, Thompson's Instagram story featured an image of the of the sharpshooter in a navy blue Mavericks uniform with the following message:
"A huge honor to be up there with the greats"
Thompson finished the game with 12 points, a rebound and an assist. He shot 2-for-9 from behind the arc and recorded the 2499th and 2500th 3-point shots of his 14-year career.
The historic moment occured with 3:59 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Kyrie Irving dribbled down the baseline and had the vision to kick the ball out when he was double-teamed. The pass found Thompson in the slot who executed a perfectly measured 3-point shot to send the home crowd into a frenzy.
Thompson becomes the second fastest player in NBA history to reach the 2,500 mark. It has taken the California native just 798 games to recorded 2,500 threes. The only player to attain to hit the figure in a shorter time span is Thompson's former teammate, Steph Curry, who took 702 games.
Only five players sit ahead of Thompson in the all-time 3-point leaderboard. Steph Curry leads the way with 3,758 3-pointers, with Hall of Fame guard Ray Allen second on the list on 2,973. James Harden (2,953), Damian Lillard (2,619) and Reggie Miller (2,560) are the others to achieve the feat.
Klay Thompson leads the Mavs roster in 3-point shots this season
After 13 successful years with the Golden State Warriors where he won four championships, Klay Thompson opted for a change of scenery this offseason and signed with the Dallas Mavericks. The move seems to have reinvigorated Thompson who has hit the ground running with his new team.
After five games, Thompson leads the Mavericks roster with 19 3-pointers (tied with Kyrie Irving). He is shooting 38.8% from behind the arc and is averaging 15.6 points per game.
Partnering Thompson with All-Stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving has created one of the most dangreous shooting trios in the NBA. Thompson was always considered one of the league's elite shooters. Now with Doncic and Irving supplying the marksman, he is thriving in Texas.