Steph Curry praises James Harden, says "not bad for 2 kids from 09" as sharpshooters climb atop 3-point ladder
Steph Curry showed his appreciation for James Harden's incredible career after the two players faced off at Intuit Dome on Monday. The LA Clippers defeated the Golden State Warriors 102-99, but one of the key talking points of the night was the Curry versus Harden matchup, with the No. 1 and No. 2 all-time 3-point leaders facing off.
On Sunday, James Harden surpassed legendary guard Ray Allen to propel himself to second place in the NBA's all-time 3-point list. The Clippers star converted the 2,974th 3-pointer of his career against the Utah Jazz to move above Allen's total of 2,973. Only Steph Curry sits above Harden with an incredible 3,788 3-pointers.
After going head-to-head with Harden, Curry took to social media to praise the 35-year-old sharpshooter on his historic feat. The four-time NBA champion shared a clip on his Instagram story of the two players embracing and added a special message for his counterpart:
"Not bad for 2 kids from '09 draft! Congrats @jharden13."
Harden and Curry were both selected in the 2009 NBA Draft. It was a talented class that included some high profile names such as Blake Griffin, Ricky Rubio, DeMar DeRozan, Jrue Holliday and Pat Beverley.
Amazingly, neither Harden or Curry were drafted in the top two picks of the 2009 draft. The OKC Thunder selected Harden with the third overall pick. Curry dropped all the way to the No. 7 spot before his name was called by the Warriors.
Ray Allen took 1,300 games to record 2,973 3-pointers and it is noteworthy that Harden achieved the feat in just 1,086 games. Harden has a career 36.3% from behind the arc, while Allen finished his career shooting 40.0%.
Damian Lillard (2,639) and Klay Thompson (2,523) currently sit in fourth and sixth position in the all-time 3-point leaderboard. The two players are still active and are on the heels of Harden's record.
James Harden speaks on the possibility of catching Steph Curry's 3-point record
A step back shot over Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen on Sunday saw Harden overtake Ray Allen in the all-time 3-pointers list. Following his historic achievement, the former MVP was asked about setting his sights on Steph Curry, and whether he believed it was possible to catch up with the Warriors guard.
"I'm one of the most confident guys that we have in this league. But no. I probably won't catch Steph," Harden said.
Speaking during the postgame press conference, Harden went on laud the Warriors superstar and stated that he does not believe any player will reach Curry's heights in our lifetime.