“Reggie was the greatest all-around shooter, being able to carry his team, he was an assassin” – Ray Allen praises Reggie Milller, won’t put himself in greatest shooter conversation
Ray Allen had the most 3-pointers in NBA history before Steph Curry broke his record earlier this month. The Hall of Famer has taken himself out of the debate over the greatest shooter of all time.
Most 3-pointers in NBA history:
🥇 Steph Curry - 3,000
🥈 Ray Allen - 2,973
🥉 Reggie Miller - 2,560
4⃣ James Harden - 2,516
5⃣ Kyle Korver - 2,450
The 6-foot-5 shooting guard was asked about the 3-point record and what it meant to him at the time. He said it wasn't anything special then, as he was only focused on being consistent over a long period.
"I didn’t feel I did anything special when I set it," Allen said. "I didn’t feel like I was shooting 3s on purpose to get a record, nor was this my mission. For me, being consistent over a long time, that’s what greatness adds up to, and that’s what it was like my whole career."
Concerning the debate over the title of greatest shooter, Allen said he wouldn't include himself in the conversation as he feels Dell Curry, Steph Curry's father, is the greatest he has encountered. However, he said Reggie Miller was the greatest all-around shooter.
Ray Allen Says Dell Curry Is The Greatest Shooter Of All-Time: 'It Was Like He Could Throw The Ball Up There.' – NBA News nbanewsnow.com/ray-allen-says…
"I wouldn’t put myself in the conversation," Allen said. "The greatest I’ve ever seen, someone who was amazing, was Dell Curry, because of the way he shot so efficiently without moving with the ball. It was like he could throw the ball up there. But Reggie (Miller) was the greatest all-around shooter, being able to carry his team, he was an assassin."
A brief peek into Ray Allen's career in the NBA
Drafted into the NBA in 1996 as a first-round pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves, Ray Allen's rights were sold to the Milwaukee Bucks. He spent seven seasons with the Bucks before being traded to the Seattle SuperSonics (now the OKC Thunder).
Allen had his best years with the SuperSonics but never won an NBA championship title with them. The closest they came was in 2004-05, but they were knocked out in the Western Conference semifinals by the San Antonio Spurs.
Allen was traded to the Boston Celtics in the 2007-08 season, and he won his first championship ring that season.
The 10-time All-Star won his second championship ring with the Miami Heat, aged 37 and retired after the next season. He is one of the 75 greatest NBA players of all time.
"Ray-Ray" led the league in 3-pointers in three seasons and placed second five times. The shooting maestro was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 2018.
Dell Curry finished his career with 1,083 3-pointers in 16 seasons before retiring in 2002. He shot 40.2% from behind the arc.
Steph Curry, who will be 34 in March, is the NBA's all-time 3-point leader, with 3,004 (shooting 39.7%) in his 13th season. Allen is second on the list, with 2,973 (shooting 40.0%) in 18 seasons when he retired in 2014. And Miller is third, at 2,560 (39.5%) in 18 seasons. Miller retired in 2005.