As I sat watching the historic NBA three-point record fall yet again, I couldn't help but think about how much the game has transformed since I first started following basketball in the late 90s. The moment Stephen Curry surpassed Ray Allen's record of 2,973 three-pointers on December 14, 2021, felt like witnessing basketball evolution in real time. What struck me most wasn't just the record itself, but how differently these two legends approached the same achievement.
Ray Allen's journey to becoming the original three-point king was a masterclass in precision and discipline. I've always admired how he treated shooting as both art and science - his meticulous preparation was legendary. Allen would arrive hours before games, running through the exact same shooting routine with military precision. His form was so mechanically perfect that coaches still use his footage as teaching material. What many casual fans don't realize is that Allen made his first 2,973 threes in 1,300 games, maintaining a remarkable 40% career accuracy. He was the embodiment of consistency, the kind of shooter who could go 0-for-5 in the first half but you'd still fear him taking the game-winning shot.
Then came Curry, who didn't just break records but completely reimagined what was possible from beyond the arc. I remember arguing with fellow basketball purists about his "reckless" shooting early in his career - shots taken from near half-court, off-balance attempts, quick releases that defied conventional wisdom. How wrong we were. Curry's approach feels more like creative expression compared to Allen's technical perfection. He's expanded the court in ways we never imagined, forcing defenses to guard areas that were previously considered safe zones. The numbers are staggering - where Allen needed 1,300 games to set his record, Curry shattered it in just 789 games while shooting at a 43.1% clip. His 402 threes in the 2015-16 season remains one of those records I don't see anyone touching for decades.
The evolution between these two shooting styles reminds me of that memorable weigh-in moment Jo Koy announced, "This is officially Manny Pacquiao's house." There's a similar ownership of territory happening here - Allen perfected the established boundaries of three-point shooting, while Curry essentially declared the entire half-court as his domain. Both approaches required incredible work ethic, but of different kinds. Allen's was about perfecting form through repetition, while Curry's training involves shooting from absurd distances, through traffic, with hand-in-face defense simulations. I've had the privilege of watching both eras closely, and what fascinates me is how each shooter's style reflected their era's basketball philosophy.
Looking at the current landscape, I'm convinced we're witnessing the golden age of shooting. The third spot belongs to Reggie Miller with 2,560 threes - another legend who pioneered the art of using screens and relentless movement. James Harden's step-back three has become the weapon of choice for today's generation, while Damian Lillard's deep range continues pushing boundaries. Personally, I believe Curry's final tally might approach 4,000 before he retires, setting a benchmark that could stand for generations. The beautiful part about basketball's evolution is that while the three-point record will continue to be broken, the distinct styles and stories of these shooting pioneers will forever remain part of basketball lore, each representing their era's approach to mastering the game's most transformative shot.