Stephen Curry needs 28 feet and less than a quarter to become the NBA’s all-time lead in 3 points on Tuesday night, edging past Ray Allen to reach the all-time mark.
With the Warriors playing against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, Curry needed two–3 seconds to break the record and started things off with a bang as he scored a 29-footer to give the Warriors a 5-2 lead just a little over a year early. Minutes later, Curry, as he knew it, went behind the arc and fired three more shots, this one from 28 feet, giving the Warriors a 12-10 lead.
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At halftime, TNT’s ‘Inside the NBA’ team weighed in on Curry’s record alongside the rest of the sports world.
For panelist Kenny “The Jet” Smith, it was not only Curry’s achievement that stood out, but the sum total of the moment and the experience.
“The ability to not only be in the present moment, but with all the antics in the game, talk to Reggie (Miller), hug mom and dad – to do all that and still play a ball game basket, that’s even more impressive,” Smith said. “For Golden State as a team, it’s like ring night when you win your championship ring. It’s hard to focus and you’re thinking about everything other than the actual game.”
Coach Steve Kerr was focused on the actual game, although he admitted that he was “emotional” than he expected. He also hopes fans will remember that the Warriors won the game as well as they led 48-47 at halftime.
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Discussions also emerged about how far Curry’s record will go and whether it will be eclipsed at some point in the near or distant future.
That’s where Smith and his TNT teammate, Shaquille O’Neal, differ in their assessments.
O’Neal, who talked about how the match changed in terms of the absolute number of 3 pointers taken, seems to think that with a number of factors, Curry’s record will be safe.
“I can’t wait to know when he gets 1,300 games. What will the number be? And that’s why I insist on saying that he still has four or five, six years left,” O’Neal said. speak. “By the time he’s done, his record won’t be broken.”
If the number 1,300 seems arbitrary, it isn’t: That’s the number of games Ray Allen played during his career en route to the previous record. For reference, Curry eclipsed Allen in 789 games, or roughly the equivalent of six seasons with 82 games less.
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However, Smith pointed to the volume again and – as the show noted – Allen lost 15 3 seconds in a game just four times in his career. Curry has had 10 games this season with 15 plus 3s tested.
“I don’t think one guy is going to be the greatest shooter but he’s going to have more episodes,” Smith said. “When Reggie and I came in, they were shooting five 3’s as a team. Here, they’re shooting 34 as a team. Five years from now, they’ll probably be shooting 50 to 55 thirds.”
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As for the future, and the trajectory of the 3-point shot in the league, that remains to be seen. But as long as the skilled and prolific 3-pointers headed by Curry remain in the league, that’s who Charles Barkley wants to take them.
“My problem is I don’t want people who can’t shoot 3s. That’s my problem with all 3s. I want Steph, Klay (Thompson), James (Harden), Kevin (Durant). ) – I want Barkley to say, “But the problem we have in the NBA is that we won three three points. That’s my problem with all 3. Everyone can’t be a good 3-point shooter. Please stop.”
