Though he’ll have to wait a bit longer until the NBA’s all-time three-point crown is his, everybody knows that Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry is already the best shooter in league history.
It’s only a matter of time before Curry passes Hall-of-Famer Ray Allen for the all-time mark, but apparently Steph is a modest guy, and thinks there’s actually a chance for another player to break his soon-to-be new record.
No. 30’s recent conversation with the guy who Allen passed on the all-time three-point list — Reggie Miller — aired on NBA TV’s new program “Art of the Three” on Tuesday. During the discussion, Curry named four players who he thought could possibly break his eventual mark for daggers from distance.
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Stephen Curry on which players could possibly break his all-time three-point record:
— James Harden
— Klay Thompson
— Damian Lillard
— Buddy Hield
h/t NBA TV’s “Art of the Three”
Klay Thompson is obviously the name that will catch most of Dub Nation’s eye, but of the four guys that Steph mentioned — largely due to his brutal luck with injuries — Thompson is third in all-time threes, trailing James Harden and Damian Lillard.
Where Does Each Player Currently Stand on All-Time 3-Pointers List?
GettyBrooklyn Nets shooting guard James Harden defends Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard during a game in March 2021.
For who knows how much longer, Allen is still the all-time three-point king, as he hit 2,973 during his illustrious NBA journey. Curry is in second at 2,918 and Miller finished his Hall-of-Fame career with 2,560 connections from deep.
Harden is already up to fourth place at 2,495 career threes and he’s closing in fast on Miller. In fifth through ninth place are all retired players, so Steph and Harden shouldn’t have to worry much about any of them surpassing them.
Once it gets to No. 10 is where things get interesting. Entering action on Tuesday, Lillard is in 10th place at 2,095, while LeBron James is in 11th at an even 2,000.
James’ Los Angeles Lakers and Lillard’s Trail Blazers are both on the NBA schedule for Tuesday, but LeBron won’t be adding to his three-point total, as he is out for one game due to his suspension. Lillard meanwhile could certainly go into the 2,100s to get some more distance between him and “LBJ”.
No. 12 through No. 16 on the list are all retired players, with Kyle Lowry placing 17th at 1,856. First-year Portland head coach Chauncey Billups is 18th at 1,830, the late Kobe Bryant is 19th at 1,827 and Paul George is 20th at 1,814.
Thompson is 21st at 1,798 and Buddy Hield is in 72nd place at 1,231.
Which Player, if Any, Has the Best Chance to Pass Steph?
GettyPortland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard defends Brooklyn Nets guard James Harden during a game in March 2021.
Picking which of the four players who Steph named could have the best chance to break the eventual new record is nearly an impossible task. First, nobody knows how many years Curry will play in the NBA and what is final three-point tally will be.
Even after that’s set, there are multiple factors going into picking the most likely candidate. Age, injuries and pace are among the slew of factors that will impact the choice of player, but there are many more.
For argument’s sake, let’s say that because Hield has the longest way to catch up and has a bevy of other active players between him and Steph, he will not be breaking Curry’s new mark. The other guy who probably has the steepest odds, unfortunately for Dub Nation, would be Thompson.
Until we see the other “Splash Brother” back on the court, his three-point shooting prowess will be somewhat of a mystery. That leaves Harden and Lillard.
Harden turned 32 in August and Lillard turned 31 in July, so there is just a one-year age gap. Though it’s a risky estimation to make, let’s say that Harden retires one year prior to Lillard.
Even more risky is to guess that both Harden and Lillard keep up at their current three-point pace, but if that were to happen, then Lillard would need 400 three-pointers in his final season just to tie Harden. Curry is the only player in NBA history to make 400 shots from deep, and that came six years ago when he made 402.
With Harden being the last one standing, that would make him our pick for the likeliest of the four to eventually break Steph’s eventual three-point record. Our money’s on Steph though.
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Stephen Curry Names 4 Players Who Could Break His 3-Point Record