Warriors’ Curry breaks NBA’s three-point record

NEW YORK (AP):

STEPHEN CURRY never wanted to say it himself, even if others have been saying it for years.

He refused to call himself the greatest shooter of them all until the numbers said so.

And now?

“I got that baby,” Curry said, raising his arms high in the air.

He struck the same pose hours earlier on Tuesday night after shooting his way to the top of the NBA record book with his 2,974th three-pointer in the first quarter of the Golden State Warriors’ win over the New York Knicks.

Curry broke the record set by Ray Allen, who held it for 10 years after passing Reggie Miller. They were both at the game and presented Curry with a jersey with a 2,974 on the back.

That number could be 4,000 or more by the time Curry is done playing a game in a way that barely existed before him.

“He has totally changed the game of basketball as we know it,” teammate Draymond Green said.

Curry hit the record shot from the right wing with 7:33 remaining in the first quarter, waving his arms toward the sky, blowing a kiss and pounding his chest as he jogged backwards down court. The Warriors then committed a foul and quickly called time out to let the celebration begin.

Curry went and embraced his father, Dell Curry, who was seated along a baseline, while Bob McKillop, his coach at Davidson, stood in the stands and beamed alongside Larry Riley, who drafted Curry for the Warriors. Then came a hug from Green, among others and, finally, Curry trotted back across the court for a long embrace and a few congratulatory words from Allen.

CAREER RECORD

Curry already owns two of the top three seasons for three-pointers – including the only season with 400 threes – and now has the career record.

It came at Madison Square Garden, where Curry had one of his early-career highlights on February 27, 2013, when he made 11 three-pointers and scored 54 points. He’s gone on to win two MVP awards and three championships, while becoming one of the biggest, most popular stars in the game.

Fans waited long afterwards while he conducted a postgame interview on the court, chanting “MVP! MVP!” when he finished.

“I think fans are attracted to him just because of his humility and his story and how hard he’s had to work, so from that standpoint it transcends sports somewhat,” Golden State coach Steve Kerr said before the game.

“He’s the best shooter I’ve ever seen, and I think it’s clear he is the best catch-and-shoot player,” former Dallas superstar Dirk Nowitzki recently said. “But where he’s so good is off the dribble, and I think that’s something that he added, the quick three off the dribble. It’s one motion and his shot is gone.”

“He has revolutionised the way the game is played and continues to leave fans in awe with his amazing artistry and extraordinary shooting ability,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement. “We congratulate him on this historic achievement.”