Collin Gillespie Shatters Suns Franchise Record

Richardson set the original 226 mark back in the 2004-05 season, and he also led the entire league in triples that year, shooting 35.8% from deep and averaging 14.9 points across 79 games.

Now, Gillespie stands alone at the top in the midst of a breakout season in his second year with the Suns.

"It would be special. Definitely something I never thought about, but it'd be really cool to do." Gillespie said last week on what it would mean to set the record. "Obviously, there's a lot of great players, and (Richardson) is an awesome player, obviously grew up watching him.

"It would be a surreal moment for sure, but just got to keep continuing to play the right way, and if it happens, it happens."

Collin Gillespie's Unique Journey to Franchise Leader

Gillespie has been one of the most improved players across the league this season after earning his first standard NBA contract last summer with the Suns.

After a decorated college career at Villanova, Gillespie went undrafted and signed with the Denver Nuggets in the 2022-23 season, but suffered a lower left leg fracture ahead of his rookie season.

He remained with the Nuggets on a two-way deal in 2023-24 and played in 24 games before signing a two-way with the Suns last season, where he really burst onto the scene and showed how he can affect the game with his shooting and hustle late in the year, which led to him re-signing a one-year, minimum deal in the offseason.

This 3-point record comes as a result of him being one of the hardest working players on the team and staying healthy despite Phoenix having several key injuries all season long.

“He’s just been playing super confident. Confidence starts with the work that he’s put in," Suns star Devin Booker said of Gillespie on Saturday. "He's been one of our most reliable sources throughout the season, throughout preseason, throughout training camp.

"He’s the definition of coming in here and getting your work in every day and sticking with it, and it's definitely paying off.”

Gillespie entered tonight's game against the Hornets averaging 13.1 points while shooting 40.9% from 3 on 7.3 attempts per game, 4.8 assists, 4.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 28.9 minutes per game.

With the Suns finally fully healthy with only six games remaining, it appears Gillespie has played so well he is now the team's fifth starter alongside Booker, Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks and Mark Williams, as coach Jordan Ott has kept him in the starting group the past two games after Brooks' return.

Now, Gillespie has his name among the greats in franchise history and will look to continue to play a big role with the postseason approaching ahead of a big payday coming this summer.