Dallas Mavericks sharpshooter Klay Thompson recently caught some heat for snubbing his former teammate, Stephen Curry, from his rightful title as the greatest shooter ever. At the time, Thompson said Reggie Miller was the best, but he has since clarified his stance in response to a fan on social media.
Fan: "We love you in the Bay, Steph the greatest shooter of all time, you know that bruh!"
Klay Thompson: "My man lemme clarify. I wrote this caption with my childhood in mind. At the time Reggie was the standard for off-guards and ball movement along with shot-making. We all know 30 is the GOAT shooter."
Warriors fans felt betrayed when Klay alluded to Reggie as the greatest shooter ever, but Thompson didn't mean it as they thought. Growing up in the 90s, Klay didn't get to watch guys like Stephen Curry or Damian Lillard flash their ridiculous range.
Instead, it was people like Reggie Miller, Glen Rice, and Mitch Richmond who dominated from the perimeter. Over his 18 years in the NBA, Reggie Miller set the ultimate standard for three-point shot-making with averages of 18.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game on 47.1% shooting. He made 2,560 threes in his career and shot a respectable 39.5%.
In those days, perimeter play wasn't nearly as developed and three-pointers were usually taken in moderation throughout the games. Miller broke all the norms at the time by not only shooting with high volume but also knowing them down consistently enough to be effective on the court.
Recently, after passing Miller on the All-Time threes list (Thompson is now 5th all-time with 2,563), he felt compelled to honor the legend in some way, which is why he wrote that caption calling him the greatest shooter.
In reality, we all know that title belongs to Curry. As his teammate for 11 years, Thompson knows that more than anyone and he's standing by it today. Besides being first on the NBA's all-time threes list (3,849), Curry boasts an impressive career stat line of 24.7 points, 6.4 assists, and 4.7 rebounds per game on 47.2% shooting.
As a 10x All-Star, 10x All-NBA player, 4x champion, 2x scoring leader, and 2x MVP, Steph is undoubtedly one of the greatest point guards ever, and his mastery of the three-pointer has changed the game to a massive degree.
From 2015-2019, Curry and Thompson dominated the league together as a ridiculous shooting tandem. They formed a dynasty with Draymond Green and head coach Steve Kerr, who helped lead the team to four championships in eight seasons, including five consecutive Finals appearances.
Today, at 36 years old, Curry is still making his mark, even if it's without his longtime Splash Bro.
More must-reads:
Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!