Klay Thompson crowns Reggie Miller as the greatest shooter ever: 'Inspired me to never stop shooting'

The Knicks wanted to draft Klay

The New York Knicks were one of the teams that worked out Klay before the 2011 NBA Draft. As he narrated on "The Draymond Green Show" in April, Thompson made 22 out of 25 shots in a spot-shooting drill. Impressed, Walsh compared him to the Knicks' favorite villain of all time, and Klay said that just gave him the confidence to keep practicing his skills.

Unfortunately, the Knicks picked 17th in that draft, and six spots earlier, the Golden State Warriors took the Washington State product. In the Bay, Klay was paired with another deadly shooter, Stephen Curry. Under former head coach Mark Jackson, they became the "Splash Brothers" and led the Dubs to four NBA championships.

Thompson played in Golden State until last season. This past summer, he chose to move on and sign with the Mavericks. Curry is still the main man in the Bay and is now the NBA's all-time three-point leader by a mile. Many consider Steph as the greatest shooter to ever touch the basketball. And for someone who played in the same backcourt with him for more than a decade, it's interesting to some that Klay thinks otherwise.

Klay grew up admiring "Uncle Reg"

It's no secret that Thompson idolized Miller as a kid and patterned his game after the Indiana Pacers Hall of Famer. In fact, Reggie is the reason why Klay changed his uniform number from 11 when he was in Golden State to 31 now in Dallas.

"I loved Reggie Miller growing up," he said to The Athletic. "I watched his film and game-winners my whole life. He's always inspired me to shoot the ball and be a killer…That is the most inspiring thing to see as a shooter. He had no fear, whether he made or missed the shot. He was going to die by it."

Contrary to some who put color on Klay's statement, he doesn't seem to be shading or trolling Steph. It's just that Reggie means so much more to him. And yes, while Curry may have made more threes than "Uncle Reg," Miller isn't lacking in big-time moments. And considering the Pacers legend hit his big shots against all-time great defensive teams like the Chicago Bulls and Knicks in the 90s, he has a valid claim to be the GOAT shooter.