Ray Allen was once nearly-universally considered the greatest shooter of all time. Thanks to the ridiculous feats of Stephen Curry, that’s no longer the case. So where does Allen rank Curry all time? Allen discussed Curry with Abe Schwadron of SLAM:
Based on what he’s done, I think he has to be—he’s on his way to being the best ever. It’s always arguable, based on who’s telling the story. One thing I always tell people is, it’s hard to compare generations. Everybody has something or somebody that makes him feel special about the game, or the way they saw and the way they appreciate the game. I’ve sat back and watched a lot, and listened to a lot of people talk. He’s creating a lane all of his own. People comparing him to me, to Reggie [Miller]. But I think Steph is in a category of his own. Just being able to have great handles the way he has with the ball, to be able to score at will by getting to the basket. Myself, Reggie Miller, Kyle Korver, Klay Thompson—we play a different game. We’re shooters. We come off screens, pindowns—Steph can do that, but he’s creating a different lane. Point guards haven’t been able to do what he’s been able to do, because he’s mixing that 2 guard-ish in there with having the great handles of a point guard. When I broke the three-point record, they (Steph and Klay) watched that and it became something they said in their mind, this is what I want to do. Now, there are kids watching him, saying I want to work on these things, I want to be just like Steph.
Frankly, I think Allen hit the nail on the head. It’s hard to say who the “greatest” shooter ever is. Most would say Curry, but what about the fact that Allen has made nearly twice the amount of total three-pointers as Curry? It all depends on how you look at it. Allen is 100% right when he says that Curry is doing something never seen before. Curry’s unique, and fans love him for it.
