Stephen Curry Sets Record for Career Three Pointers Made as Warriors Beat Knicks 105-96
Stephen Curry scored a team-high 22 points and he set the ABA/NBA career record for regular season three point field goals made--breaking Ray Allen's mark of 2973--while leading his Golden State Warriors to a 105-96 win over the slumping New York Knicks. Curry shot 8-19 from the field (including 5-14 from three point range) and he hit two three pointers in the first 4:27 of the first quarter to tie and then pass Allen on the career list. Allen had held the record since 2011, when he surpassed Reggie Miller, who finished his career in 2005 with 2560 regular season three point field goals made. Allen made a special trip to Madison Square Garden to be on hand to personally congratulate Curry, while Miller was at the game to do color commentary for TNT.
In his previous three games, Curry shot 22-59 (.373) from the field
overall, including 14-46 (.304) from three point range. He had 13
assists and 14 turnovers in those contests. When Curry was 16 three
pointers away from the record, he spoke openly about the possibility of
making 16 three pointers in one game, which would break the single game
record of 14 held by Curry's teammate Klay Thompson. Prior to Tuesday
night's game, Curry shot .400 or worse from the field in 12 of his 26
games this season, and he shot .300 or worse from three point range in
12 games.
Imagine for a moment if Kobe Bryant had posted such poor numbers over a three game stretch while chasing an individual career record and talking to the media about chasing an individual single game record as well. Would the media coverage portray Bryant positively or negatively? Anyone who follows the NBA knows that the media coverage of Bryant in that scenario would be overwhelmingly negative, and that Bryant would be depicted as "selfish," "not focused on team success," "uncoachable," and so forth.
It is hypocritical to bash Bryant as a self-centered player when he set individual records, but then praise Curry for seeking individual glory even when doing so clearly is having a negative impact on his efficiency, and possibly even jeopardizing team success. Curry's Warriors went 2-1 in the three games referenced above, but the wins came against two teams that are performing poorly (Indiana and Portland) while the loss came against a team that is hardly setting the league on fire (Philadelphia).
Why is it acceptable for Curry to openly chase individual records, and to perform very inefficiently while doing so?
If setting a career individual record is a great accomplishment and it is acceptable to openly seek to set career individual records, then that standard should be applied to all record-seekers. If doing so is selfish, then that standard should be applied to all record-seekers.
To be clear, I don't think that Bryant was selfish, nor do I think that Curry is selfish. The point is not to criticize either player, but rather to demonstrate the hypocrisy of many media members.
It also should be noted that little to no media attention has been focused on the evolution of the career record for three pointers made. The current NBA was created in 1976 by a merger of the old NBA with the ABA's four surviving teams. The ABA used the three pointer throughout its nine year existence, but the ABA did not invent the three pointer; the ABL, which survived for less than two seasons in the early 1960s, was the first professional basketball league to use the three pointer, but the first recorded instance of the three pointer being utilized is a 1945 college game featuring Columbia versus Fordham. There are at least a couple other examples of the three pointer being used in individual college games long before the NCAA began using the three pointer in all college games in the 1986-87 season (a few NCAA conferences used the three pointer in the early 1980s before the rule was codified for all NCAA games).
The player who held the ABA/NBA career record for regular season three point field goals made for longer than any other player is Louie Dampier, who made 794 regular season three point field goals during his career. Dampier played in the ABA during each of the league's nine seasons (1967-76), and then he played three NBA seasons before retiring in 1979, one season before the NBA began using the three point shot. Les Selvage led the ABA with 147 three point field goals made in the league's inaugural season, while Dampier ranked ninth with 38 three point field goals made. Selvage only made four more three pointers during his brief career, so Chico Vaughn became the career leader in 1969 after making 137 three pointers in the ABA's first season and 145 three pointers in the ABA's second season. In 1970, Dampier--who set the single season record with 199 three pointers in 1969, and then made 198 three pointers in 1970--established a new career record with 435 three pointers, and he remained on top until Dale Ellis passed him during the 1992-93 season.
Ellis held the career record until Miller broke his mark in 1998. Miller retired in 2005, and he held the career record from 1998 until Ray Allen passed him in 2011.
Note that the record that Dampier set during nine ABA seasons lasted until the 14th season after the NBA began utilizing the three point shot; thus, including the three post-ABA/NBA merger seasons during which the NBA did not utilize the three pointer, Dampier held the record for over 20 years, much longer than Ellis, Miller, or Allen.
Curry is a fantastic shooter, but he is thriving in an era during which minimal defensive contact is allowed while most NBA players are encouraged to shoot many three pointers--and this era would have been perfectly suited not only for Dampier, but, also for Selvage, Vaughn, Ellis, Miller, Allen, and many others. Imagine if Pistol Pete Maravich had played in this era, let alone if he had played on a team coached by Steve Kerr or Mike D'Antoni!
The TNT studio crew speculated that Curry's record may never be broken, but a player has made at least 200 three pointers in a season over 100 times, and there have been 25 times that a player made at least 250 three pointers in a season. It is not clear if the steady increase in three pointers attempted and made has stabilized or not, but unless there is a big decrease in the utilization of the three pointer there is a decent chance that Curry's record will be broken. It is not inconceivable that at least one player will average 200 or 250 three pointers made per season for 15 years or so; in fact, unless something changes about the way the game is being played it seems almost inevitable that Curry will be surpassed in 15 or 20 years, or possibly even sooner.
Acknowledging the reality that this record is likely made to be broken under the prevailing circumstances takes nothing away from Curry's greatness. He is the most prolific outside shooter of his era, and a good case can be made that he is the greatest shooter of all-time. It is fun to watch Curry play, and it is refreshing to see both his joy and his work ethic; it is not nearly as enjoyable to read, watch, and/or listen to media coverage of him, but the media's shortcomings are not his fault.
Labels: Dale Ellis, Golden State Warriors, Les Selvage, Louie Dampier, New York Knicks, Ray Allen, Reggie Miller, Stephen Curry
posted by David Friedman @ 2:04 AM
