Stephen Currybecomes the new 3 pointer in a victory ober the New York Knicks.
Golden State Warriors’ star guard Stephen Curry became the all-time leader in 3-pointers on Tuesday night in a 105-96 win over the New York Knicks, passing Hall of Famer Ray Allen.
Curry record breaking shot came with just 7 minutes, 33 seconds left in the first quarter as Curry knocked down a 28-footer from the right wing off a pass from Andrew Wiggins. The Warriors quickly fouled and called a time out so that Curry could enjoy the moment.
“It was a beautiful ending to this last week,” Curry said after the game. “The buildup to getting this number, it was a special atmosphere. I knew the Garden would deliver just in terms of how iconic this place is — I can’t say it enough, I appreciate so much the way the fans embraced the moment with me and let me kind of get lost in it. I could feel it. Once I took the shot on the wing, it just felt good, looked good — it felt like we were at home.
Curry added: “It was a special moment for sure that I appreciate and I’ll remember for the rest of my life, in terms of what it means to me to pass Ray. Him and Reggie, guys I’ve looked up to coming into the game. Definitely special.”
Curry received a hug from teammate Draymond Green as players flooded onto the floor to congratulate him. He took the ball that he was clutching in his arm and handed it to his father, Dell, on the floor as the Madison Square Garden crowd gave him a rousing standing ovation. Curry went back toward center court a few moments later to get a hug and congratulations from Allen.
Then Curry, sat back down on the bench, tears welled in his eyes after he broke the record by knocking down the 2,974th of his career.
Miller and Allen presented Curry with a Warriors jersey with the number 2,974 on the back after the game. Curry admitted the moment, with Miller sitting courtside calling the game for Turner Sports and Allen flying in to see the game in person, “exceeded” any dreams he had about how it would all play out.
“My respect for Reggie and Ray, guys who set the bar for what it meant to be a sharpshooter,” Curry said. “And have longevity as well. And for me, I’ve tried to own that in my journey in terms of range, volume, efficiency.
“All those things go into it. So I pride myself on shooting a high percentage, I pride myself on allowing that to help us win games. And now I can pride myself on the longevity of getting to that number that Ray set and hopefully pushing it to a number that nobody can reach. We’ll see what happens.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver in a statement released congratulated Curry during the game.
“It was thrilling to see Steph break the NBA’s all-time record for three-pointers,” Silver said.
“He has revolutionized the way the game is played and continues to leave fans in awe with his amazing artistry and extraordinary shooting ability. We congratulate him on this historic achievement.”
Curry finished 5-of-14 from 3-point range, bringing his career total to 2,978. He had 22 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists in the win and then after the game made sure to thank his teammates for how much he believes they have helped him accomplish.
“Steph in the locker room was vintage Steph,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “Joyful, grateful. He talked to the team about how much they mean to him. How much the game means to him, the process. He is who he is, that’s the beauty of Steph. He’s so authentic, he’s so genuine. I thought the night was perfect. It just pretty much encapsulated who he is and his reaction to it was perfect.”
Curry personally gifted engraved Rolexes to his longest-tenured teammates: Green and Andre Iguodala, and he saved one more for Klay Thompson, who is back in the Bay Area rehabbing his Achilles and ACL injuries.
“I always say not often do you have the opportunity to interact with someone great at something, let alone go to work with someone that is great, the absolute best at something,” Green said. “That’s a very rare thing, because there are very few people that are the best at said thing. Steph is the best to ever shoot a basketball, and we get the opportunity to go to work with him every day. It’s a very special thing.”
Green noted that the only thing he felt was missing from Curry’s moment was Thompson’s presence in the locker room.
“His jersey was in the locker room next to mine,” Curry said. “It will be good to get back to celebrate with him. And then obviously celebrate his return hopefully soon.”
