James Harden made NBA history after crossing Ray Allen in the all-time three-point shooting list with the 2,975 three-point make of his career. While this would’ve been good for the all-time record a few years ago, that mark already belongs to Stephen Curry who sits at 3,782 threes before his game against Harden’s Los Angeles Clippers tonight.
After crossing Allen, Harden admitted that might be the highest he gets on the list because passing Curry isn’t a realistic target.
“I’m one of the most confident guys that we have in this league. But no, I probably won’t catch Steph. And I don’t think anybody will honestly.”
“I don’t know man, he can shoot the s*** out the ball… Somebody has to have an unbelievable career, shoot the ball well, and make a lot of 3s. I mean if it happens, it’s going to be when we’re not here anymore. So that’ll be in there for a minute.”
Can James Harden pass Steph Curry in three-pointers?
Harden: “I’m one of the most confident guys that we have in this league. But no. I probably won’t catch Steph. I don’t think anybody will… He can shoot the shit outta the ball.” pic.twitter.com/hqExBDk0BV
— Joey Linn (@joeylinn_) November 18, 2024
Curry’s three-point shooting prowess is decidedly unique, with nobody questioning if there’s ever been a better shooter than him in NBA history. He has averaged 3.9 three-point makes per game in his career, setting a high bar that the next generation will have to match.
Harden, who sits No. 2 on the all-time list now, has averaged 2.7 three-point makes per game over his career. This is important, as it puts multiple players on the path to surpass him on the list but Curry is a different challenge.
One reason why Curry’s overall tally, even if it crosses 4,000, could one day be broken is the sheer increase in three-point volume in the NBA. Curry’s ability made the entire league want to shoot more threes, but even one of today’s elite shooters such as Trae Young makes 2.6 threes per game for his career compared to Curry’s 3.9 per game.
Even a player like Donovan Mitchell is averaging 3.0 threes made per game, and his primary offensive ability isn’t even considered to be his shooting. The same goes for Luka Doncic, who’s making 3.0 threes per game in his career while being relatively inefficient. His sheer volume will ensure he ends high on the list.
In terms of realistically challenging Curry, it could happen with a shooter with comparable ability because they’ll have an entire career’s worth of volume shooting to rely on, as compared to Curry who didn’t average over three makes a game until his fourth season in the NBA. He changed the culture, and future generations will benefit from it.
I believe there isn’t a player in the NBA right now who will break Curry’s record, but nobody knows what kind of unicorns could come into the league in upcoming draft classes given the incredible players we have received over the last few years.
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