Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry is now the NBA's all-time leader in 3-pointers, having hit two in the first quarter Tuesday night to surpass Ray Allen. How much of a gap might he open up on the rest of the field?
Consider that Curry is showing no signs of slowing down as a 3-point marksman as he continues to push his use of the shot to new heights. At age 33, he's averaging career highs in both 3-point makes (5.4 per game) and attempts (13.4) with little harm to his accuracy.
Curry isn't likely to just set the record -- health permitting, he'll smash it.
However, since the 3-pointer has become a part of NBA strategy rather than just a novelty, we've seen rates increase for decades. Today's young players aren't cautiously dipping their toe into shooting 3s at high volume as Curry did. They're diving in the deep end immediately. As a result, we might see another moment like Monday, with Curry being passed within the next two decades.
Who are some contenders to eventually top Curry's mark? And how difficult will it be to do? Let's take a look.
Projecting Curry's eventual total
Naturally, the NBA's all-time 3-point record changed hands frequently during the first two decades after the line was introduced as active players jockeyed for position. Reggie Miller, the first player to maintain the all-time lead multiple seasons after his retirement, can be thought of as the first modern leader. Ray Allen broke Miller's record in February 2011 at age 35 and eventually finished with 16% more 3s than Miller (2,973 to 2,560).