With 6:50 left in the second quarter of the game between the Golden State Warriors and Portland Trail Blazers, Stephen Curry fired a 3-point attempt from the right wing and found nothing but net. It was the 270th time he knocked down a 3-pointer during the 2012-13 season.
He broke Ray Allen's record of 269 made 3-pointers from the 2005-06 season and became the NBA record-holder for made 3-point shots in a single season. Curry wasn't finished in the game either. He made 4-of-11 from 3-point range to give him 272 makes from downtown on the season.
During Allen's 2005-06 campaign for the Seattle Supersonics, he made 269 of 653 from beyond the arc for 41.2 percent. Curry's season hasn't just been more prolific in terms of volume, but he was also a more accurate shooter. Curry's 272 makes came on just 600 attempts, good for 45.2 percent. They both played in 78 games.
Here are the shot charts of the two shooters from their respective record-setting seasons:
Only four players in NBA history have made at least 45 percent of their 3-pointers while taking more than 400 attempts in a season. Curry's 600 attempts far surpass the 440 attempts by Glen Rice in the 1996-97 season when he made 47 percent from downtown. Not only has Curry become the greatest shooter in an NBA season, but he's also on track to be the greatest 3-point shooter in the history of the NBA.
Allen is the all-time record-holder for made 3s with 2,857 and he's made 40.1 percent over the course of his career. Through his first four seasons in the NBA, Allen made 497 3s at a rate of 38.8 percent. Through Curry's first four seasons, he's made 644 3-pointers at a clip of 44.6 percent.
The knock on Curry early in his career is he's injury prone with his bad ankles. However, if he can approach the 17 seasons Allen played in the NBA, he might rewrite more 3-point history than he already has.
Congratulations, Steph. It's a joy to watch you shoot.
