On Tuesday night, Stephen Curry broke Hall of Famer Ray Allen’s all-time record for the most three-pointers in NBA history. Coming into the game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, Steph only needed two threes to break the record. About halfway through the first quarter, Curry made a 28-foot jump shot that put him ahead of Ray Allen in threes. Allen, who finished his career in 2014, held the previous record with 2,973 three-pointers. In the 13th season of his great career, Steph leads the NBA with 142 threes made this season and he now is the NBA’s all-time three-point king. In 2015, Curry set the record for the most threes made in a single season, making 402. 

The record-breaking moment was one that had been anticipated by basketball fans and players for a while. Curry grew up already immersed in basketball, as his father, Dell Curry, was a 16-year NBA veteran sharpshooter. Throughout his youth, Curry became a great shooter and developed a high basketball IQ. These two skills that Curry had at a young age were not quite enough to draw much attention from any major college basketball programs. Many people think that if Steph was just a little bit taller coming out of high school, he could have been recruited by a major basketball powerhouse, or even drafted out of high school. But, Curry decided to attend Davidson College to play his collegiate basketball. In just his freshman year, Steph averaged 21.5 points per game, which was the best in the country among first-year players. In his sophomore year at Davidson, Curry became a sensation as he led a tenth seeded Davidson team on an improbable run to the Elite Eight. In his Junior season, Curry averaged 28.6 points per game, which led the country and he was named a consensus first-team All-American. After this season, Curry entered the 2009 NBA draft, where he was selected by the Warriors with the seventh overall pick.

Curry came into the league and immediately made an impact with the Warriors. He became the team’s starting point guard and averaged 17.5 points per game in his rookie season. In his second season in the league in 2011-2012, Curry had a series of ankle sprains that allowed him to play just 26 games and forced him to undergo off-season ligament surgery. At this point in his career, fans started to wonder if his rookie season had just been a fluke and if Curry actually had the skill to be a starting point guard in the NBA. Steph quickly proved the doubters wrong, as he went on to lead the NBA in three-pointers made with 272 in his third season in 2012-2013. The next season he led the NBA in three-pointers made again with 261 and earned his first All-Star Game selection. In 2014-2015, Curry made a then-record 286 three-pointers while leading the Warriors to the best record in the NBA at 67-15. Curry would also go on to win his first Most Valuable Player award and his first NBA championship. The very next season, in 2015-2016, Curry led his team to an all-time best 73-9 record and topped the NBA with an average of 30.1 points per game. He also shattered his own record for the most three-pointers made in a season with 402. Curry earned his second consecutive MVP award and became the first-ever unanimous MVP. Curry continued his great shooting and scoring from 2016 to 2021, as Curry won another NBA championship in 2017. He continued to lead the league in three-pointers made almost every single year. It was really just a matter of time and health for Curry before he surpassed Ray Allen to become the NBA’s all-time three-point shooting king.