It takes time and dedication to become a shooter. It can be boring at times, but a shooter masters his craft. It is a sacrifice, one that Ray Allen has made. At age 35, Ray Allen is still the best shooter in the NBA, and is about to be statistically the best in history.
After going 4-7 from three on Tuesday night against Sacramento, Ray Allen has moved 9 three's away from breaking Reggie Miller's all-time record of 2,560.
Reggie Miller was renowned for his ridiculous pre-game routine. The hours he spent, arriving before the game to master his stroke proved his dedication to greatness. This type of dedication has only been mirrored by Ray Allen, but Reggie feels Ray may be the end of a dying breed and could end up as the greatest shooter who ever lived, without much competition in the future.
On a TNT broadcast, Reggie Miller commented on the art of shooting and the type of player Ray Allen is. "Shooting is boring. It takes time and you have to spend hours working on your craft. That's why I applaud Ray Allen, at 35 years old, getting ready to break my (NBA record for 3-point field goals) in the next month and a half. He's the best shooter in this league and that's sad, because there should be some young gunslinger coming up saying, I'm going to shatter Ray Allen's record. There's no one alive that's going to break his record."
Reggie Miller may have a point. As the NBA has entered the youtube highlight mixtape era, the art of shooting has gone with the wind. Every play viewed above the rim is ten more minutes a young kid spends on his hops instead of his jump shot. The NBA has become obsessed with drafting NBA type bodies and potential based on athleticism instead of pure shooters. Maybe it is fact that I can't jump over a phone book, and don't get me wrong, I get just as excited about the Blake Griffin alert as the next person, but there is nothing like watching the beauty of a shooter shoot the light's out. Ray Allen truly is miles ahead of the competition. Jason Kidd is in third place for 3 point field goals made with 1,738 making him 822 away from the current record, probably not a threat at age 37.
So when Ray inevitably breaks Miller's record, stand and cheer. Appreciate it as a basketball fan. We may be watching the best shooter who ever lived and the last of his kind.
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