On this year’s Christmas Day, Klay Thompson gave himself a perfect holiday gift that further solidified his case as one of the game’s greatest shooters.
The Dallas Mavericks star made history on Wednesday night against the Minnesota Timberwolves by surpassing Hall of Famer Reggie Miller in the NBA’s all-time three-point list, now occupying the No. 5 spot of the entire leaderboard.
Thompson tied Miller’s 2,561 three-point mark when he drained a trifecta during the start of the second quarter. He went on to finally move past the Indiana Pacers legend with 8:49 left in regulation.
Aware of the importance of the shot, Dallas fans within the American Airlines Center instantly got hyped when Thompson sank the trey. And during a timeout following the play, the Mavs star was greeted with a roaring standing ovation for the achievement he made.
“It’s honestly a dream come true,” Thompson said postgame as he finished the night with 12 points on 4-of-12 shooting in the Mavs’ 105-99 defeat. “I want to celebrate it tonight because you just think of all the hours you spent shooting and all the time you’ve gotten up in your lifetime.
“To pass such an icon like Reggie, it’s super surreal for me. Especially being a 90s baby, I watched him, he hit so many game-winners, battled against the best that ever played, and leaving it all out on the floor.”
For him to compile 2,561 three-pointers and counting, it took Thompson 14 NBA seasons. As such, he would’ve attained the record in the past couple of years if only he didn’t get sidelined for back-to-back campaigns in 2019-20 and 2021-22 due to ACL and Achilles recovery.
Thompson would’ve loved to celebrate a Christmas Day victory with the Mavericks, but Jason Kidd desires for him to enjoy his individual milestone.
“I think it’s incredible for his journey,” the Mavericks head coach said, who fully loved the team’s acquisition of Thompson this past offseason. “He’s going to go down as one of the best shooters to play the game. To be able to pass Reggie, it’s history.”
Thompson’s former teammate Stephen Curry currently holds the most three-pointers in the NBA with 3,849 and counting. Meanwhile, James Harden (3,022+), Ray Allen (2,973), and Damian Lillard (2,683+) further fill the honorable Top 5 list.
Related Posts
