As I sit here watching the FIBA U16 Asia Cup 2025 qualifiers, I can't help but marvel at how shooting has evolved in basketball. The recent Gilas Pilipinas Youth team's performance in Southeast Asia has reignited that age-old debate among basketball purists - who truly deserves the title of the greatest shooter in NBA history? Having followed basketball for over two decades, I've witnessed shooting transform from an art form into a science, and this question becomes more complex with each passing season.
Let me be clear from the outset - I believe Stephen Curry has fundamentally changed what we consider great shooting. When I first started analyzing basketball statistics seriously around 2005, the conversation about great shooters was completely different. We were talking about Ray Allen's picture-perfect form and Reggie Miller's clutch gene. But Curry didn't just break records - he shattered our understanding of what's possible from beyond the arc. I remember watching his 2016 season unfold like it was yesterday, seeing him make 402 three-pointers when nobody had ever reached 300 before. That's not just improvement - that's a quantum leap.
The traditional metrics always favored players like Ray Allen, who held the career three-point record before Curry. Allen's 2,973 career three-pointers stood as the gold standard for years, and his shooting percentage of 40% from deep across 18 seasons is absolutely remarkable. But here's where I think modern analysis falls short - we can't just look at numbers in isolation. Curry's impact goes beyond making threes; he's forced defenses to completely reinvent their strategies. I've watched teams deploy defensive schemes we never saw before 2015, all designed to stop one man 30 feet from the basket.
What fascinates me about the Gilas Pilipinas Youth team's recent dominance in Southeast Asia is how they embody this new shooting philosophy. These young players are launching from distances that would have gotten them benched a decade ago. They're not just following Curry's blueprint - they're expanding on it. Watching them in the FIBA U16 Asia Cup qualifiers, I noticed their shooting drills incorporate elements we only see from NBA stars today. The game has globalized, and shooting excellence is no longer an American monopoly.
Now, some will argue for the old guards - literally and figuratively. Larry Bird's three consecutive three-point contest titles in the 80s remain legendary, and his trash-talking stories are the stuff of basketball folklore. I've spoken with coaches who played against Bird, and they all say the same thing - his confidence bordered on supernatural. He'd tell defenders exactly what he was going to do and still make the shot. But we have to acknowledge he played in an era where the three-pointer was almost an afterthought. Bird attempted only 1,727 threes in his career - Curry surpassed that total in his first six seasons.
Then there's the matter of difficulty. Having charted shooting data for various teams over the years, I can tell you that not all three-point attempts are created equal. Today's shooters like Damian Lillard and Klay Thompson regularly make shots that would be considered bad decisions in previous eras. Lillard's series-winning shot against Oklahoma City in 2019 from 37 feet is something nobody even attempted in the 90s. The game has changed so dramatically that comparing across eras feels increasingly like comparing different sports altogether.
What often gets overlooked in these discussions is the mental aspect of shooting. Having worked with shooting coaches across different levels, I've learned that the great ones share an almost pathological belief in their next shot going in. Ray Allen's routine was military in its precision - same warm-up, same footwork, same release point every single time. Curry's confidence manifests differently - it's joyful, almost playful, but no less intense. I've seen him miss five in a row only to pull up from 30 feet without hesitation. That psychological resilience might be the most underrated aspect of great shooting.
The international game, as demonstrated by the rising talent in tournaments like the FIBA U16 Asia Cup, continues to influence NBA shooting styles. When I analyze the shooting mechanics of young prospects today, I see elements borrowed from European shooters who prioritized form and efficiency. The beautiful thing about basketball's globalization is that shooting innovation now comes from everywhere. The Gilas Pilipinas Youth team's success stems from combining traditional Filipino guard skills with modern shooting principles - it's a fusion that's producing remarkable results.
In my view, the greatest shooter debate ultimately comes down to how we define greatness. If we're talking pure numbers and efficiency, Curry's combination of volume and accuracy (43.3% on over 8 attempts per game for his career) is unmatched. If we're talking cultural impact, he's lapped the field. But if we're talking about who I'd want taking one shot with everything on the line? I might surprise you - I'd take Reggie Miller. There was something about his ability to rise to the moment that statistics can never fully capture. I witnessed his 8 points in 9 seconds against the Knicks live on television, and that memory still gives me chills.
The evolution continues, and with young talents emerging worldwide through pathways like the FIBA U16 Asia Cup, the shooting revolution shows no signs of slowing. What excites me most is imagining where the next breakthrough will come from - perhaps from an unknown teenager in the Philippines right now, practicing shots that would make today's stars blush. The title of greatest shooter may belong to Curry today, but the beautiful uncertainty of basketball means that title is always up for grabs.