A debate on X emerged on Thursday evening regarding whether Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard was the second-best shooter of all time behind Golden State Warriors point guard Stephen Curry.
The conversation got Lillard’s attention, who chimed in.
It’s hard to argue against Curry being the top shooter in the game’s history. He’s made the most three-pointers all time (4,248) and per game (4.0) while shooting 42.2 percent from beyond the arc. He’s showcased limitless range while leading the Warriors to four NBA titles.
Plenty of players can make a case as the second-best shooter ever, including (but not limited to) Ray Allen, Larry Bird, Curry’s old Warriors teammate Klay Thompson, Curry’s head coach Steve Kerr (the all-time leader in three-point percentage), Kevin Durant, Steve Nash, Reggie Miller and Michael Jordan (even if Jordan wasn’t known for his three-point shooting, he was a menace from two and made nearly 50 percent of his lifetime field goals en route to 30.1 PPG).
Lillard believes he has a case to be No. 2. His greatest argument is limitless range and incredible shot-making in the clutch (check these stats from NBA.com in Jan. 2024 and this list from Martim Andrade of GiveMeSport for evidence).
Those two ideas combined together for one of the greatest shots in NBA playoff history when Lillard clinched the Blazers’ first-round series win over the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2019 with a 37-footer.
The case against Lillard is that his efficiency from beyond the arc doesn’t measure as well as his peers. He’s shot 37.1 percent from three-point range, with a high of 40.1 percent in 2019-20. That career rank is just 242nd all time.
Ultimately, it’s easy to consider Lillard one of the most clutch shooters ever, and that has to figure highly in shooter debates.
