By TIM REYNOLDS
In the opening seconds of Stephen Curry’s NBA career he got an assist on the first possession, a steal on the second and then tried a 3-pointer for the first time at the professional level.
It missed.
In that moment, there probably were not very many people expecting he would become the most prolific 3-point shooter in NBA history. Yet as the new NBA season starts Tuesday night, so does the countdown toward Curry surpassing Ray Allen’s mark for 3’s made in a career.
Allen retired with 2,973 3-pointers in regular-season games. Curry is 141 behind, with 2,832 in his career. At his typical rate of 3’s made in recent years — about five per game — the Golden State sharpshooter could have the record by mid-December.
Curry is the only player in NBA history to average at least five made 3’s per game over a full season. He’s done it three times. Curry also has four of the five seasons of at least 300 made 3’s, including a record 402 in 2015-16; James Harden had the other 300-plus season on that list.