HoopersParadise

Klay Thompson ranks his top 5 greatest 3-point shooters of all time

“Steph Curry: Obviously, you got to say Steph. 4,200 makes at a 42% clip is ridiculous, especially with all the volume

Ray Allen: He was the all-time leader for so long until Steph took over. But just Ray's ability to shoot off the move with the ball in his hands. And that shot he had in the 2013 NBA Finals, that was one of the greatest shots in league history

Reggie Miller: I love watching Reggie's highlight tape, especially his game winning highlight tape. Reggie was fearless, and he was, I'd say, the first real player to really use the three point line as his main weapon

Larry Bird: It's hard not to say Larry because although he didn't shoot the volume of threes, he was so efficient in his shooting. He's a 50-40-90 guy. I think he won three 3-Point Contests and even did one with his warm up jacket on

Dirk Nowitzki: His 2011 run, look at his shooting numbers. They're insane. He shot 45% from three for the whole playoffs. I'm going to go with those five. I'm not going to put myself in there”

Red Auerbach on trying to find a flaw in George Mikan's game:

“He has probably had some ‘off’ nights, though... After all, he’s only human! [But] I have never seen George Mikan have a 'bad' night.”

In December 1961, Red Auerbach predicted what the NBA’s first 100-point scorer would look like:

“You’ll know him, because he will have Bill Russell’s speed and build, and Elgin Baylor’s shots.”

Less than three months later, Wilt Chamberlain scored 100 points.

Giannis says he showed up EARLY to work out with Kobe, and the Black Mamba made him pay for it

“Working out with Kobe, I showed up before him. I love that I did it, but it was a mistake

Kobe came and said, ‘What are we gonna do?’ I said, ‘Whatever you tell me to do.’ He said, ‘Go right, make 25.’ I usually make four or five. I said, ‘Yeah… make 25.’ I made 25. ‘Okay, go left, 25.’ Then, ‘Go right, two dribbles’

We worked out for two hours, intense, and I’m thinking, I shouldn’t have shot before this, I’m tired, I wanted to show him my best version

But here’s what players won’t do today: they won’t be vulnerable. They won’t show weakness, or show appreciation to somebody better. If you always think you’re the best, you can never learn

I had my notebook, I asked a lot of questions, he answered every single one, and never made me feel like we were running out of time. It was one of the best experience in my career”

Julius Erving on Wilt Chamberlain:

“I didn’t come in as a kid who grew up in Philadelphia, as a kid who was born and raised, who left and came back. I didn’t have as much to prove as Chamberlain had to prove. My transition was easier.”

Lakers head coach Bill Sharman on Wilt Chamberlain during their historic 1971–72 season:

“He’s done everything I’ve asked of him. He’s playing unbelievable ball this year, both ends. He has never missed a practice or a meeting or a bus ride. He hasn’t even been late for one.”

Larry Bird Looked Up at a Packed Boston Garden Every Night and Told Dennis Johnson He Still Couldn't Believe People Paid to Watch Them Play. He Never Got Over It

Larry Bird was one of the most famous athletes in the world for over a decade.

He never understood why.

"To be honest? I don't understand the attraction of celebrities. I always thought the whole idea of being paid to play pro basketball is ridiculous. I mean, think about it. You are taking that ball, running down the court, and you've got somebody on you. You've got four guys out there on your team, and five from the other team, and some people on the bench, and you look up, and the place is packed, and all you are trying to do is make that ball go through the hole. It's just crazy to me. After all these years, it still doesn't make sense."

Then he described what it actually felt like to look up at Boston Garden on a game night.

"Back when I was with the Celtics, I used to sit there and say to my teammate Dennis Johnson, 'Can you believe this? Look at all those people. They're in here watching us play. Isn't that just amazing?' D. J. would look at me like I was losing it, but it was mystifying to me. Still is. Especially all those fans way up at the top of the arenas. You know they could see the game better if they just went home and watched it on TV, but they're up there sweating, and they're loving it."

DJ thought he was losing his mind. Bird was completely serious.

The fans in the nosebleed seats. The ones who saved up for months. The ones who couldn't quite see the court but showed up every single night anyway. Those were the people who made Bird feel something.

"They were the real fans. I always understood that. They're the ones who had to save for their tickets, who were happy just to be in the building. We'd sell out every night. The fans in the nosebleed seats were always there. I would never have dreamed, when I was a kid, that anyone would pay money to watch me do anything. And no matter how much money I ever have, I'll never take it for granted."

Three championships. $24 million in career earnings. The most recognizable forward in NBA history.

He still couldn't believe anyone was paying to watch him play basketball.

Larry Bird Was Destroying Kurt Rambis. He Walked Over to Pat Riley on the Lakers Bench and Said 'You Know You Can't Put Another White Boy on Me. I'm the Coldest White Boy in the League."

Kurt Rambis was getting absolutely cooked.

Larry Bird had seen enough of the matchup. He didn't complain to a referee. He didn't call timeout to talk to his own coach. He walked directly to the opposing bench and addressed Pat Riley personally.

Dee Brown was right there watching.

"I think we were playing the Lakers and I think they had Kurt Rambis on them and he was killing him. He went over to the bench, he said, 'Hey Pat Riley, you know you can't put another white boy on me because I'm the coldest white boy in the league. You better put a brother on me!'"

The coldest white boy in the league. Said to the opposing head coach. Mid-game. While his team was trying to win.

This wasn't a random outburst. It was Bird's established philosophy applied directly to Pat Riley's face. He had said it before in other forms. He felt genuinely disrespected whenever a white defender drew the assignment. Not because of anything personal, because it meant the other team didn't take him seriously enough to send their best.

Kurt Rambis was a hard-nosed rebounder and defender who carved out an 11-year NBA career. He was not the answer for Larry Bird. Bird knew it. Riley knew it. The whole building knew it.

Three MVPs. Three championships. He trash-talked the coach on the opposing bench to demand a better matchup.

Pat Riley has seen everything in 50 years of professional basketball.

Nothing like that.

Larry Bird's Teammates Bought $700,000 Houses and Rolex Watches and Laughed at Him for Saving His Money. The Same Players Called Him Years Later Asking to Borrow Some. He Said No. He Warned Them.

Larry Bird grew up in French Lick, Indiana with nothing.

He made sure to keep that perspective when the money arrived.

"Even when I was at the top of my game, we didn't drive a Mercedes or live in million-dollar homes, things like that. When I first started playing, we bought a nice little house in the French Lick/West Baden area. It cost $125,000. We didn't run out and spend all our money because we knew there would be a time when it was over, and I wanted to have options on what we could do with our future. I never thought about retiring. I just assumed I would always work."

His teammates had different priorities. Bigger houses. Better cars. Better watches. Everything Bird specifically chose not to buy.

They found his approach hilarious.

"Some of the guys who made far less than me bought the $700,000 homes, and the Rolex watches, and the big luxury cars. I used to tell them, 'You're crazy, you should be saving your money.' They'd just laugh and make jokes about me stashing my money away. But I could see what they were doing. They were throwing away their future. So many of them were living for today and not even stopping for a minute to think about ten years down the road when their playing careers were over and the money stopped pouring in. And by the time they realized what I was telling them was true, it was too late. I can't tell you how many ex-teammates have asked me for money. It's heartbreaking for me to say no, but I do because I warned them. I told them to save."

He said no. Every time. Not out of cruelty. Because he warned them and they laughed at him for it.

Bird earned approximately $24 million from his Celtics contracts over 13 seasons. His net worth today is estimated at over $70 million. The players who laughed at him for saving his money called him later asking to borrow some.

The guy they made fun of didn't need to borrow anything from anyone.

The College Kids Beat the Dream Team on Day One. Penny Was Spinning Shots. Webber Was Doing His Thing. Then Larry Bird Got Off the Elevator and Said 'See Y'all Tomorrow, Young Fellas.' Allan Houston Heard It and Knew.

Day one of the 1992 Dream Team scrimmage against the college select team.

Allan Houston. Penny Hardaway. Chris Webber. Bobby Hurley. Kids who had no business being on the same floor as the greatest team ever assembled.

They won.

"Penny is spinning people's shots on the glass, you know, Chris is doing his thing. And Bobby's just penetrating, you know, and I hit a couple of threes. And the next thing you know, like, we're feeling a little rhythm."

The greatest collection of basketball talent ever assembled just got beaten by a group of college kids. Everyone was heading back to the hotel.

Then Bird got off the elevator.

He looked at Houston and the rest of the select team. Completely calm. Zero emotion. And said the five words that told Houston everything he needed to know about what was coming tomorrow.

"See y'all tomorrow, young fellas. See y'all tomorrow."

Houston heard it and froze.

"That wasn't a like a 'looking forward to seeing y'all tomorrow.' No, it was like a 'See y'all tomorrow.'"

The next day Magic Johnson fed Bird the ball eight times in a row. Bird called every shot before he took it. Told Rodney Rogers exactly what move he was going to make and exactly where the ball was going. Made all eight.