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Golden State Warriors superstar point guard Steph Curry has long been considered the NBA’s top long-range 3-point shooter. However, according to ESPN’s Shannon Sharpe, following Milwaukee Bucks superstar point guard Damian Lillard’s impressive 2024 NBA All-Star Game performance, he deserves the title.
Lillard secured his first All-Star Game MVP on Sunday after recording 39 points and 11 3-pointers on 53.8% shooting. That included the eight-time All-Star casually nailing two half-court shots.
On Monday, Sharpe discussed Lillard’s long-range display on the “Nightcap” podcast with NFL legend Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson. While Sharpe maintained that Curry is the league’s top all-time 3-point shooter, he boldly proclaimed that Lillard has deeper range.
“I think Steph is the greatest shooter, but when it comes to distance, I don’t think anybody can beat Dame Dolla,” Sharpe said. “Not from distance. If I’m talking about just pure shooting, Steph probably is it, but from distance?”
Johnson pushed back on Sharpe’s hot take, asking how he differentiates between the two superstars’ seemingly unlimited range. Sharpe pointed to how effortlessly Lillard shoots from 35-plus feet away from the basket.
“Dame just hit two halfcourt shots with 20 seconds on the shot clock,” Sharpe said. “He just walked into it. Bam! When I talk about distance, I’m talking about 35 to 40 feet. Logo Lillard.”
Most NBA fans on X/Twitter didn’t agree with Sharpe’s logic as they remarked on Curry being the player who popularized the deep 3.
“Steph started the logo trend,” one fan said.
“Curry was shooting Dame’s shots before Dame,” another said.
Meanwhile, others questioned Sharpe’s mental acuity.
“Shay Shay been tripping,” one fan said.
“Shannon Sharpe [has] definitely got CTE,” another said.
Below are some more of the top fan reactions to Sharpe naming Lillard the NBA’s top long-range shooter over Curry:
Damian Lillard shooting slightly better from deep 3-point range than Steph Curry this season
Shannon Sharpe used 35 to 40 feet as the barometer for his argument that Damian Lillard is a better deep-range shooter than Steph Curry. However, both players haven’t hit a shot from that range this season.
Per NBA.com, Lillard is 0-for-7 from 35-plus feet, while Curry is 0-for-6. However, Lillard had the edge last season, as he shot 5-for-15 (33.3%) from 35-plus feet, while Curry shot 1-for-11 (9.1%).
Additionally, when it comes to shots from 30-plus feet this season, Lillard has a slight advantage, shooting 12-for-42 (28.6%) compared to Curry’s 10-for-41 (24.4%) shooting.
Thus, it appears that there is a basis for Sharpe’s claim that Lillard has deeper shooting range than Curry.
Guess the Lakers players!
