Before 1967, a majority of basketball fans in the country had no idea what a shot from downtown meant. Three-pointers existed only in a limited manner when the short-lived ABL adopted the line 25 feet from the basket in 1961. Surprisingly enough, it wasn’t the NBA that brought about this change later either — it was the ABA in 1967.
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So, Stephen Curry, for one, has the league and Pat Boone, perhaps, to thank. The three-point line was introduced to the NBA only in the 1979-80 season, three years after the league’s merger with the ABA.
And since then, the game has slowly evolved, with more and more players looking to make shots from deep. No one, however, has revolutionized the game quite like Curry. His style of play and his habit of being reliant on the three-point shot made teams realize that mastering it simply meant more points. And Boone recently asked Curry to give him his flowers.
The legendary musician, who was the majority owner of the ABA franchise, the Oakland Oaks, wants to be credited for the start of the three-point era. He has a simple demand: Over $1 million from the Chef.
“One of these days, I haven’t met him yet, Steph Curry, San Francisco [Golden State] Warriors’ three-point guy,” Boone, now 91 years old, said.
“He just waves, and it’s three points no matter where he is on the court. But I’m gonna let him know. Hey Steph, you owe me at least a couple of million dollars. Because we created the three-point play, and that’s what made you the all-time star of basketball, but you owe me,” added Boone.
Granted, Steph is the very best from long range. He, however, is much more than just a three-point shooter. Curry is also an elite point guard, a great handler of the ball who dishes out some pretty incredible dimes.
But three-pointers are certainly what he’s associated with and best known for. Without the introduction of it, he may not have made it this far.
That said, Steph doesn’t really owe Boone anything individually. As an owner of the Oaks, he was probably in the room when the decision to change the game forever was made.
But, the idea was floated long before, by the founder of the sport, Dr. James Naismith, himself in the 1930s. It was also used in scrimmages a decade later, before the ABA decided to adopt it officially. There’s every chance that had they not, the NBA would have introduced three-pointers some time down the line.
Curry has associated himself with the art of shooting so much to the point that coach Steve Kerr said this after the star crossed 4,000 made 3s for his regular season career:
“I’m desensitized to the 3s because they just come flooding through game after game, 4,000 is just an insane number,” said Kerr, who was an elite three-point specialist during his playing days.
Boone was most likely just pulling Curry’s leg. He must know he’s not the sole inventor of one of basketball’s most exciting elements today.
That said, a link-up between him and Curry would be fun to watch. After all, Boone admitted they’ve never met, and that’s a shame.
