Many people widely consider Steph Curry to be the greatest three-point shooter in NBA history. Rightfully so, considering he is the league’s all-time leader in three-point makes and counting. Before Curry graced the NBA with his shooting prowess, a few players showed glimpses of greatness from beyond the arc. One in particular stands out above the rest.
Advertisement
In 1979, the NBA made the impactful change to add the three-point line to the basketball court. Teams didn’t utilize it much during its infancy stages. Many coaches viewed three-pointers as a bad shot in comparison to mid-range jumpers and layups.
As a result, the three-point line didn’t become extremely prevalent until the late 2000s, thanks to the Steve Nash-led Phoenix Suns. A few years later, Stephen Curry took it to another level, and the NBA hasn’t looked back since.
That doesn’t mean that the 1990s didn’t have great three-point shooters. In fact, one player’s three-point shot resembled that of Curry. Former NBA player Cory Alexander is the latest to make the comparison.
“The best shooter I’ve ever faced, his name is now Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, he was once Chris Jackson,” Alexander said on The Dan Patrick Show. “To me, Chris Jackson was Steph Curry before Steph Curry.”
The seven-year pro doesn’t throw the comparison lightly. He considers Curry as his “nephew.” Alexander’s claim may seem crazy to the uneducated, but he isn’t the first person to make such an assertion.
The 2023 ShowTime documentary Stand covered the career and life of Abdul-Rauf. Academy Award-winning actor Mahershala Ali made an appearance in the film and shared the same words as Alexander
Unfortunately, Abdul-Rauf’s career didn’t last long due to the controversial treatment because of his political and religious beliefs. Regardless, in the years of his peak, his shooting ability was unlike anything the NBA had seen.
Abdul-Rauf played with the same level of freedom as Curry. His best year of his career was the 1995-96 season. He averaged 19.2 points and 6.8 assists while leading the NBA by shooting 93% from the free-throw line. He also had his best three-point shooting season that year at 39.2%.
One of the craftiest NBA players ever!
HBD Mahmoud Abdul-Raufpic.twitter.com/72g8mXbVQR— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) March 9, 2021
Unlike the other great three-point shooters of his time, Abdul-Rauf was extremely crafty. He would shoot deep contested shots off the dribble, which many people weren’t doing.
The 1992-93 Most Improved Player didn’t get the opportunity to live out his NBA career to the fullest. Nonetheless, his contributions to the game helped the likes of Curry to succeed at the level that he has.
