Ray Allen Retirement: Basketball Player 'Greatest Shooter Ever' According To Stephen Curry

Ray Allen decided to retire from the game he loved this week.

Allen will always be remembered as one of the greatest shooters ever, having rewritten the record books. His clutch shooting in the postseason and record breaking perimeter shots make him an easy first ballot Hall of Famer.

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry is now widely regarded as the best three-point shooter in the league. Curry has the top two three-point shooting seasons in NBA history and three of the top four ever. He broke Allen’s mark set in the 2005-06 season when he hit 269 from beyond the arc. Curry is light years ahead of Allen’s pace to pass his career mark in three’s made, but even the reigning MVP isn’t anointing himself just yet.

"To me, he's (Ray Allen) the greatest shooter ever because of his longevity. He did it year-to-year and he got up on his shot. That's what made him different. He was a special player," Curry told ESPN.

Allen sits atop the three point pedestal with 2,973 made shots. Curry, who has played just seven seasons, is 18^th all-time with 1,610 made threes. Curry has led the NBA in three pointers made the last four consecutive seasons.

Curry is “respecting his elders” so to speak. There was the Larry Bird era, when nobody thought we would see a better long distance shooter, and then Allen came around and showed everyone just how perfect a jump shot can be. Now, Curry is amazing us with dazzling shots from five feet from the three point line. In all likelihood he’ll surpass Allen’s all-time record for made threes, but it’s great to see him respect Allen in the process.