U.S. media ranks NBA's top 99 shooters: Curry tops uncontested, Durant 4th, James 36th

On July 23rd, Beijing time, in an effort to select the greatest shooters in history, NBA writers and editors at Bleacher Report conducted an internal vote to rank the top 99 shooters of all time. The judges were required to consider basic statistics, advanced metrics, and also take into account the context of the era. This means that the judges had to weigh shooters from both before and after the advent of the three-point line, while also accounting for the many changes in defensive rules and tactics across different periods.

Previously, Bleacher Report has ranked the top 50 dunkers and top 99 defenders. Here is the specific ranking of the top 99 shooters——

1. Stephen Curry, 2. Reggie Miller, 3. Ray Allen, 4. Kevin Durant, 5. Klay Thompson, 6. Larry Bird, 7. Steve Nash, 8. Dirk Nowitzki, 9. Damian Lillard, 10. Kyle Korver

11. Peja Stojakovic, 12. Kyrie Irving, 13. Steve Kerr, 14. Mark Price, 15. J.J. Redick, 16. Glen Rice, 17. Drazen Petrovic, 18. Chris Mullin, 19. Jerry West, 20. James Harden

21. Kawhi Leonard, 22. Chris Paul, 23. Jeff Hornacek, 24. Allan Houston, 25. Michael Jordan, 26. Nikola Jokic, 27. Kobe Bryant, 28. Luka Doncic, 29. Rick Barry, 30. Pete Maravich

31. Paul George, 32. Dale Ellis, 33. Karl-Anthony Towns, 34. Seth Curry, 35. Carmelo Anthony, 36. LeBron James, 37. Khris Middleton, 38. Mike Miller, 39. Buddy Hield, 40. Brent Barry

41. Duncan Robinson, 42. Joe Johnson, 43. Michael Redd, 44. Mitch Richmond, 45. C.J. McCollum, 46. Hersey Hawkins, 47. Jalen Brunson, 48. Tim Legler, 49. Dell Curry, 50. Paul Pierce

51. Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, 52. Kiki VanDeWeghe, 53. Jayson Tatum, 54. Devin Booker, 55. Luke Kennard, 56. Jamal Murray, 57. Tyrese Haliburton, 58. Donovan Mitchell, 59. Jason Terry, 60. Kevin Love

61. Trae Young, 62. Richard Hamilton, 63. Joe Harris, 64. Rashard Lewis, 65. Wally Szczerbiak, 66. Brandon Roy, 67. Lou Hudson, 68. Steve Smith, 69. Jason Kapono, 70. Michael Porter Jr.

71. Danny Green, 72. Craig Hodges, 73. Bojan Bogdanovic, 74. Dennis Scott, 75. Kevin Martin, 76. Lauri Markkanen, 77. Wesley Person, 78. Hubert Davis, 79. Chuck Person, 80. Vince Carter

81. Grayson Allen, 82. Joe Dumars, 83. Robert Horry, 84. Joe Ingles, 85. World B. Free, 86. Zach LaVine, 87. Dan Majerle, 88. Bill Sharman, 89. Jamal Crawford, 90. Manu Ginobili

91. Ricky Pierce, 92. Dana Barros, 93. Tyler Herro, 94. Chauncey Billups, 95. Detlef Schrempf, 96. Austin Reaves, 97. Terry Porter, 98. Desmond Bane

Among them, regarding the greatest shooter of all time, Stephen Curry, Bleacher Report's specific commentary is as follows——

Is there any need to question it?

In all valid votes for this list, Curry not only made the list without any doubt, but also swept all first-place votes. To this day, the assertion that he is the greatest shooter in history is indisputable.

The evidence supporting this view goes far beyond his all-time leading total three-pointers made and his career-long consistent three-point percentage above 40%.

Countless times, Curry has made seemingly impossible jump shots while being closely guarded by defenders, and many of those makes were created through his ball-handling moves comparable to Kyrie Irving's.

Whether on pull-up jumpers or catch-and-shoot attempts, Curry has long been able to force opponents to extend their defensive coverage to 10 feet beyond the three-point line. Such a drastic stretching of the defense almost inevitably creates openings in the opposing defensive system.

Putting aside the statistics and the tactical revolution brought about by Curry's shooting ability, the moment from his release to the ball swishing through the net is itself magical. Whether watching live or on screen, whether a casual fan or a professional analyst, that unique sense of anticipation when he prepares for a long-range shot is something no one else can replicate.

If someone asks, "Who is the greatest shooter of all time?" the answer requires no thought—Curry will always be the unquestionable choice.