For the third time in his seven-year career, Buddy Hield, who leads the NBA with 132 threes (before Thursday’s games), is shooting better than 41 percent beyond the arc this season. His combination of efficiency, quick release, and versatility make him one of the NBA’s deadliest long-range snipers. Already 37th in NBA history in three-pointers made, he’s going to sit quite prominently among those ranks whenever he retires down the line.
While it would be somewhat of a miracle to ever catch Stephen Curry’s league-best total, Hield now does own one three-point record that the future Hall of Fame guard cannot match currently. On Thursday, Hield notched the quickest three-pointer in recorded NBA history when he knocked down a long ball just three seconds into the Indiana Pacers’ contest against the Cleveland Cavaliers.
His swift jumper squeaked him past another Pacers sharpshooter in Reggie Miller, who drilled a triple four seconds into a game on March 5, 2000. I’d link a video to that play as well, but a brief YouTube search proved unfruitful, sadly.
Why the rush, Buddy?
Instant action on the NBA App: https://t.co/1pomQZMAZK pic.twitter.com/5w3JSd8fEZ
— NBA (@NBA) December 30, 2022
Hield’s 3-pointer at 11:57 in the 1st quarter is the fastest 3-point make in the play-by-play era (since 1996-97).
He beats out Pacers legend Reggie Miller’s 3-pt make at 11:56 of the 1st Qtr on March 5, 2000 against the Warriors. https://t.co/eUQSZZlDNN
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) December 30, 2022
Miller is one of the greatest shooters ever and Hield could follow suit if he maintains this trajectory. It’s pretty cool that Indiana holds the top two spots. But it’s also tough luck for Miller to lose another record post-retirement, with Curry, Ray Allen, and James Harden all passing him atop the three-point leaderboard since he called it quits in 2005.