Dale Ellis: Is He Really the Best Shooter in NBA History?

Dale Ellis made headlines recently when he proclaimed himself as the best shooter that the NBA has ever seen.

Not Ray Allen, not Reggie Miller. No, we're talking about Dale Ellis.

For those that are unfamiliar with Ellis, allow me to provide a brief breakdown of his career.

A 6'7" swingman, Ellis undoubtedly had a sweet stroke from the outside, but to say that it was the best of all time may be a bit of a hyperbole.

Ellis' career field-goal percentage was 47.9 percent, and while that's certainly nothing to sneeze at, it's nowhere near Earth-shattering, either.

I'll take it to assume that Ellis meant he was the best shooter from the perimeter that the league has ever known, but even so, that statement is a touch off base.

Ellis sports a career 40.3 percent clip from downtown. According to the sharpshooter himself, that's good enough for him to be considered as the player with the best shot of all time.

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“I’m the best shooter of all time,” he said. “I know that from the jump. I set the standard. I gave them something to shoot for.

I was the first player in the history of the game to get 1,000 three-pointers. To be able to play on that level, you have to have that attitude about yourself. You can say it’s arrogant or cocky or whatever, but that’s OK.

There’s no way you can compete without it. There’s no way you can excel without that confidence level.”

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But what about the guys that played before the three-point line came into existence? How about some snipers like Larry Bird and Allan Houston in their prime?

Ellis might have been the first player to net 1,000 career three-pointers, but someone has to establish the record. Just because he did it, that does not automatically qualify him as the greatest shooter ever.

While Allen has a career 39.9 percent mark from beyond the arc, he's still got at least one more season to improve upon that.

As for Miller, the player that Allen passed for most three-pointers in NBA history, his career percentage from downtown was 39.5 percent.

Whether or not Ellis remains atop the statistical slagheap is to be determined, but greatness is decided by far more than just comparing statistics across generations.

If Ellis wants to come out and claim he was the best shooter ever, that's perfectly fine, but he's going to have to provide more evidence to support his point.

The following players have a better career three-point percentage than Ellis: Steve Kerr, Hubert Davis, Drazen Petrovic, Tim Legler, B.J. Armstrong, Wesley Person, Steve Nash, Pat Garrity, Dana Barros, Trent Tucker, Brent Barry and Michael Redd.

So what is Ellis really basing his statement on, fact or fiction? Until I see some more evidence to buttress his illogical claim, it's tough to buy into what he's selling.

There's no doubt that Ellis was a phenomenal shooter, but to be the best of all time also takes a certain brand of humility that he's clearly a little short on.