NEW YORK: Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry eclipsed Ray Allen’s all-time record for NBA three-pointers on Tuesday, savoring a “beautiful moment” at storied Madison Square Garden.
Curry, whose remarkable shooting range has revolutionized the NBA in his 13-year tenure, matched Allen’s record with his 2,973rd career three-pointer.
It came on his first shot of the clash with the New York Knicks, less than two minutes into the contest, and had the crowd on its feet.
He then missed a chance at breaking the record, but with 7:33 remaining in the opening period, Anthony Wiggins kicked the ball to him from the paint and he swished in number 2,974, letting out a yell as teammates celebrated with him and the New York crowd cheered.
“I can’t say it enough, I appreciate so much the way the fans embraced the moment with me and let me just get kind of lost in it,” Curry, 33, said.
“Hell yeah!” teammate Draymond Green shouted as the Warriors called a timeout and photographers gathered around Curry. “That’s greatness!“
Curry has been scorching toward overtaking Allen’s record for years. He finally surpassed the milestone in his 789th career game; Allen achieved his old benchmark in 1,300 appearances.
Curry exchanged an emotional hug with coach Steve Kerr, who corralled the ball used in the record-setting shot.
Curry then embraced his father, former NBA player Dell Curry, as well as Allen, who was courtside.
“There was a lot of emotion for sure because I know how much work has gone into this, dreaming big from the time I first picked up a basketball,” Curry said.
Kerr said the moment was “more emotional” than he had expected.
“It was just an outpouring of love and support for Steph from seemingly everybody in the building,” Kerr said. “Beautiful, beautiful moment.”
Curry is on pace to make well over 400 three-pointers this season, which would put him at more than 3,200 for his career.
He finished the night with five three-pointers as the Warriors pulled away late to beat the Knicks 105-96 and improve their league-leading record to 23-5.
Curry’s long-range prowess is such that there was real belief he could break the record with a single-game mark of 16 in a home game against the Portland Trail Blazers last Wednesday.
That didn’t happen, but he did not have to wait too much longer.
Curry’s 54-point performance against the Knicks on February 27, 2013 at Madison Square Garden was a harbinger of a career that now includes three NBA titles and two Most Valuable Player awards.
“It’s been a long week since our last home game, where everybody was talking about 16,” he said.
“(It) seemed like every shot I took there was another level of anticipation and anxiousness around it.
“I was just trying to play my game. Tonight it kind of set up perfectly, made that first one, get that one out of the way and then just let the record-breaker come to me.”
The atmosphere was electric even before the game, with Allen courtside and Reggie Miller, who held the three-point record at 2,560 before Allen broke it in 2011, on duty as a television commentator.
Both chatted and shared a hug with Curry before the game, with filmmaker and Knicks super-fan Spike Lee catching the moment on his phone camera.
After the game, Allen and Miller presented Curry with a jersey with the number 2,974 emblazoned on it.
“Basketball history, this is pretty special,” Curry said. “These two, legends. I watched them growing up and understood what it meant to shoot the ball because of them and my dad.
“Full-circle moment, man. I’m blessed, blessed for sure.”
Reaction from around the league was swift.
“Just landed in Dallas to see @StephenCurry30 broke the record and to make it even doper he did it in the GARDEN!!” Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James tweeted. “WOW CONGRATS BROTHER!! INCREDIBLE.”
Curry and the Warriors won NBA titles in 2015, 2017 and 2018 against Cleveland Cavaliers teams led by James.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver called Curry’s achievement “thrilling.”
“He has revolutionized the way the game is played and continues to leave fans in awe with his amazing artistry and extraordinary shooting ability. We congratulate him on this historic achievement.”
Former Lakers great Magic Johnson congratulated Curry “for making history.”
“Thank you @StephenCurry30 for revolutionizing the game of basketball forever!“
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry sets NBA three-point record
https://arab.news/54zcb
Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry sets NBA three-point record
- Curry’s remarkable shooting range has revolutionized the NBA in his 13-year tenure
- He swished in number 2,974 on his first shot of the clash with the New York Knicks
India’s Bumrah named cricketer of the year after stellar 2024
- Bumrah beat England batters Harry Brook and Joe Root as well as Australia’s Travis Head to the award — the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, given by the sport’s governing body
- New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr was voted women’s cricketer of the year to win the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy
NEW DELHI: India pace bowler Jasprit Bumrah has been named men’s cricketer of the year for 2024, the International Cricket Council announced Tuesday, a day after he won the Test award.
Bumrah, 31, ended last year as the top wicket-taker in Tests with 71 wickets and inspired India to the T20 World Cup title in June.
“The year 2024 was incredibly special — winning the men’s T20 World Cup 2024 in Barbados and also contributing as much as I could across all three formats of the game,” said Bumrah.
“I dedicate this award to everyone who has believed in me, the power of hard work and dreams, and to bowlers worldwide who continue to inspire and strive for excellence.”
Bumrah beat England batters Harry Brook and Joe Root as well as Australia’s Travis Head to the award — the Sir Garfield Sobers Trophy, given by the sport’s governing body.
He is fifth Indian to receive the award after Rahul Dravid (2004), Sachin Tendulkar (2010), Ravichandran Ashwin (2016) and Virat Kohli (2017, 2018).
Bumrah has claimed 443 wickets in 204 international matches since his debut for India in 2016.
New Zealand all-rounder Amelia Kerr was voted women’s cricketer of the year to win the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, after she won the T20 cricketer of the year on Saturday.
Kerr becomes the first New Zealander to win the trophy after she inspired the White Ferns to their women’s T20 World Cup victory in October last year.
The 24-year-old overcame South Africa skipper Laura Wolvaardt, Sri Lanka’s Chamari Athapaththu and Australia’s Annabel Sutherland to win the award.
Liverpool rotate squad for game at PSV Eindhoven to rest Salah, Van Dijk and others
- The Reds have already advanced to the round of 16
- manager Arne Slot opted to take a second-string squad to the Netherlands
LIVERPOOL: Liverpool will give some star players including Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk a rest for the Champions League game at PSV Eindhoven on Wednesday.
The Reds have already advanced to the round of 16, so manager Arne Slot opted to take a second-string squad to the Netherlands.
Along with Salah and Van Dijk, the other players who were left in Merseyside were Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alisson Becker, Ibrahima Konate, Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Luis Diaz.
Liverpool are in first place and can finish no lower than second in the league phase of the Champions League.
On Tuesday, Slot said with the packed schedule it was a chance for players to “get some freshness back.”
The Premier League leaders play at seventh-place Bournemouth on Saturday.
ABB FIA Formula E World Championship announces rookie free practice session at Jeddah E-Prix
- ‘It’s a crucial next step in fulfilling our commitment to nurturing the next generation of racing talent,’ says chief championship officer
- Teams must nominate driver, allocate race car number 7 days prior to event
JEDDAH: The ABB FIA Formula E World Championship announced on Tuesday a rookie free practice session designed for drivers who have never raced in the championship, as part of the Jeddah E-Prix.
Scheduled for Feb. 13, the 40-minute session will provide experienced racing talent from other motorsport championships valuable track time to discover the new, groundbreaking technology of the Formula E GEN3 Evo car.
Alberto Longo, Formula E’s co-founder and chief championship officer, said: “Following on from the success of our official women’s test in November, we’re thrilled to introduce this dedicated rookie free practice session at the Jeddah E-Prix.
“It’s a crucial next step in fulfilling our commitment to nurturing the next generation of racing talent, including young women.”
The opportunity to drive the cutting-edge GEN3 Evo car will, according to Longo, provide invaluable experience for young drivers, and “we believe it will significantly contribute to developing the future stars of Formula E and motorsport as a whole.”
Pablo Martino, the head of the Formula E Championship, said: “It’s crucial for the FIA to allow drivers to develop their careers through FIA world championships, and the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship has one of the most competitive grids around.”
Teams must nominate a driver and allocate a race car number seven days prior to the event, meaning the lineup will be revealed in the coming weeks.
The initiative follows the successful inaugural women’s test in Madrid, and further emphasizes the dedication of Formula E and the FIA to creating diverse and inclusive pathways for the next generation of racing drivers.
Ex-Belgium midfielder Nainggolan charged in drug trafficking probe
- The 36-year-old footballer was charged with “participating in a criminal organization” and then conditionally released, his lawyer Mounir Souidi told media
- Antwerp-born Nainggolan came out of retirement last week to join a lower-tier Belgian side
BRUSSELS: Former Belgium midfielder Radja Nainggolan was charged on Monday as part of an investigation into cocaine trafficking on an international scale, a day after he was arrested, the Brussels prosecutor’s office said.
The 36-year-old footballer was charged with “participating in a criminal organization” and then conditionally released, his lawyer Mounir Souidi told media after a hearing in Brussels.
Nainggolan was among 18 suspects arrested following a series of 30 searches carried out on Monday morning in the northern province of Antwerp, as well as in the Brussels area. Ten of them were imprisoned after being brought before a judge.
The majority of those held face charges of “importation, transport and selling of drugs without permission” and with the “participation in organized crime as leaders.”
Nainggolan was released on bail as he was charged with being a “member” of the organization and not a “leader.”
“The investigation concerns alleged facts of importation of cocaine from South America to Europe, via the port of Antwerp, and its redistribution in Belgium,” prosecutors said in a statement on Monday.
In addition to 2.7 kilos (six pounds) of cocaine, police seized around half a million euros ($521,000) in cash and gold coins, a stash of jewelry, and luxury watches including two worth some 360,000 euros each.
They further seized three firearms, two bullet-proof vests and 14 vehicles, prosecutors said.
Antwerp-born Nainggolan came out of retirement last week to join a lower-tier Belgian side — adding a final spell to a long career that saw him play 30 matches and score six goals for the national team.
Having played for Italian teams Cagliari, Inter Milan and Roma, he had been without a club since last summer before signing with Belgian second-tier outfit Lokeren last week.
He marked his debut with a goal at the weekend in Lokeren’s 1-1 home draw to K. Lierse.
He had previously returned from Italy to Belgium in the summer of 2021 to join Royal Antwerp.
A tattooed midfielder known for his off-field antics, he parted ways with Antwerp in early 2023.
A few months earlier he had been suspended for being caught smoking an electronic cigarette on the bench, according to Belgian media.
Neymar thanks Saudi Arabia, Al-Hilal, fans after departing to Santos
- ‘To everyone at Al-Hilal, to the fans, thank you,’ Neymar writes on X
- ‘To Saudi, thank you for giving me and my family a new home and new experiences. I now know the real Saudi and have friends for life’
BEIRUT: Brazilian forward Neymar took the opportunity on Tuesday to thank Saudi Arabia, Al-Hilal, and their fans after concluding his 17-month stint at the Saudi Pro League side.
“To everyone at Al-Hilal, to the fans, thank you,” said Neymar in a social media post on X, after returning to his Brazilian club Santos after originally leaving them in 2013 to join Barcelona.
He wrote: “I gave everything to play and I wish we (had) enjoyed better times on the pitch together.
“To Saudi, thank you for giving me and my family a new home and new experiences. I now know the real Saudi and have friends for life. I always felt your love and passion for the game. I will be following your journey ahead as a club and a country towards 2034.
“Your future will be incredible, special things are happening and I will always support you!”
Marcelo Teixeira, Santos’ president, said on social media channels: “It is the time (to come back), Neymar. It is time for you to come back to your people. To our home, to the club in our hearts.
“Welcome, our boy Ney! A boy of Vila (Belmiro, Santos’ stadium). Come back to be happy again with the white and black shirt. The Santos nation awaits you with open arms.”
The 32-year-old, who has scored 79 international goals for his home country, moved to Paris Saint-Germain from Barcelona for a world-record fee of €222 million in August 2017.
Al-Hilal announced Neymar’s departure on Tuesday on X, saying: “The club expresses its thanks and appreciation to Neymar for what he has provided throughout his career at Al-Hilal, and wish the player success in his career.”
Neymar arrived at the Saudi club in August 2023 after signing from PSG, but only played seven games due to injuries.
Italian sports journalist Fabrizio Romano wrote on X: “Teixeira confirms Neymar Jr’s return to the club. Six-month contract to be formally signed this week, as reported.”
