"I can stand there and outshoot him all day long" - Dale Ellis on who would win a 3-point contest between him and Stephen Curry

Before Stephen Curry revolutionized the 3-point shot, the emergence of elite sharpshooters was far and few between. Among those who took advantage of the area beyond the arc was Dale Ellis. For a brief time in the 1990s, the one-time All-Star was considered the league's best outside shooter.

Naturally, Ellis ' name is usually mentioned alongside Curry. A decade ago, he was even asked in an interview if he could defeat the Golden State Warriors superstar in a long-distance shootout, to which he responded confidently.

"I can't get up and down the court like Stephen Curry, but I can stand there and outshoot him all day long," the 3-point legend told Sports Illustrated.

Dale's praise for Curry

While Ellis would put his money on himself in a shooting showdown with arguably the greatest long-range bomber of all time, he did offer massive praise for Curry. According to the retired journeyman, he liked watching Steph play because of his ability to hit incredible shots.

However, the "Silent Assassin" was no slouch himself in the scoring arena. His efficiency in catch-and-shoot scenarios and capability of putting the ball on the floor made him a lethal offensive weapon during his prime.

Perhaps the best season of Ellis' career was 1988-89, as he put up a career-best 27.5 points per game en route to securing his lone All-Star and All-NBA (third team) berths and becoming the 3-point contest champion. If only he hadn't been involved in off-court issues, including drunk driving and in-team fighting, the Georgia native might have been able to register more impressive campaigns.

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Raising the bar for shooters

Still, his legacy is intact after having a hand in paving the way for future marksmen in the league. In fact, Ellis was the first player to eclipse 1,000 3-pointers , doing so in the 1993-94 season.

For a time as an active player, he had been the all-time leader in 3-points made. But Reggie Miller was hot on his trail, with the hoops icons engaging in a neck-and-neck race for the title during the 1997-98 campaign. The Indiana Pacers legend took the lead for good before Ray Allen and Curry eventually took the belt from him.

Despite retiring in 2000 while ranked second in most career 3-point field goals made, Ellis' place on the list has continued to slide down over the years. The retired sharpshooter's 1,719 makes currently rank him 33rd in the standing. However, if he had only played in this generation, the former first-round pick would probably be higher on the list, if not challenging Steph for the top spot.

Related: "Curry comes to the game with one thought in mind, and that's to score" - Isiah Thomas refused to be compared to Steph Curry