Stephen Curry calls Ray Allen the 'greatest shooter ever'

Stephen Curry could go down as the best shooter in NBA history.

For now, though, he thinks that title belongs to Ray Allen, who announced his retirement Tuesday.

"To me, (Allen)'s the greatest shooter ever because of his longevity," Curry told ESPN's Chris Haynes. "He did it year-to-year and he got up on his shot. That's what made him different. He was a special player."

Allen held the record for treys made in a season (269) for seven years, until Curry broke it in 2012-13 with 272. The Golden State Warriors star has since beaten his own mark two times.

The elite sharpshooter may have drawn inspiration from the future Hall of Famer during his childhood. As a 10-year-old, Curry engaged in shootouts with Allen, who was teammates with his dad, Dell, on the Milwaukee Bucks in 1998-99.

"Those were fun times," Chef Curry recalled.

Last week, the 28-year-old became the fastest player to drill 1,600 long bombs, needing only 497 outings, which obliterated Allen's record of 693.

Still, Jesus Shuttlesworth remains No. 1 all time in threes made with 2,973 - a record Curry's also looking to take when it's all said and done.

"He gives me something to shoot for," he said. "That's a goal of mine."