Former Pacers great Jalen Rose explains shooting differences between Reggie Miller, Larry Bird, Steph Curry

Rose spent several seasons with the Pacers

Feb 16, 2024; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Team Jalen honorary coach Jalen Rose waves during introductions before the Rising Stars game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

Jalen Rose played for a legendary college basketball team and a half-dozen squads that reached the NBA Playoffs. With the Indiana Pacers, he played in the NBA Finals and put himself on the map. He's seen a lot in his basketball life.

So his assessment of the best shooters in the history of the NBA holds a lot of weight. And Rose has seen some of the best up close — he played with legendary Pacers guard Reggie Miller and was coached by Larry Bird, one of the best shooters from an era where long-range shooting wasn't as common. Rose himself had some great years letting it fly from deep.

In an old interview with GQ, Rose shared how he would rank the best shooters in NBA history and what specifically separates some of the best, including Bird and Miller.

"Well, here's the deal. Let me squash a couple things. The greatest set shooter ever? Larry Joe Bird," Rose began. "Period. The best coming off screen? Reginald Miller. And the best off the dribble? Steph Curry. There is no gray for me."

At the time, Curry was still ascending as a premier shooter. Klay Thompson had not yet proved his status as a three-point threat. But Rose was strong with his convictions, and he added that Ray Allen should be next on the list when it comes to shooting ability.

"Right behind Reggie. Ray-Ray, right in the mix. He's next. He's right there. If I played with him six years, I'd probably swap him with Reggie," Rose said of Allen compared to Miller. "But I didn't. If he was my older brother, I'd probably swap him. But he ain't. Ray's right there, but I gotta give my guy Reggie the nod."

Rose and Miller played together from 1996-2002. The Pacers made the Eastern Conference Finals three times in that span and even reached the NBA Finals in 2000. To this day, that is the franchise's best result in a season. They fell to the Los Angeles Lakers in four games.

The entire interview can be found here.

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