A brief exchange with one of the greatest shooters in NBA history ended up reshaping Miles McBride’s approach to the game.
When Ray Allen attended the night Stephen Curry broke the all-time three-point record at Madison Square Garden, he took a moment to offer advice to the young Knicks guard – guidance that would stay with McBride long after the final buzzer.
“Get more elevation,” Allen told him, a message that went beyond mechanics.
McBride later recalled how Allen stressed the importance of preparation, explaining that even a short pregame window demands full intensity.
“He said, ‘In the 15 minutes pregame, I work out hard. You can’t flip it on and off,’” McBride shared, noting how that mindset stuck with him.
The advice helped him rethink his shooting form. McBride explained that he had always elevated naturally on mid-range jumpers, so carrying that same motion beyond the arc felt like a natural adjustment.
Doing so removed hesitation and reduced the fear of having his shot contested.
After struggling to find consistency early in his career, McBride has since become a reliable perimeter threat.
Over the past three seasons, he has converted 39.7 percent of more than 700 three-point attempts, a transformation rooted in a brief but meaningful moment of guidance from one of the game’s all-time great shooters.
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— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) January 1, 2026
