THE MOST ICONIC jump shot of the year was recorded as an unassisted, 37-foot, 3-point field goal. But the Portland Trail Blazers' Damian Lillard knows his series-ending shot that sent the Oklahoma City Thunder home in the first round of the 2019 NBA playoffs was far from a one-off instance of self-creation.
That cold-blooded stunner was years in the making, helping accelerate one of the biggest trends in the NBA: the rapid rise of the deep 3. Along with Stephen Curry, James Harden, Luka Doncic and Trae Young, Lillard is among a small group of long-range specialists who are quickly changing the way we think about acceptable shots in pro hoops.