Cleveland Cavaliers sharpshooter Kyle Korver is known as one of the best 3-point shooters of all time. In fact, with 2,127 made threes to his credit, the former Creighton Blue Jay ranks fifth on the NBA’s all-time list, just behind Paul Pierce (2,143).
Korver, now 36 years of age, was acquired by the Cavs from the Atlanta Hawks in January of 2017. Since then, he’s put the entire league on notice. Opposing sides know they can’t leave him open, lest they pay the price in rapid-release buckets. Just how fast is Korver’s release, though?
According to NBA.com, Kyle Korver has held the ball for less than two seconds on 91.3 percent of his field goals this season. How many dribbles does he take before shooting? Usually none.
As his former coach in Atlanta, Mike Budenholzer had a clear view of Korver’s work ethic, as well as his rapid-release. Coach “Bud,” as he’s known, recently compared Korver’s drive to that of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.
“It’s a testament to his hard work and sticking to his process,” Budenholzer tells Scott Sargent of Bleacher Report about Korver’s maintained excellence. “His offseason training. His in-season training. His attention to detail. You see Tom Brady doing it in football, and Kyle doing what he’s doing at 37. He’s a special human being, and it translates to what he’s been able to do at a high level at his age.”
Korver has certainly found a niche with the Cavs. In his 31 games played this season, the four-time 3-point percentage leader has turned in averages of 10.7 points on 48.7 percent shooting from the field (44.8 percent from beyond the arc), 2.0 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game.
Though he’s known for marksmanship, Korver is also an excellent team defender — a fact opposing teams are becoming increasingly aware of.
Kyle Korver and the Cavs, winners in 18 of their last 19 games, will look to keep their momentum rolling on Tuesday night when they travel to Milwaukee for a match-up against the Bucks inside the BMO Harris Bradley Center. Tip-off is scheduled for 8:00 p.m. EST with Fox Sports Ohio and Fox Sports Wisconsin having live broadcast coverage.
