Louie Dampier: the ABA's legendary 3 point shooter

Louie Dampier was an ABA legend that was the first three point sniper and and absolute DAWG!

[@jeffrey7938]

Ol Louie was a great player at the University of Kentucky before the ABA.

[@MukesBoy]

Could have swore he was at UofL man

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

0:29 The ABA had the 3 point line during it's entire existence.

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

Louis held the record for most 3's made in a season for *22 seasons* - was finally passed BARELY by Reggie Miller in his "made most 3's" season. Louis also held the record for most 3's attempted for *26* seasons* - it took Ray Allen's highest "attempted most 3's" season to pass THAT mark. Yet the ABA 3 point range was 25' from the center of the basket (24' 3" from the edge), where the NBA had a 3 point line for most of it's existence in the NBA at 22' 9" from the edge (22' 3" for a few seasons in the 1990s), which dropped the 3PG% of Louis a percent or three (the NBA time with the 6 INCH shorter line was good for about 1% higher 3FG% as I recall). @gohanblack - sorta right, the figures were a little longer for the NBA and they didn't measure from the same point as the ABA did, but the ABA shot WAS noticeably longer (2 feet/2.5 feet). There's a reason Louis was one of the 7 "unanimous" choices for the All ABA team - even though his time in the NBA wasn't nearly as effective with the NBA not getting the 3 point shot 'til a year or two after Louis retired. Nice to see him get SOME recognition.

[@Basically_Basketball]

Those are some great facts, Dampier was way ahead of his time

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

@@Basically_Basketball People CLAIM that Curry is "the 3 point revolution". That's wrong - Curry is part of a long EVOlution, Damier was the revolution back before Curry was BORN.

[@chriszenko3598]

If Rick Barry played more than just a few seasons in the ABA i”m sure he would be high on the list

[@Raul-bt3bt]

He was an original spur from back in the day!

[@MukesBoy]

Yep #10

[@gohanblack3355]

Don’t forget the Aba 3 point line was 25 feet and players were shooting 37% front they’re so imagine 22 feet they’d be shooting 40%

[@urbanlegendsandtrivia2023]

And the basketballs were made of yarn and tape. Like golf balls, basketballs improve every year. Computers weren't regularly used to help make basketballs until the 1990's. People never factor that into their statistics. Have you ever seen the archaic basketballs Bob Cousy and Bill Russell played with during their dynasty years?

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

Dantley was good, but Alex English outscored him in the 1980s (and the entire REST of the NBA).

[@Basically_Basketball]

I still think that Dantley is the better overall scorer, but he wasn't near as consistent as English, he played way less games than English did in the 80s

[@prisonersforprofit]

played on his nephew's team in high school, realized real quick i wasn't getting any chance of beating him out, the dampier name was royalty. they finished last in the conference that year, i quit half-way thru to focus on graduating early.

[@paulheaphy4228]

Used to listen to the Kentucky Colonels play the Carolina Cougars on the radio. " Dampier hits again!"

[@9Ballr]

Oh how I miss that red, white, and blue basketball!

[@carlo9524]

At 36% that is just barely better than a 2 point shot.

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

BTW - you're putting too much emphasis on the second part of his name, DAM - pier, not dam-PIER.

[@bricefleckenstein9666]

Actually, Louis DID get competition, but not anyone serious during his first 3 seasons in the league. Billy Keller COULD argue with him (AND DID) for the rest of the existence of the ABA, and there were other names in that mix as well. Louis was there at the start - Keller came along some seasons later.

[@Basically_Basketball]

You're right, Dampier definitely had the longevity over most of his competition