Limoges guard Nicolas Lang broke the record for 3-point shots recorded in the history of the French 1st division championship since 1987 on Friday against Chalon-sur-Saône, now set at 759.
The 34-year-old French international (12 selections) had equaled Éric Micoud’s mark (755 baskets in 11 seasons until 2006) on the previous Elite day (6th), in Strasbourg (90-110). ).
Nicolas Lang did not wait long in the first quarter against Chalon-sur-Saône to erase this record at home. The meeting was then stopped for a few minutes to celebrate the event.
Limoges won 74 to 68 and Lang finished with 4 three-point baskets scored on 8 attempts and 23 points in total.
“It’s recognition of longevity, of having taken care of myself, of never giving up. Nights like this, you feel like it’s always been easy, but no.”declared the shooter.
“It wasn’t something I focused on, it was compound interest, it was the snowball effect and after a while you reap the rewards.”.
“In all sports today you can play until the age of 40, it also helps to beat this kind of record. It gives me more pleasure to beat him like that than at 39 years old by taking the grandpa off the bench and putting one in from time to time! ».
His record only takes into account points scored in the 1st division since the creation of the National Basketball League in 1987, and only during the regular season (excluding play-offs).
Going back beyond 1987, the best French triggerman is Hervé Dubuisson, star player from the mid-1970s to the end of the 1990s (25 seasons at the highest level).
“The Dub” in fact recorded 656 winning shots from 1987 to his retirement in 1999, plus 275 (a total of 931) between 1984, date of introduction of the three-point shot in international basketball, and 1987. He began his career before 1984 .
Lang, European under-20 champion in 2010 (with Andrew Albicy), began practicing shooting in Alsace in Lutterbach with his father Thierry, a former Nationale 2 basketball player (2nd division at the time).
He started in ProA in 2009 with Chalon-sur-Saône, before wearing the jerseys of Paris-Levallois, Villeurbanne, Strasbourg and the CSP since 2019.
