Just In:Wrong thing to do” – Dale Ellis regrets going first against Larry Bird in the 1988 three-point contest..

The roar of the crowd echoed through the cavernous Kemper Arena in Kansas City, as the participants in the 1988 NBA Three-Point Shootout took their positions. All eyes were on the two titans of the long-range game – Dale Ellis of the Seattle SuperSonics and Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics. The stage was set for an epic showdown, with the title of three-point king on the line.

As the competition began, Ellis stepped up first, his nerves palpable. He knew that setting the bar high early could put immense pressure on his rivals. But in a decision he would come to deeply regret, the sharpshooter made the fateful choice to go all-out in his opening round.

“Looking back, that was the wrong thing to do,” Ellis admitted years later, his voice tinged with a hint of remorse. “I should have played it a little more conservatively, tried to put up a solid score and then let the other guys go. But I was so amped up, I just wanted to come out firing.”

And fire he did. Ellis unleashed a barrage of three-pointers, his smooth stroke and quick release on full display. As the balls swished through the net one after another, the crowd erupted in a frenzy, sensing they were witnessing something special.

When the dust settled, Ellis had amassed an astounding score of 22 points out of a possible 30 – a new record for the competition. The Seattle sniper had laid down the gauntlet, daring his opponents to try and match his blistering performance.

But as the other competitors took their turns, it became clear that Ellis had made a grave miscalculation. Larry Bird, the legendary “Larry Legend,” stepped up and calmly proceeded to shatter the new record, draining an incredible 24 points.

The look of disbelief on Ellis’ face said it all. He had played his hand too early, leaving nothing in reserve to counter Bird’s onslaught. The Celtics icon had once again proven his mastery of the three-point shot, cementing his status as the undisputed king of the long-range game.

“I knew the moment Larry stepped up that I was in trouble,” Ellis recalled. “He was just so poised, so confident. I could see it in his eyes – he was going to make me pay for going all-out in the first round.”

As Bird’s final shot swished through the net, the arena erupted in thunderous applause. The defending champion had retained his crown, leaving Ellis and the rest of the field in his wake.

In the aftermath of his defeat, Ellis was left to grapple with the weight of his decision. He had let his competitive fire and desire to make a statement get the better of him, and it had cost him dearly.

“I was kicking myself, man,” Ellis admitted. “I knew I had the talent to win that contest, but I let my emotions get the best of me. Going first and putting up that big number, it was just the wrong strategy against a guy like Larry Bird.”

The sting of that loss would linger with Ellis for years to come. He had come so close to toppling the three-point king, only to have victory snatched from his grasp by his own misstep.

“It’s one of those moments that just sticks with you, you know?” Ellis said, his voice tinged with a hint of wistfulness. “You play it over and over in your head, wondering what might have been if you’d just played it a little smarter.”

In the years that followed, Ellis would go on to have a storied career, cementing his place as one of the greatest three-point shooters of his era. He would win a championship with the SuperSonics and earn multiple All-Star selections, solidifying his legacy as a true marksman.

But the memory of that fateful day in 1988 would never fully fade. It served as a poignant reminder that even the most talented athletes can fall victim to the pitfalls of their own ambition and competitive drive.