Sports As soon as considered as a rare skills, 3-level shooting has nearly change correct into a need to whereas you happen to’d resolve on to play within the NBA.
Over the closing decade, 3-level shooting has exploded within the NBA. Most teams absorb lineups they continually use whereby each participant is a threat from past the arc, no topic the scale or space.
However most productive a decide few are accurate satisfactory each twelve months to rob part within the NBA’s 3-Level Contest at All-Megastar Weekend. One among the game’s all-time tall 3-level shooters would maybe net historical past within the 2025 3-Level Contest, with Damian Lillard trying to alter into the third participant to ever obtain the competitors three years in a row.
As Lillard seeks to 3-peat within the Bay Home on Saturday, let’s rob a label on the 10 most productive 3-level shooters in NBA historical past.
10. Peja Stojakovic
Stojakovic came upon a honest for himself on the Sacramento Kings teams of the gradual Nineties/early 2000s attributable to his 3-level shooting, serving to honest the flooring for Chris Webber, Mike Bibby, Vlade Divac and others. He at closing grew to alter into their 2d-leading scorer when they made the Western Conference finals in 2002 as a result of his efficiency from deep.
While the Kings slowly musty following that flee, Stojakovic persisted to develop as a participant — he ranked within the head 10 in 3-pointers made each season from 2002-03 to 2004-05. As he led the league in 3-pointers made in 2003-04, Stojakovic even completed fourth in MVP voting. Over that flee, he won the three-Level Contest twice (2002, 2003), making him one amongst eight avid gamers to acquire the competitors on just a few events.
Stojakovic bounced spherical after the Kings traded him in 2006, but his long-distance game remained an asset by his closing season. He completed 12th within the league in 3-level shooting in 2010-11 earlier than a success a championship with the Dallas Mavericks that postseason.
On the time of his retirement, Stojakovic used to be fourth all-time in 3-pointers made. As of February 2025, he’s thirty 2d on the listing, making him one amongst the avid gamers who would maybe’ve benefited by being born simply fairly bit later.
9. Dirk Nowitzki
Nowitzki will most probably be the ideal shooting tall man of all time. No vitality forward or heart has made extra 3-pointers than he has; with 1,982 made 3-pointers in his profession, he has 300 bigger than 2d space as of February 2025. His profession 3-level percentage (38%) will probably be among the many finest ever for a vitality forward/heart.
Nowitzki’s deep shooting capacity made him one amongst the NBA’s high avid gamers within the 2000s and 2010s. The 14-time All-Megastar grew to alter into the fifth participant to be part of the 50-40-90 club within the 2006-07 season when he made 42% of his 3-pointers en route to a success MVP that twelve months.
Nowitzki took his long-range shooting to 1 more stage at some level of the 2011 playoffs. He made 46% of his 3-pointers that postseason, serving to the Mavericks rob dwelling a title.
On high of all of that, Nowitzki won the three-Level Contest in 2006, turning into the first tall man to provide that feat.
8. Damian Lillard
Lillard has been one amongst the NBA’s most productive 3-level shooters for the reason that 2d he used to be drafted in 2012. He completed within the head eight in 3-pointers made in each of his first 9 seasons within the league, making no longer decrease than 36% of his 3-pointers in eight of those seasons. Lillard is fourth on the all-time 3-pointers made listing and is tied for 2d in 3-pointers made per game.
The ideal shots of Lillard’s profession also got right here from deep. He eradicated the Houston Rockets from the first spherical of the 2014 playoffs when he drained a 3-pointer on the buzzer in Game 6. He did something identical five years later, hitting a 37-foot 3-pointer on the buzzer over Paul George because the Portland Hurry Blazers knocked out the Oklahoma City Sigh within the first spherical of the 2019 playoffs.
Lillard’s 3-level prowess resulted in him turning into one amongst the league’s high scorers within the closing decade, finishing within the head 10 in scoring on seven events. He also won the three-Level Contest twice, incomes the title in two straight seasons (2023, 2024).
7. JJ Redick
Sooner than he used to be the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, Redick made a reputation for himself as a prolific 3-level shooter. There have not been many avid gamers in NBA historical past who absorb the amount of makes and efficiency that Redick had from past the arc. His 1,950 3-pointers made were the 15th-most in NBA historical past on the time of his retirement in 2021, and his profession 41.5% 3-level percentage is amassed the 18th-most productive label of all time. Of the 50 avid gamers who’ve made the most 3-pointers in NBA historical past, Redick’s 3-level percentage is the fourth-perfect.
Redick seemingly got better from deep as he former, too. He ranked within the head five in 3-level percentage on four events between the 2014-20 seasons, leading the league in 3-level percentage in 2015-16 (47.5%). He’s one amongst the few avid gamers on this listing who by no plan won a 3-Level Contest, but it be determined he did now not deserve to full so that you might illustrate his standing as one amongst the finest 3-level shooters ever.
6. Kyle Korver
In a identical vein to Redick, Korver also carved a honest for himself as one amongst the finest 3-level shooters ever. He used to be simply a smidgen better than Redick.
Korver persistently ranked among the many head 3-level shooters by blueprint of percentage, leading the league in that stat four times and finishing within the head 10 eight times. His fifty three.6% 3-level shooting in 2009-10 is the finest single-season label in NBA historical past.
The swingman made all of those 3-pointers at a excessive quantity, too. His 2,450 3-pointers made are the eighth-most in NBA historical past as of February 2025. Of the 50 avid gamers who’ve made the most 3-pointers in NBA historical past, Korver’s 42.9 3-level percentage is the perfect. That label will probably be the 10th-most productive in NBA historical past.
Korver used to be named an All-Megastar just as soon as, which got right here in his 2014-15 season with the Atlanta Hawks. However many regard him as one amongst the head bench avid gamers in recent NBA historical gradual to his capacity to net 3-pointers seemingly at any time when he wanted.
5. James Harden
A huge selection of of us affiliate Harden’s game along with his capacity to net to the free-throw line. However he’s been in a honest to scheme defensive consideration that causes heaps of fouls attributable to his 3-level shooting. His signature step-aid 3-pointer is one amongst the most smartly-identified moves in recent NBA reminiscence.
Harden ranked within the head five in 3-pointers made in six straight seasons (2014-20) and led the league in 3-pointers made within the closing three seasons of that stretch.
As Harden ranks 2d in all-time 3-pointers made as of February 2025, he’s carried out it with accurate efficiency. He most productive shot below 35% from deep three times over the first 15 years of his profession. He will probably be sixth all-time in 3-pointers made per game among avid gamers with no longer decrease than 400 profession appearances.
Harden, one amongst the finest avid gamers of his generation, used to be named the MVP in 2018 and likewise won Sixth Man of the Yr six years prior.
4. Klay Thompson
we had to absorb each of the Splash Brothers excessive up on our all-time 3-level shooter rankings.
Thompson will most probably be the finest accumulate-and-shoot 3-level shooter in NBA historical past, recording a 60-level game in 2016 when he took simply 11 dribbles and made 8-of-14 3-pointers.
That’s clearly an low case of Thompson showing his elite 3-level efficiency, but it is no longer laborious to search out many other examples of him making a name of three-pointers without many misses. He holds the one-game NBA document for 3-pointers made, hitting 14 3-pointers on 24 attempts in a game in 2018.
In addition, his 2,622 3-pointers are the fifth-most in NBA historical past, and he will probably be tied for the 2d-most 3-pointers made per game as of February 2025. His 41.2 profession 3-level shooting percentage is the 20th-most productive label ever, but it be also the fifth-most productive label among the many 50 avid gamers who’ve made the most 3-pointers.
Thompson’s 3-level shooting used to be major to the Warriors’ dynasty success from 2014-22, serving to Golden Enlighten obtain four titles over that span. He also won the three-Level Contest in 2016.
3. Reggie Miller
Miller used to be arguably the first all-time tall 3-level shooter within the NBA. With the arc being launched no longer long earlier than he entered the league, Miller old the three-level shot to his profit when the game grew to alter into extra defensive-oriented within the Nineties. He used to be within the head 10 in 3-pointers made in each of his first 15 seasons, leading the league in 3-pointers made twice.
While his profession 39.5% 3-level percentage is the 69th-most productive label in NBA historical past, Miller completed within the head 10 in 3-level percentage five times in his profession.
Miller conducted within the NBA for 18 seasons, all with the Indiana Pacers. Alongside with his longevity and efficiency, it be no surprise that his 2,560 profession 3-pointers made were the most in NBA historical past when he retired in 2005. He held that label for six seasons and amassed sits sixth in all-time 3-pointers made as of February 2025, despite the recent 3-level explosion within the league.
2. Ray Allen
Allen supplanted Miller because the NBA’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made in 2011, and his shot traveled with him to each of the four teams he conducted with in his NBA profession.
The Hall of Famer completed within the head 10 in 3-pointers made in a season 11 times over his profession, leading the league in 3-level makes thrice. He even had a pair of high-five finishes when he used to be with the Boston Celtics as his touches dropped.
His 40% profession 3-level percentage is barely the 47th-most productive label in NBA historical past, but he had four seasons when he completed within the head 10 in 3-level shooting percentage.
At the same time as Allen got gradual into his profession, he remained a solid 3-level shooter. He shot above 40% from deep in three of his closing four seasons. Pointless to claim, his most memorable shot used to be also a 3-pointer, hitting a step-aid 3-pointer to retain the Miami Heat alive within the 2013 Finals.
1. Steph Curry
Did you specialise in any person else would maybe maybe be at No. 1?
Curry has been considered because the finest 3-level shooter in NBA historical past by most fans and analysts since his MVP seasons within the mid-2010s. However he formally etched himself because the head 3-level shooter in NBA historical past when he surpassed Allen’s label for the most 3-pointers made in 2021.
Gentle, there used to be nearly zero doubt over Curry’s standing earlier than that. He revolutionized the game along with his 3-level shooting, leading the league in makes in five straight seasons (2012-17). He also led the league in 3-level makes three extra times after that.
Curry has by no plan led the league in 3-level shooting percentage, but he’s completed within the head 10 in 9 seasons. As of Feb. 12, Curry’s profession 3-level percentage (42.4) is the thirteenth-most productive label in NBA historical past and the third-most productive label among the many 50 avid gamers with the most 3-pointers made in NBA historical past.
So, in precisely about every 3-level stat readily available, Curry both leads the listing or is somewhere near the head of it. His 3-level shooting has made him one amongst the game’s all-time ideal avid gamers, a success two MVPs and four titles to this level in his profession.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Steve Kerr Jason Terry Eric Gordon Kevin Durant Steve Nash Paul George Buddy Hield Mike Miller Kyrie Irving CJ McCollum Dale Ellis Larry Chicken Karl-Anthony Cities
Desire tall reports delivered appropriate to your inbox? Assemble or log in to your FOX Sports actions legend , and note leagues, teams and avid gamers to fetch a personalized newsletter day after day!
Fetch extra from Nationwide Basketball Affiliation Adjust to your favorites to net files about video games, files and extra
