Throughout basketball history, some of the best 3-point shooters in the NBA have made the most of their skills to pile up points at a high rate. And now that the league is more oriented towards the perimeter and that young players are pulling up from the logo even in high school, that trend's not likely to change any time soon.
Having the best 3-point shooters in the NBA is a must now for every executive trying to build a team. The old-fashioned, heavy-footed big men aren't getting the job done. It's all about pace-and-space, run-and-gun.
That's why solid 3-point shooters are so highly-coveted in free agency, especially if they're also good defenders. Moreover, that means players who don't shoot the three efficiently are a dying species in the NBA.
Obviously, there are a handful of sharpshooters that have always stood out from the rest of the pack, even among the greatest of them all. Today, we'll honor them by reviewing the top 15 best 3-point shooters in NBA history.
Honorable Mentions: Pete Maravich, Jason Terry, Damian Lillard, Dale Ellis, Mike Miller
15. Paul Pierce
Paul Pierce only shot 36.8% from deep in his career but skill-wise, he's one of the greatest shooters of all time. Moreover, his timely shooting in clutch moments always came through for the Boston Celtics, especially in the playoffs.
Out of his 19 seasons in the league, he had 9 seasons shooting at least 38% from beyond the arc, including 3 seasons of 40+% shooting. He's also 9th all-time in three-pointers made with 2,143.
14. Drazen Petrovic
Drazen Petrovic was a rising NBA star when he tragically lost his life in a car accident. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame after making it to 1 All-NBA Team and is widely considered one of the greatest 3-point shooters of all time, despite his lack of playing time.
Throughout his brief career, Petrovic shot 43.7% from beyond the arc. His quick-trigger and high arc made his shot difficult to contest and he was automatic from the free-throw line as well. We missed a hell of a player.
13. James Harden
James Harden has only been around the NBA for 11 seasons, yet he's already 5th all-time in three-pointers made. That tells you how much the game has changed and how much of a volume scorer he's been over the years.
Harden isn't exactly efficient (36.3%, career-high 39.0%) from beyond the arc but that has to do with the fact that he's taking 7.7 3-pointers per game. His step-back is just unstoppable and he can pull-up from the top of the arc before you even put a hand on his face.
12. JJ Redick
JJ Redick has one job and one job only: knock down shots from downtown. He's not much of a defender and clearly isn't the most athletic player in the league but his 3-point shooting have always made him a highly sought-after player.
Redick has knocked down over 1,800 triples in his career with a career average of 41.6%. He's never shot under 36.6% from deep and even had a season shooting a league-high 47.5% from 3 on 5.6 attempts a night.
11. Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Nowitzki is one of the greatest scorers of all time and a lot of it comes from his 3-point shooting. He wasn't as strong, fast, or athletic as other big men, so he changed the way the power forward spot was played. He's the ultimate stretch-four.
Nowitzki is 11th all-time with 1,982 3-pointers made. He had 5 seasons shooting 40+% from beyond the arc and is one of the few members of the 50/40/90 club (50+% from the field, 40+% from three, 90+% from the line).
10. Steve Nash
Steve Nash was a bit of a late bloomer but once he took off, he became the most influential point guard in the game. And even though he wasn't a volume scorer, he was the true definition of efficiency from all three levels, including beyond the arc.
Nash is also a member of the 50/40/90 club. He was a 42.8% shooter (11th highest average) from 3-point lane and only had 4 seasons shooting less than 40% from the three. He was automatic and one of the best 3-point shooters of all time.
9. Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant is the ultimate cheat code. We're talking about a 7-footer with the shooting, dribbling, and handling skills of a point guard. That's why he's one of the greatest scorers the league has ever seen. He just doesn't score at a high rate, he does it efficiently.
Durant joined the 50/40/90 club in 2013 and is a 4-time Scoring champion already. He has 4 seasons of 40+% shooting from three and his height and wingspan allow him to shoot over pretty much every defender on earth. That's just not fair.
8. Steve Kerr
The only reason why Steve Kerr isn't ranked higher on this list is because of the lack of volume. Technique-wise and efficiency-wise, he's by far the best 3-point shooter of all time. In fact, he holds the all-time record for the highest 3-point percentage ever (45.40%).
But when you take a look at the totals, he's sitting at the 205th spot with just 726 career threes. He had a feel for knocking down huge shots, especially in clutch moments, and that's what made him had such a long and successful career coming off the bench in the league.
7. Larry Bird
Larry Bird was Kevin Durant before Kevin Durant. He was the first forward in the league who constantly and efficiently relied on the 3-pointer as a legit weapon, and the way he used his hip to create space between him and his defender made his shot just impossible to contest.
Bird had one of the smoothest, most beautiful mechanics this sport has ever seen. He could shoot with both hands and had quite the quick trigger. He had 6 seasons of 40+% shooting from three and is the only player in NBA history to have multiple 50/40/90 seasons (2).
6. Peja Stojakovic
Peja Stojakovic was a versatile player that could do a little bit of everything but the thing that made him stand out the most was his 3-point shooting. He had a 40% career average from beyond the arc while knocking down 1,760 triples.
Peja's game would be perfectly suited for the modern NBA. Long before teams relied on the triple that much, he was already making defenses pay with his all-net stroke. He shot 40+% from 3 in 8 of his 13 seasons in the league.
5. Reggie Miller
Some of Reggie Miller's former teammates argue that he could average 30+ points per game today and I won't be the one to disagree. This guy was the league's biggest menace from beyond 20 feet and, truth to be told, he was just a cold-blooded assassin.
Miller ranks 2nd all-time with 2,560 3-pointers made. He did that while shooting 39.5% from beyond the arc, including 10 seasons of 40+% shooting. He owned almost every 3-point shot related record until Ray Allen and Stephen Curry took him down. Sadly, he had to play vs. the toughest teams in the East.
4. Klay Thompson
Klay Thompson doesn't get the praise and recognition he deserves because he's always lived in Stephen Currys's shadow. That has to stop right now, as we're talking about one of the greatest shooters in the history of basketball and a top-3 3-point shooter in the league.
Thompson once scored 60 points on 11 dribbles. That should tell you enough about his shooting skills. He has already made over 1,700 triples on 41.9% shooting. He averages 7.0 threes per game, so his efficiency is quite impressive. He's never shot less than 40% from 3 over a season.
3. Kyle Korver
Kyle Korver is one of the best 3-point shooters of all time. In fact, long before he learned how to position himself in defense and facilitate for others, his shooting skills were the only reason why he was on the court. He draws so much attention from the defense.
Korver doesn't need much space or time to pull the trigger. He's knocked down 2,449 triples (4th all-time) on 42.9% shooting. Regardless of where he plays or who he plays with, he's going to get the job done. He set the record for the highest 3-point shooting percentage for a season (53.6%)
2. Ray Allen
Ray Allen completely reinvented his game. Back in his prime, he was more of a driver, an aggressive scorer who drew contact. Later, he became the deadliest shooter the league had ever seen. It's remarkable to see a player mad such great strides to stay relevant.
Allen is currently the league's all-time leader in 3-pointers (2,973). He did that by knocking down 40.0% of his attempts from beyond the arc. On top of that, he shot 39+% from three in 11 seasons, including perhaps the most iconic 3-pointer in NBA Finals history, the shot that may have savaged LeBron James' legacy.
1. Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry was a late bloomer and there were some concerns about his durability. He wasn't the most coveted prospect in the league, and he was passed on twice by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Draft. Now, he's the best 3-point shooter of all time and it's not even close.
Curry holds a career average of 43.5% from three. He's broken almost every single 3-point related record and will end up as the league's all-time leader in 3-pointers made. He never shot under 41.1% from 3 on a full season, is a member of the 50/40/90 club, and shoots with such vicious efficiency despite taking 8.2 3-pointers per game. He changed the game and is the most influential player of the past decade.
