From the 3! Check out these 17 perimeter threats who will go down as the best three-point shooters in NBA history
The three-point shot is arguably the highlight play in today’s NBA game. It could even be more demoralizing for the opposing team than a slam dunk because it’s worth one more point. It is the ultimate momentum changer, and if you’re able to drain enough of them, your team has a great chance at raising a trophy. But due to the difficulty of the shot that found its way to the American Basketball Association in the 80s, many athletes can’t make them. The list below encompasses those who mastered the three-pointer so well that they could almost make these shots with their eyes closed. Check it out.
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1. Steph Curry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flm-cZ7r6eE&pp=ygUac3RlcGggY3VycnkgdGhyZWUgcG9pbnRlcnM%3D
Steph Curry has made the most three-point shots in NBA history. At this rate, his record may become insurmountable. There isn’t a player in NBA history who has made the three such a trademark of their offense and coupled it with unbeatable handles. Again, borrowing from the school of Miller and Allen, Curry stays in perpetual motion. He can do damage with and without the ball, and he seldom gets tired. With such a high number, there may never be an all-time three-point makers list without Curry’s name on it.
2. James Harden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LVdwYmARw0o&ab_channel=NBA
James Harden is one of the NBA’s marvels. Still playing at an amazingly high level in 2024, he is one of the most prolific combo guards of all time. Indicative of this era, the three-point shot has become a focal point, and Harden is one of the guards on this list that has benefitted from this style of offense.
3. Michael Redd
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oYc6NnGkubg&ab_channel=NBA
In tandem with another three-point great on this list, Ray Allen, Michael Redd was automatic from the three. Running and gunning for the Milwaukee Bucks, he helped give them a resurgence in the early 2000s. A devastating ACL/MCL tear in 2009 slowed Redd’s proficiency, but he surely made his mark as one of the greats.
4. Jamal Crawford
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crQ0rK0hAu0&ab_channel=Hoopz
Jamal Crawford is unequivocally one of the best handlers in NBA history. Known for his greatness on the offensive end, one of the more understated aspects of his game was his three-point shooting ability. He also made a multitude of halfcourt shots, which haven’t been highlighted enough. There aren’t many who can make the three very flashy, but Crawford absolutely did.
5. Vince Carter
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fi8GdPohCN8&ab_channel=NBA
If you’ve seen Vince Carter appear on many lists before, it’s for good reason. Aside from his greatness as a dunker, his jump shot was pure. As he matured in the league, he developed great three-point shooting ability — so much so that he retired at No. 9 on the all-time three pointers made list.
6. Rashard Lewis
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXy51IiFwlU&ab_channel=batkins1823
Rashard Lewis is another star athlete who played in tandem with a great on this list, Ray Allen, in his early years. The fact that Lewis was a frontcourt player who could spread the floor with his shooting ability made him stand out. Whether playing the three or the four, Lewis drained shots from deep for the Seattle SuperSonics and the Orlando Magic. With three NBA finals appearances to his name, his skills got him to the top of the heap.
7. Joe Johnson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ZntPHFtNNw&ab_channel=TheBrooklynGame
Joe Johnson was one of the most gifted players of all time. His skills in isolation coined him the moniker “Iso Joe.” He could score in any fashion — notably his ability to get hot from the three. Whether on the pull-up or spotting up, he had every variation in his bag. If you want to marvel at his greatness, check out his best stuff from Phoenix, Atlanta and Brooklyn.
8. LeBron James
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gqUxcjLR9ts&ab_channel=BleacherReport
There aren’t many lists that you can logically leave LeBron James off of. Having played for countless seasons, King James sits atop the NBA in all-time scoring, and is top 10 in steals, assists, and three-pointers made. Jump shooting wasn’t always a staple of his game, but his improvement has allowed for his career to be as long as it has. He is a true testament to what it means to grow your game.
9. Paul George
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFXm6bEj690&ab_channel=NBA
Paul George has been a dream two-way player since joining the Indiana Pacers in 2010. His game doesn’t have many holes, and he has always been a perimeter threat. Whether spotting up or off the dribble, George continues to be money from beyond the arc.
10. Jason Terry
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMY6cqd8al0&ab_channel=NYKVID
One of the best big shot makers in NBA history is Jason Terry. Truly cementing his legacy on the Dallas Mavericks’ championship run in 2011, he hushed a lot of away crowds with timely threes. As you can see above, he also made threes when they mattered the most. It was in those high-pressure situations where Terry shined brightest. And championship aside, he’s also etched in history as an all-time three-point shooter, ranking in the top 25.
11. Kevin Durant
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9X2O5UY7S4&ab_channel=NBA
It goes without saying that Kevin Durant is a star of historic proportions in the NBA. There has arguably never been a player who had that level ball-handling and shot-making ability at his size. One of the most beautiful aspects of his game has been his three-point shooting ability. He has a propensity to get hot from deep, and once the jumper starts falling, it seldom stops. When it’s all said and done, Durant will be remembered as one of the league’s greats from the perimeter.
12. Jason Kidd
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FeuFpUDQJYU&ab_channel=BasketballAction
Jason Kidd retired in 2013 ranked No. 3 in all-time three pointers made. Just to put that in perspective, in 2024, he moved to No. 21. That’s the evolution of the NBA over the last decade. But it takes nothing away from Kidd, whose almost 20-year career has been lauded. He is a hall of famer who wasn’t known for his shooting ability, but he learned to adapt. That ability allowed him to play an integral role on the 2011 Dallas Mavericks championship squad.
13. Damian Lillard
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=atfJoYZWrvs&pp=ygUdZGFtaWFuIGxpbGxhcmQgdGhyZWUgcG9pbnRlcnM%3D
What is “Dame Time” exactly? Fans have dubbed this the time when Damian Lillard makes a huge shot during a crucial moment. That shot many times is a demoralizing three. Dame’s clutch performances are patented at this point. He will go down in history.
14. Reggie Miller
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=88jsWMwvoPo&pp=ygUccmVnZ2llIG1pbGxlciB0aHJlZSBwb2ludGVycw%3D%3D
Reggie Miller is one of the first players who really made the three a feature of their offense. His ability to stay in movement without the ball, go around screens and shoot was second to none. What he showcased became the blueprint for many of the pick and roll offensive schemes that viewers see today. Miller was so prolific that when he retired in 2005, he sat atop the three pointers made list.
15. Klay Thompson
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yZageJ3QIow&pp=ygUca2xheSB0aG9tcHNvbiB0aHJlZSBwb2ludGVycw%3D%3D
One half of the “Splash Brothers,” Klay Thompson is one of the best shooters of all-time. The Golden State Warriors shooting guard/small forward’s ability to defend the team's best player and have the stamina to drain threes in bulk was unprecedented. It’s that ability that helped lead his team to four championships.
16. Ray Allen
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag9oouHQN-M&pp=ygUYcmF5IGFsbGVuIHRocmVlIHBvaW50ZXJz
Ray Allen broke Reggie Miller’s all-time three-point record in 2011. He is a former teammate of multiple peers on this list, including Rashard Lewis and Michael Redd. The star was an engine for threes on both the Milwaukee Bucks and Seattle SuperSonics. By the time Allen joined the Boston Celtics, he was still known as a perimeter threat.
Taking notes from the school of Miller, his conditioning was second to none. Allen also moved amazingly without the ball. His ability to shoot the three laterally was something to behold. After Spike Lee named his character Jesus Shuttlesworth in He Got Game, Allen excelled in real life and on screen.
17. Glen Rice
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGLCVyRZ3Y8&ab_channel=RyanVanDusen
As the fourth pick in the 1989 NBA Draft, Glen Rice came into the NBA stocked with long-range shooting ability. Being drafted by the Miami Heat, he helped to put that rapidly rising team on the map. As a three-time All-Star, the fans knew and embraced his talent, as well. He won the 1997 All-Star Game MVP in large part because of his ability to make the shot from beyond the arc.
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