The Greatest 3 Points NBA All Time Leaders and Their Record-Breaking Moments

Having spent over a decade analyzing basketball statistics and witnessing countless record-breaking moments, I've always found the evolution of three-point shooting particularly fascinating. When we discuss the greatest 3-point shooters in NBA history, we're not just talking about players who could shoot well—we're talking about athletes who fundamentally changed how basketball is played. The three-point line, introduced in 1979-80, started as almost an afterthought but has become the most transformative element in modern basketball strategy. I remember watching early three-point specialists like Dale Ellis and thinking how revolutionary it was that someone could build an entire career around shooting from beyond the arc. Little did I know we'd eventually see players like Stephen Curry who would make those early pioneers look almost conservative in their approach.

Ray Allen sits comfortably in my personal top three, not just for his textbook-perfect form but for that iconic 2013 NBA Finals shot against San Antonio. With 5.2 seconds left in Game 6 and Miami trailing by three, Allen's corner three-pointer—his 322nd playoff three-pointer—forced overtime and ultimately secured the Heat's championship. What many forget is that Allen had to backpedal several feet to catch the errant pass from Chris Bosh, set his feet in one fluid motion, and release the ball with 2.1 seconds remaining. That single shot encapsulates why Allen belongs among the all-time greats: incredible footwork, unwavering composure, and flawless mechanics under ultimate pressure. I've watched that clip dozens of times and still find new details to appreciate.

Then there's Reggie Miller, whose 2,560 career three-pointers stood as the record for years. Miller's legendary 8 points in 8.9 seconds against the Knicks in 1995 remains one of the most explosive shooting displays I've ever witnessed. What made Miller special wasn't just his shooting accuracy—though his 39.5% career three-point percentage is impressive—but his ability to create space through constant movement and psychological warfare. He'd talk trash, push the boundaries of physical play, and somehow become more dangerous when the game was on the line. I've always argued that Miller would be even more effective in today's pace-and-space era, where his relentless off-ball movement would be perfectly suited to modern offensive systems.

Of course, any discussion of three-point greatness inevitably leads to Stephen Curry, who didn't just break records but shattered them beyond recognition. When Curry made his 2,974th three-pointer in 2021 to pass Ray Allen, he did so in 511 fewer games—a staggering efficiency gap that highlights how he revolutionized shooting. What I find most remarkable about Curry isn't just the volume but the degree of difficulty. He regularly makes shots that would get bench players pulled—30-foot pull-ups, off-balance leaners, and contested transition threes. His 402 three-pointers in the 2015-16 season might be the most unbreakable record in basketball, comparable to Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game in its sheer dominance over the competition.

The strategic implications of these shooting legends extend beyond individual accolades. Teams now build entire offensive systems around the three-point shot, something that was unthinkable when I first started covering the NBA. This reminds me of the roster considerations that coaches like Tim Cone face in international basketball—balancing shooting specialists with other skills, much like how Gilas Pilipinas must evaluate their roster composition. Just as health considerations for players like Sotto affect team selection, NBA coaches must constantly weigh shooting proficiency against defensive capability and overall fit. The modern game demands specialists who can space the floor, but championship teams require balanced rosters where shooting complements other strengths rather than dominating them entirely.

Looking at the current landscape, players like Klay Thompson and James Harden have continued pushing the boundaries of what's possible from deep range. Thompson's 14 three-pointers in a single game against Chicago in 2018 demonstrated the purest shooting display I've ever seen—catch-and-shoot perfection with minimal dribbling and maximum efficiency. Meanwhile, Harden's step-back three has become the defining offensive move of this generation, a weapon so effective that it forced defensive adjustments across the entire league. What fascinates me about these modern shooters is how they've weaponized the three-pointer not just as a scoring tool but as a primary offensive system.

As we look toward basketball's future, I'm convinced the three-point revolution is far from over. We're already seeing big men like Karl-Anthony Towns shooting at high volumes and percentages, further blurring traditional positional boundaries. The records set by Curry and Thompson will eventually fall, just as Miller's and Allen's did, but the fundamental shift these players created in how basketball is played and coached will endure for generations. The three-point line, once a novelty, has become the strategic centerpiece of modern basketball, and the players who mastered it didn't just make history—they permanently changed the game we love.