Who Are the Leading 3-Point Shooters in NBA History? Find Out Now

As I was watching a recent NBA game, I heard a commentator exclaim something in Tagalog that stuck with me: "Bakit natin pinapaabot du'n pa?" which roughly translates to "Why are we extending it there?" This phrase perfectly captures the strategic evolution of three-point shooting in basketball. When I first started following the NBA back in the early 2000s, the three-point line was almost treated as a boundary rather than an opportunity. Teams would occasionally take threes, but it wasn't the offensive cornerstone it has become today. The transformation has been remarkable, and it's made me reflect on the pioneers who fundamentally changed how we view shooting in basketball.

When discussing the greatest three-point shooters in NBA history, I always start with Stephen Curry. The man didn't just break records—he shattered our understanding of what's possible from beyond the arc. I remember watching him drain 402 threes in the 2015-16 season, a number that still feels unreal. His career percentage hovering around 43% on astronomical volume demonstrates a level of efficiency and volume we've never seen before. What I admire most about Curry isn't just his accuracy but his creativity—the way he releases the ball in fractions of a second, often off-balance or moving laterally. He made the "why extend it there" mentality obsolete by proving that distance wasn't a barrier but an advantage.

Ray Allen deserves his flowers for perfecting the craft before the analytics revolution took hold. His textbook form was something I tried to emulate in my own amateur playing days—the perfect elevation, the high release point, the follow-through. Allen's 2,973 career three-pointers stood as the record for years, and his clutch gene was undeniable. Who could forget his corner three in Game 6 of the 2013 Finals? That shot wasn't just about technique; it was about ice-cold nerves under pressure. While his career percentage of 40% might seem modest compared to today's specialists, we have to remember he was often creating his own shots without the same spacing benefits modern shooters enjoy.

Reggie Miller brought a certain swagger to three-point shooting that I found absolutely captivating. Growing up watching him trash-talk his way to 2,560 career threes while maintaining a 39.5% accuracy rate was pure entertainment. His understanding of off-ball movement was decades ahead of its time—the way he'd use screens and misdirection to find those precious inches of space. Miller proved that three-point shooting wasn't just about the shot itself but about the intelligence required to get open. His battles with the Knicks created some of the most memorable playoff moments in NBA history, showing how a single shooter could dictate an entire series.

The analytics movement has completely transformed how teams view the three-pointer, turning what was once a risky "why extend it there" shot into basketball's most valuable real estate. Players like Klay Thompson with his 14 threes in a single game and James Harden with his step-back revolution have pushed the boundaries even further. What fascinates me about today's game is how three-point shooting has become democratized—centers like Karl-Anthony Towns regularly shooting over 40% from deep would have been unthinkable twenty years ago. The evolution isn't slowing down either, with newcomers like Damian Lillard taking what we'd previously consider "bad shots" from the logo and making them routine.

Looking at the current landscape, I'm convinced we're witnessing the golden age of shooting. The combination of improved technique, analytical insight, and player development has created an environment where the three-pointer is no longer a supplementary weapon but the foundation of modern offense. While purists might lament the decreased emphasis on post play, I find the strategic complexity of today's spacing and shooting absolutely thrilling. The question has shifted from "why extend it there" to "why wouldn't you?" As we look to the future, I suspect we haven't yet seen the ceiling of what's possible from beyond the arc, and that's what makes following this evolution so exciting for basketball enthusiasts like myself.