If you enjoy the NBA then there is much to be excited about for the future. With the finals around the corner, we can’t wait to see what will happen next. So many of us are thinking about how the NBA spreads as we approach the end of the season.
Thinking of this, however, we have to consider the 3-pointers, the shot and those who have scored the best 3-pointers over the years. What was one nonexistent is now a big part of the game. With such significance, let’s step away from the current events and take a trip back in time to see who were the best 3-point scorers of all time! We cannot guarantee that you will agree with our choices, but you cannot deny that our top 5 are some of the best!
What Is A 3-Point Shot?
Before we get into who the best are, let’s remind ourselves what the 3-pointer actually is. A 3-pointer is a type of shot that is scored anywhere after the 3-point arc. This is a shot made from anywhere on the court outside the line all the way to the baseline all the way on the other side of the court.
This type of shot counts as 3 points if made. It was not added to NBA play until 1979. The NBA did not want to change the way that the game was played or plays were run, but fans loved it so much, and enjoyed that a game could be won with many more points. It was integrated for this reason, and it has become very significant in the sport ever since.
The Best 3-Point Shooters
So, now we have gone over what the 3-point shot is, who are its leading players? We will look at 5 players over NBA history who absolutely slay at the 3-pointer, and while we may have missed some out, these are our top 5!
#1. Steph Curry
There is absolutely no denying that Steph Curry is one of the best shooters in basketball history. It doesn’t matter where he is shooting from, he can always get that ball in the hoop. As the son of an NBA veteran, it is not all that surprising, Steph inherited his father’s skill with the ball, and when he was younger you could easily have seen him with his dad shooting balls during warm-ups.
However, Steph went on to surpass his father. This legend was overlooked so much in the draft back in ‘09, he looked more like a bench player with his physique, but he had his skill to prove to everyone, and boy… Did he do that!
#2. Glen Rice
Glen rice is another legend. He had been one of the most skilled marksmen at the 3-pointer ever. With a 15-year career he managed to shoot an incredible 1,559 3-pointers over all. Glen was a pioneer in the Miami Heat expansion team when he started playing in the 2nd year of the league. He was picked as 4th overall back in ‘89, and he was a hopeful prospect.
Rice played a small forward at 6 ft 8 and so it was a bit tricky to guard him, he wasn’t limited though, he was skilled in dribbling as well, so he always got his shot in.
#3. Reggie Miller
Reggie was never imposing as a figure, not like Shaq or Dikembe, but he was scary in the 4th. It was always Miller-time when it hit the 4th, and he would suddenly hurt on his big guns and get shot. He was a player who could erase a deficit like it was a bit of marker on a whiteboard.
Hell, Knicks fans absolutely loathe Reggie, being a conference rival and due to his 8 points in just under 9 seconds that he managed to get in back in ‘95. He destroyed the Knicks with such ease in such little time that it’s no surprise there’s a bit of bitterness there.
#4. Ray Allen
Ray was a member of the 1996 draft which contained many other legends as well. He was picked 5th by the Timberwolves, but was then swapped for Milwaukee’s 4th pick.
With Milwaukee, he joined with Robinson and Cassell to create what we know as ‘the big three’. They achieved success in the 2000 to 2001 season, and they got so close to the finals. Eventually he was traded to the Sonic’s, and in Seattle he formed a formidable duo with Lewis, and together they became a dangerous 3-pointer team.
#5. Larry Bird
Finally, we have Larry Bird, he was doing this during the time when teams wanted to just pound it inside the hoop. He was a big guy who had a stroke that was rival to that of many guards. Larry crafted the way for other big men to shoot like Nowitzki.
He learned how to shoot in Indiana’s cornfields, and then ended up monopolizing the championships in the 80s alongside Johnson, creating a rivalry and sheer epic entertainment in the process. From cornfields to fame, true as a Bird.
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