Top 10 Greatest Three-Point Shooters in NBA History

Ray Allen held the all-time three-pointers made record for 13 years (2011-2021) before Stephen Curry broke it, finishing with 2,973 made threes across an 18-year career. He shot 40.0% from three on 5.0 attempts per game — elite volume efficiency for any era. Allen's clutch shooting was his defining trait: his 2013 Finals corner three to force overtime (with 5.2 seconds left, San Antonio celebrating) is the most important made three-pointer in NBA history. He was the first player the league recognized as a prototype modern shooter.

Klay Thompson set the NBA single-game three-point record with 14 made threes against the Chicago Bulls on October 29, 2018 — hitting his first 10 attempts — and still holds the record. He made 37 consecutive field goals over a two-game stretch in 2014-15, the longest hot streak ever recorded. Thompson won four championships with Golden State and was the quintessential catch-and-shoot specialist, shooting 41.9% from three on high volume while requiring minimal dribbles. He returned from a torn ACL and torn Achilles — missing nearly three full seasons — to win another title in 2022.

Reggie Miller held the all-time three-pointers made record from 2003 to 2011 (2,560 made), playing 18 seasons with the Indiana Pacers. His career 39.5% from three was achieved in a pre-analytics era when the three was still considered a specialty shot. Miller's clutch shooting was legendary: he scored 8 points in 8.9 seconds against the Knicks in Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals, producing the most dramatic clutch performance in Pacers history. Spike Lee's front-row taunting and Miller's on-court responses produced some of the NBA's most memorable theater.

Larry Bird won the NBA's first three Three-Point Contest (1986, 1987, 1988) — famously walking in before the event and asking contestants which of them was competing for second place — and shot 37.6% from three for his career on limited attempts. Bird was shooting threes before the shot was analytically valued, using them as a complement rather than a weapon. His 1986 Shootout win, where he held his follow-through before the ball went in and held one finger up predicting victory, became one of basketball's most arrogant and celebrated moments.

Dirk Nowitzki revolutionized the power forward position by shooting 38.0% from three for his career at 7 feet tall — a skill combination no one had ever seen in a player his size. He made 1,982 career three-pointers and developed a one-legged fade-away three over the left shoulder that was virtually unguardable. His 2011 playoff run — 27.7 PPG, 46.2% from three, dismantling Kobe's Lakers, Durant's OKC, and LeBron's Heat en route to the championship — is the greatest individual scoring performance in playoff history for a non-Jordan player.

Damian Lillard made 2,400+ career three-pointers while shooting 36.9% from three, but his legacy is defined by the logo threes he makes in elimination games. His 37-foot buzzer-beater over Paul George to eliminate Oklahoma City in 2019 is the longest game-winning shot in playoff history. His 2023 Western Conference Finals performance for Milwaukee — 33.7 PPG on 38.6% from three — showed his range was genuine clutch output. Dame Time exists as its own cultural concept in basketball: nobody else hits the shots he takes from the places he takes them.

Kevin Durant is the most efficient high-volume three-point shooter among non-specialist wings, shooting 38.3% from three at 6-foot-11 while also posting career averages of 27.2 PPG from all areas. His ability to shoot threes off the dribble, in isolation, or on pull-ups over defenders who cannot contest at his elevation makes his three-point shooting more valuable per attempt than almost any player in history. Durant has made 2,000+ career threes while never relying on them as his primary weapon — they are the complement to an offensive arsenal that already has no equal.

Peja Stojakovic was the most lethal catch-and-shoot three-point specialist of the pre-Curry era, shooting 40.1% from three for his career across 12 seasons. He won three Three-Point Shootout competitions (2002, 2003, 2009) and was a key piece of the Sacramento Kings' early-2000s teams that pushed the Lakers to seven games twice. His European footwork, set-point efficiency, and ability to create separation off screens made him the template for the modern 3-and-D wing — a player type the league now prioritizes above almost all others.

Glen Rice won the 1997 Three-Point Contest and 1995 All-Star Game MVP while being one of the most naturally gifted shooters of the 1990s, shooting 40.3% from three across a 15-year career. His Charlotte Hornets years (1989-1995) were marked by shooting performances that made opposing coaches change defensive schemes mid-game. Rice averaged 22.3 PPG across three full seasons at his peak and was the archetypal "pure shooter" — a player who needed only a catch and a clear look to punish any defense that gave him either.

Ray Allen held the all-time three-pointers made record for 13 years (2011-2021) before Stephen Curry broke it, finishing with 2,973 made threes across an 18-year career. He shot 40.0% from three on 5.0 attempts per game — elite volume efficiency for any era. Allen's clutch shooting was his defining trait: his 2013 Finals corner three to force overtime (with 5.2 seconds left, San Antonio celebrating) is the most important made three-pointer in NBA history. He was the first player the league recognized as a prototype modern shooter.

Klay Thompson set the NBA single-game three-point record with 14 made threes against the Chicago Bulls on October 29, 2018 — hitting his first 10 attempts — and still holds the record. He made 37 consecutive field goals over a two-game stretch in 2014-15, the longest hot streak ever recorded. Thompson won four championships with Golden State and was the quintessential catch-and-shoot specialist, shooting 41.9% from three on high volume while requiring minimal dribbles. He returned from a torn ACL and torn Achilles — missing nearly three full seasons — to win another title in 2022.

Reggie Miller held the all-time three-pointers made record from 2003 to 2011 (2,560 made), playing 18 seasons with the Indiana Pacers. His career 39.5% from three was achieved in a pre-analytics era when the three was still considered a specialty shot. Miller's clutch shooting was legendary: he scored 8 points in 8.9 seconds against the Knicks in Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference Semifinals, producing the most dramatic clutch performance in Pacers history. Spike Lee's front-row taunting and Miller's on-court responses produced some of the NBA's most memorable theater.

Larry Bird won the NBA's first three Three-Point Contest (1986, 1987, 1988) — famously walking in before the event and asking contestants which of them was competing for second place — and shot 37.6% from three for his career on limited attempts. Bird was shooting threes before the shot was analytically valued, using them as a complement rather than a weapon. His 1986 Shootout win, where he held his follow-through before the ball went in and held one finger up predicting victory, became one of basketball's most arrogant and celebrated moments.

Dirk Nowitzki revolutionized the power forward position by shooting 38.0% from three for his career at 7 feet tall — a skill combination no one had ever seen in a player his size. He made 1,982 career three-pointers and developed a one-legged fade-away three over the left shoulder that was virtually unguardable. His 2011 playoff run — 27.7 PPG, 46.2% from three, dismantling Kobe's Lakers, Durant's OKC, and LeBron's Heat en route to the championship — is the greatest individual scoring performance in playoff history for a non-Jordan player.

Damian Lillard made 2,400+ career three-pointers while shooting 36.9% from three, but his legacy is defined by the logo threes he makes in elimination games. His 37-foot buzzer-beater over Paul George to eliminate Oklahoma City in 2019 is the longest game-winning shot in playoff history. His 2023 Western Conference Finals performance for Milwaukee — 33.7 PPG on 38.6% from three — showed his range was genuine clutch output. Dame Time exists as its own cultural concept in basketball: nobody else hits the shots he takes from the places he takes them.

Kevin Durant is the most efficient high-volume three-point shooter among non-specialist wings, shooting 38.3% from three at 6-foot-11 while also posting career averages of 27.2 PPG from all areas. His ability to shoot threes off the dribble, in isolation, or on pull-ups over defenders who cannot contest at his elevation makes his three-point shooting more valuable per attempt than almost any player in history. Durant has made 2,000+ career threes while never relying on them as his primary weapon — they are the complement to an offensive arsenal that already has no equal.

Peja Stojakovic was the most lethal catch-and-shoot three-point specialist of the pre-Curry era, shooting 40.1% from three for his career across 12 seasons. He won three Three-Point Shootout competitions (2002, 2003, 2009) and was a key piece of the Sacramento Kings' early-2000s teams that pushed the Lakers to seven games twice. His European footwork, set-point efficiency, and ability to create separation off screens made him the template for the modern 3-and-D wing — a player type the league now prioritizes above almost all others.

Glen Rice won the 1997 Three-Point Contest and 1995 All-Star Game MVP while being one of the most naturally gifted shooters of the 1990s, shooting 40.3% from three across a 15-year career. His Charlotte Hornets years (1989-1995) were marked by shooting performances that made opposing coaches change defensive schemes mid-game. Rice averaged 22.3 PPG across three full seasons at his peak and was the archetypal "pure shooter" — a player who needed only a catch and a clear look to punish any defense that gave him either.