The three-point line was only introduced to the NBA in 1979-80. An afterthought at first, perimeter shots were almost exclusively taken by specialists for many years to come.
It was only in the 2010s that the three-point revolution changed how the outside shot has been thought of. Three-point records have been broken on a regular basis, including the most attempts by a team in a game, the most makes by a player, and each franchise’s respective career marks.
The true three-point title has also changed hands, and the list of the players with most career threes has altered significantly, featuring some perennial basketball betting MVP candidates.
Who has the most three-pointers in NBA history?
Steph Curry has the most three-pointers in NBA history with 4,074. Curry has almost 1,000 more threes than any other player, with James Harden sitting in second place on 3,184.
Six of the top 10 are active players. Reggie Miller is the only player in the top 34 to have ended his NBA career before 2011.
Who held the record for the most threes before Curry?
Ray Allen held the record for the most threes before Curry. Allen broke Miller’s record in 2010-11. Along with being the all-time leader, Allen also held the single season record for the most threes with the 269 he made for the Seattle Supersonics in 2005-06.
This record, too, was broken by Curry in 2012-13. Curry went on to break his own record twice after. His 402 threes in 2015-16 are the most a single player has ever made in a season.
Despite such a high career tally, Allen only led the league in made threes in three seasons. Curry has made the most threes in eight different seasons, including a five-season streak in the 2010s.
When did Steph Curry break the record?
Curry broke the record held by Allen on December 15, 2021 at Madison Square Garden. Miller, the previous record holder was calling the game for TNT, and Ray Allen was in attendance. The pair presented Curry with a Warriors jersey with 2,974 (the record-breaking number) after the game.
It was always a matter of when Curry would break the record. The build-up had been massive in the preceding weeks as Curry approached the magic number.
After surpassing Allen, the two-time MVP said, "It was a beautiful ending to this last week.
“The buildup to getting this number, it was a special atmosphere. I knew the Garden would deliver just in terms of how iconic this place is - I can't say it enough, I appreciate so much the way the fans embraced the moment with me and let me kind of get lost in it. I could feel it. Once I took the shot on the wing, it just felt good, looked good -- it felt like we were at home."
Long-time teammate Draymond Green said, "I always say not often do you have the opportunity to interact with someone great at something, let alone go to work with someone that is great, the absolute best at something.
“That's a very rare thing, because there are very few people that are the best at said thing. Steph is the best to ever shoot a basketball, and we get the opportunity to go to work with him every day. It's a very special thing."
Most Three-Pointers in NBA History
- Steph Curry – 4,074
- James Harden – 3,184
- Ray Allen – 2,973
- Damian Lillard – 2,804
- Klay Thompson – 2,701
- Reggie Miller – 2,560
- LeBron James – 2,559
- Kyle Korver – 2,450
- Paul George – 2,349
- Vince Carter – 2,290
