The NBA has undergone a dramatic revolution in the last few seasons, as the three-point shot has become the defining feature of the modern game. You’ll get here on The best shooters in NBA history with details. When the three-point shot was introduced in the 1979-80 season, only 3% of all shots were taken from that range. By 2010, it was up to around 20%.
Now, teams are well over 30% and heading towards 40%. The ability to shoot the three has become hugely important and modern teams who are full of three-point shooters are always highly rated by sports fans.
While this is true across all of the US, it is certainly the case in New Jersey. People there are sports-crazy and not only know their stuff but also use the latest online sports platforms to get closer to the NBA action.
By accessing the latest information via top NJ sports sites like this, fans there can see the impact three-point shooting is having in modern basketball and how valuable players who possess these skills are in NBA teams now.
The best shooters in NBA history of the world
Although the dominance of the three is a comparatively recent phenomenon, there have always been great shooters, whose skill from a distance set them apart from the rest. Here are 10 of the best:
Glen Rice
Glen Rice was one of the NBA’s greatest marksmen. In three seasons playing for the Charlotte Hornets, he made 44.4% of his three-point shots and memorably hit a success rate of 47% during the 1996-97 season. In many ways, he was ahead of his time, attempting over a quarter of his shots from three-point range, compared to a league average of 15.1%.
Mike Miller
Although he never led the league for three-point percentage, Miller recorded nine seasons with 100 or more attempts and a success rate of over 40%, something that only four players have been able to surpass. He was also responsible for one of the best threes in NBA history when he scored in Game 6 of the series against the Spurs back in 2013 while only wearing one shoe!
JJ Redick
JJ Redick took time to find his range in the NBA, but in the last 10 seasons of his career, he displayed phenomenal three-point shooting skills, averaging over 14 points a game and a three-point success rate of over 40%. He was a successful player for the Philadelphia 76ers, but his most notable impact came at the Los Angeles Clippers playing alongside Blake Griffin, DeAndre Jordan, and Chris Paul.
Dale Ellis
Ellis had an NBA career that lasted from 1984 to 2000, and he was one of the greatest shooters of all time. The first to record 1,000 three-pointers, he was one of the first NBA players to attempt to fully exploit the three, with over 40% of his shot attempts coming from three-point range.
Klay Thompson
In nine NBA seasons, Thompson has recorded a three-point percentage of more than 40 eight times. The numbers are not even the most impressive aspect of his shooting, as few players have ever had such a technically perfect and repeatable three-point shooting style.
Steve Nash
The point guard known for his stylish passing was also a reliable three-point shooter, averaging 100+ three-point shots and a percentage over 40 throughout his 13 seasons in the league. He was at his best as a shooter during consecutive MVP seasons while with the Phoenix Suns.
Reggie Miller
His style may have been the opposite of Klay Thompson’s, but Miller was all about the results, and it was hard to argue with those. One of the most confident three-shooters of all time, he attempted over twice as many threes as his contemporaries. In one memorable passage of play in 1995, he scored eight points in the space of nine seconds to help the Pacers beat the Knicks.
Ray Allen
With 2,973 three-pointers in his career, Ray Allen led the way as a shooter until recently and is still second on the all-time list. In his first four seasons with the Bucks, he shot 38.8% from three-point range and continued at that level for the SuperSonics, the Celtics, and the Heat, for whom he scored a famous game-tying triple in the NBA Finals.
Kyle Korver
Kyle Korver was consistently among the most prolific three-point shooters in the NBA.
An incredible 61% of his shot attempts were threes, and he led the league for three-point percentage on four occasions, including his 53.6% season with the Utah Jazz in 2009-10.
Stephen Curry
It is a measure of his greatness that Steph Curry’s achievements have eclipsed even the legendary players on this list. Quite simply, he has changed the game. No other player in NBA history has offered the same level of range, efficiency, and volume when it comes to three-pointers.
Already the NBA’s most successful three-point shooter, he is sure to add more records before he retires.
