Since the NBA introduced the 3-point line for the 1979-80 season, there have been some incredible long-distance shooters. Here’s our top 10 shooters from beyond the arc of all time:
Jason Terry
Career 3-pt percentage/3-pt attempts per game: 37.9/4.5
When it comes to long-distance shooting, Terry is even more prolific than his former longtime teammate Dirk Nowitzki. Terry’s currently third all time in 3-pointers made (2,169). (He’s shot a respectable 37.9 percent from beyond the arc.) In Game 4 of the 2011 Western Conference semis, he went 9 of 10 from beyond the arc—tying an NBA record for most threes in a playoff game—to lead the Mavericks to a sweep of the Lakers.Klay Thompson
Career 3-pt percentage/3-pt attempts per game: 42.0/6.5
Maybe it’s a little early for Thompson to be on this list, but after playing only five seasons, he’s already 75th all time in 3-pointers made. Also: he’s shooting threes at a 42.0 percent clip, good for 12th all time. This season, he sank 276 treys. Only his historically prolific teammate has hit more in a single season.Dale Ellis
Career 3-pt percentage/3-pt attempts per game: 40.3/3.5
Before the 3-pointer truly was en vogue, Ellis was a dead-eye shooter from beyond the arc. During a 17-season career in which he played for six teams, the 6-foot-7 swingman made 40.3 percent of his attempts (1,719 of 4,266) and won the 1989 three-point contest.Larry Bird
Career 3-pt percentage/3-pt attempts per game: 37.6/1.9
OK, so Bird didn’t actually take (or make) that many 3-pointers. During his career, he shot 37.2 percent (649 of 1,727) from beyond the arc. But you get the feeling that if he wanted to, he could’ve been more prolific. Consider: from 1986 through 1988, he won the first three All-Star three-point contests.Kyle Korver
Career 3-pt percentage/3-pt attempts per game:42.9/4.6
Korver might be the NBA’s best current 3-point shooter if not for the guy who’s No. 1 on this list. For his career, Korver’s shot threes at a 42.9 percent clip—good for eighth all time. In 2009-10, he set the single-season record for 3-point percentage, making 53.6 of his shots from beyond the arc.Steve Nash
Career 3-pt percentage/3-pt attempts per game: 42.8/3.2
One of the best passers ever, Nash was also a prolific long-distance shooter. He’s ninth all time in 3-point percentage (42.8) and 16th in 3-pointers made (1,685). Just imagine if Nash shot a bit more. In 2015, Tim Kawakami of the San Jose Mercury News asked Nash if he could imagine taking 10 threes a game like Stephen Curry. “Steph and I, we do have similar skill sets, but we have different mentalities,” Nash said. “I was a point guard from the time I picked up a basketball.”Reggie Miller
Career 3-pt percentage/3-pt attempts per game: 39.5/4.7
When Reggie Miller retired after the 2005 season, he was the NBA’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made with 2,560. He shot threes at a 39.5 clip during his career and during the playoffs, had a flair for the dramatic. Take, for example, his performance against the Knicks in 1995 (see above).Steve Kerr
Career 3-pt percentage/3-pt attempts per game: 45.4/1.8
The career leader in 3-point shooting percentage (45.4), the supremely accurate Kerr—who won five championships as a player—quietly was a key member of the late ’90s Bulls dynasty. He only attempted 1,599 regular-season threes in his career, but hit some huge treys in the playoffs for both Chicago and San Antonio.Ray Allen
Career 3-pt percentage/3-pt attempts per game:40.0/5.7
Both accurate and prolific, Allen spent his career wrecking opponents from beyond the arc. He’s the all-time leader in 3-pointers made (2,973). The 10-time All-Star and 2001 Three-Point Shootout champ also shot 40.0 percent from three, an impressive figure considering he attempted so many from long-distance.Stephen Curry
Career 3-pt percentage/3-pt attempts per game:44.4/7.3
Curry is the best 3-point shooter of all time and it’s not even close. He hit a whopping 402 threes this season, obliterating the record of 286 that he set in 2014-15. Curry’s also accurate; he’s second all time in 3-point percentage (44.4 percent). By the time he retires, he’ll own every long-distance shooting record there is.
