Who are the 10 best 3-point shooters in NBA history?
2025-02-13
Category: sports

Once viewed as a rare talent, 3-point shooting has almost become a must if you want to play in the NBA. Over the last decade, 3-point shooting has exploded in the NBA. Most teams have lineups they commonly use in which each player is a threat from beyond the arc, no matter the size or position.&nbsp; But only a select few are good enough each year to participate in the NBA's 3-Point Contest at All-Star Weekend. One of the game's all-time great 3-point shooters could make history in the 2025 3-Point Contest, with Damian Lillard trying to become the third player to ever win the competition three years in a row. As Lillard seeks to three-peat in the Bay Area on Saturday, let's take a look at the 10 best 3-point shooters in NBA history. 10 best 3-point shooters in NBA history 10. Peja Stojakovic  Stojakovic found a role for himself on the Sacramento Kings teams of the late 1990s/early 2000s due to his 3-point shooting, helping space the floor for Chris Webber, Mike Bibby, Vlade Divac and others. He eventually became their second-leading scorer when they made the Western Conference finals in 2002 because of his efficiency from deep. While the Kings slowly faded following that run, Stojakovic continued to grow as a player — he ranked in the top 10 in 3-pointers made each season from 2002-03 to 2004-05. As he led the league in 3-pointers made in 2003-04, Stojakovic even finished fourth in MVP voting. Over that run, he won the 3-Point Contest twice (2002, 2003), making him one of eight players to win the competition on multiple occasions.&nbsp; Stojakovic bounced around after the Kings traded him in 2006, but his long-distance game remained an asset through his final season. He finished 12th in the league in 3-point shooting in 2010-11 before winning a championship with the Dallas Mavericks that postseason.&nbsp; At the time of his retirement, Stojakovic was fourth all-time in 3-pointers made. As of February 2025, he's 32nd on the list, making him one of the players who could've benefited by being born just a little bit later. &nbsp; 9. Dirk Nowitzki  Nowitzki might be the greatest shooting big man of all time. No power forward or center has made more 3-pointers than he has; with 1,982 made 3-pointers in his career, he has 300 more than second place as of February 2025. His career 3-point percentage (38%) is also among the best ever for a power forward/center. Nowitzki's deep shooting ability made him one of the NBA's top players in the 2000s and 2010s. The 14-time All-Star became the fifth player to join the 50-40-90 club in the 2006-07 season when he made 42% of his 3-pointers en route to winning MVP that year. Nowitzki took his long-range shooting to another level during the 2011 playoffs. He made 46% of his 3-pointers that postseason, helping the Mavericks take home a title. On top of all of that, Nowitzki won the 3-Point Contest in 2006, becoming the first big man to accomplish that feat.&nbsp; 8. Damian Lillard  Lillard has been one of the NBA's best 3-point shooters since the moment he was drafted in 2012. He finished in the top eight in 3-pointers made in each of his first nine seasons in the league, making at least 36% of his 3-pointers in eight of those seasons. Lillard is fourth on the all-time 3-pointers made list and is tied for second in 3-pointers made per game. The biggest shots of Lillard's career also came from deep. He eliminated the Houston Rockets from the first round of the 2014 playoffs when he drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer in Game 6. He did something similar five years later, hitting a 37-foot 3-pointer at the buzzer over Paul George as the Portland Trail Blazers knocked out the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the 2019 playoffs. Lillard's 3-point prowess led to him becoming one of the league's top scorers in the last decade, finishing in the top 10 in scoring on seven occasions. He also won the 3-Point Contest twice, earning the title in two straight seasons (2023, 2024).&nbsp; 7. JJ Redick  Before he was the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, Redick made a name for himself as a prolific 3-point shooter. There haven't been many players in NBA history who have the volume of makes and efficiency that Redick had from beyond the arc. His 1,950 3-pointers made were the 15th-most in NBA history at the time of his retirement in 2021, and his career 41.5% 3-point percentage is still the 18th-best mark of all time. Of the 50 players who've made the most 3-pointers in NBA history, Redick's 3-point percentage is the fourth-highest. Redick seemingly got better from deep as he aged, too. He ranked in the top five in 3-point percentage on four occasions between the 2014-20 seasons, leading the league in 3-point percentage in 2015-16 (47.5%). He's one of the few players on this list who never won a 3-Point Contest, but it's clear he didn't need to do so to prove his standing as one of the best 3-point shooters ever.&nbsp; 6. Kyle Korver  In a similar vein to Redick, Korver also carved a role for himself as one of the best 3-point shooters ever. He was just a smidgen better than Redick. Korver consistently ranked among the top 3-point shooters in terms of percentage, leading the league in that stat four times and finishing in the top 10 eight times. His 53.6% 3-point shooting in 2009-10 is the best single-season mark in NBA history. The swingman made all of those 3-pointers at a high volume, too. His 2,450 3-pointers made are the eighth-most in NBA history as of February 2025. Of the 50 players who've made the most 3-pointers in NBA history, Korver's 42.9 3-point percentage is the highest. That mark is also the 10th-best in NBA history. Korver was named an All-Star just once, which came in his 2014-15 season with the Atlanta Hawks. But many regard him as one of the top bench players in recent NBA history due to his ability to make 3-pointers seemingly whenever he wanted.&nbsp; 5. James Harden  A lot of people associate Harden's game with his ability to get to the free-throw line. But he's been able to create defensive attention that causes a lot of fouls due to his 3-point shooting. His signature step-back 3-pointer is one of the most well-known moves in recent NBA memory. Harden ranked in the top five in 3-pointers made in six straight seasons (2014-20) and led the league in 3-pointers made in the final three seasons of that stretch. As Harden ranks second in all-time 3-pointers made as of February 2025, he's done it with good efficiency. He only shot below 35% from deep three times over the first 15 years of his career. He's also sixth all-time in 3-pointers made per game among players with at least 400 career appearances.&nbsp; Harden, one of the best players of his generation, was named the MVP in 2018 and also won Sixth Man of the Year six years prior.&nbsp; 4. Klay Thompson  You know we had to have both of the Splash Brothers high up on our all-time 3-point shooter rankings. Thompson might be the best catch-and-shoot 3-point shooter in NBA history, recording a 60-point game in 2016 when he took just 11 dribbles and made 8-of-14 3-pointers. That's obviously an extreme case of Thompson showing his elite 3-point efficiency, but it isn't hard to find many other examples of him making a number of 3-pointers without many misses. He holds the single-game NBA record for 3-pointers made, hitting 14 3-pointers on 24 attempts in a game in 2018. In addition, his 2,622 3-pointers are the fifth-most in NBA history, and he's also tied for the second-most 3-pointers made per game as of February 2025. His 41.2 career 3-point shooting percentage is the 20th-best mark ever, but it's also the fifth-best mark among the 50 players who've made the most 3-pointers. Thompson's 3-point shooting was essential to the Warriors' dynasty success from 2014-22, helping Golden State win four titles over that span. He also won the 3-Point Contest in 2016.&nbsp; 3. Reggie Miller  Miller was arguably the first all-time great 3-point shooter in the NBA. With the arc being introduced not long before he entered the league, Miller used the 3-point shot to his advantage when the game became more defensive-oriented in the 1990s. He was in the top 10 in 3-pointers made in each of his first 15 seasons, leading the league in 3-pointers made twice.&nbsp; While his career 39.5% 3-point percentage is the 69th-best mark in NBA history, Miller finished in the top 10 in 3-point percentage five times in his career. Miller played in the NBA for 18 seasons, all with the Indiana Pacers. With his longevity and efficiency, it's no surprise that his 2,560 career 3-pointers made were the most in NBA history when he retired in 2005. He held that mark for six seasons and still sits sixth in all-time 3-pointers made as of February 2025, despite the recent 3-point explosion in the league. 2. Ray Allen  Allen supplanted Miller as the NBA's all-time leader in 3-pointers made in 2011, and his shot traveled with him to each of the four teams he played with in his NBA career. The Hall of Famer finished in the top 10 in 3-pointers made in a season 11 times over his career, leading the league in 3-point makes thrice. He even had a pair of top-five finishes when he was with the Boston Celtics as his touches dropped.&nbsp; His 40% career 3-point percentage is just the 47th-best mark in NBA history, but he had four seasons when he finished in the top 10 in 3-point shooting percentage. Even as Allen got late into his career, he remained a strong 3-point shooter. He shot above 40% from deep in three of his final four seasons. Of course, his most memorable shot was also a 3-pointer, hitting a step-back 3-pointer to keep the Miami Heat alive in the 2013 Finals.&nbsp; 1. Steph Curry  Did you think anyone else would be at No. 1? Curry has been viewed as the best 3-point shooter in NBA history by most fans and analysts since his MVP seasons in the mid-2010s. But he officially etched himself as the top 3-point shooter in NBA history when he surpassed Allen's mark for the most 3-pointers made in 2021. Still, there was practically zero doubt over Curry's standing before that. He revolutionized the game with his 3-point shooting, leading the league in makes in five straight seasons (2012-17). He also led the league in 3-point makes three more times after that.&nbsp; Curry has never led the league in 3-point shooting percentage, but he's finished in the top 10 in nine seasons. As of Feb. 12, Curry's career 3-point percentage (42.4) is the 13th-best mark in NBA history and the third-best mark among the 50 players with the most 3-pointers made in NBA history. So, in just about every 3-point stat available, Curry either leads the list or is somewhere near the top of it. His 3-point shooting has made him one of the game's all-time greatest players, winning two MVPs and four titles so far in his career.&nbsp; HONORABLE MENTIONS  Want great stories delivered right to your inbox?&nbsp;Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, and follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily!