NBA Three-Point Shooting Records: Complete Analysis & All-Time Rankings

The three-point shot has transformed basketball from a paint-dominated game to a perimeter-oriented sport. Stephen Curry's 3,700+ career three-pointers and his revolutionary shooting style have fundamentally changed the NBA. This guide covers every three-point record with analytical context.

Curry's 402 three-pointers in 2015-16 shattered his own record of 286, a 40% increase that seemed impossible. He followed with 354 in 2018-19 and maintained rates above 300 in multiple seasons. The single-game record is 14 (Klay Thompson, 2018), achieved on 24 attempts in a performance that redefined what was considered possible from beyond the arc.

In 1980, NBA teams averaged 2.8 three-point attempts per game. By 2000, this rose to 13.7. In 2026, teams attempt over 37 three-pointers per game on average. This 13-fold increase reflects the mathematical efficiency of the three-point shot — a 35% three-point shooter generates 1.05 points per attempt, equivalent to a 53% two-point shooter.

The three-point revolution has eliminated the traditional mid-range game for most players, creating a 'moreyball' approach (named after Daryl Morey) that prioritizes three-pointers and shots at the rim. However, mid-range specialists like DeMar DeRozan and Kevin Durant continue to thrive, proving that elite shot-making from any distance retains value against increasingly three-point-focused defenses.