The NBA changed forever on a random Tuesday night in December 2021 at Madison Square Garden. You remember the shot. Stephen Curry drifted to the right wing, caught a pass from Andrew Wiggins, and flicked his wrist. Swish.
That single bucket moved him past Ray Allen. It solidified his spot at the top of the all time three point list.
But here’s the thing people sort of overlook when they stare at these rankings. It isn't just about who has the most makes. It’s about how the geometry of the game literally broke apart to accommodate the shot. We used to think Ray Allen’s record was untouchable. We thought Reggie Miller was an anomaly. Now? The list looks like a chaotic race where the finish line keeps moving further into the parking lot.
The Mount Rushmore of Distance
When you look at the top of the all time three point list, you see names that define different eras of spacing. Steph Curry is sitting on a throne that he built himself, currently well over 3,700 career triples and counting. The gap between him and second place is becoming a chasm.
Ray Allen held the crown for years with 2,973 makes. Ray was a machine. He was the gold standard for preparation—shaved head, perfect form, obsessive routine. He didn't take the "bad" shots Curry takes. He hunted the perfect look. Then you have James Harden. Love him or hate him, the "Beard" changed the math. He didn't need a screen; he just needed a step-back. Harden moved past Ray Allen recently, proving that volume plus isolation can equal historic greatness.
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Then there's Reggie Miller. 2,560. He did it in an era where shooters were physically assaulted coming off screens. If Reggie played today with modern "freedom of movement" rules? Honestly, he might be right there with Steph.
The Guys Most People Forget
It’s easy to focus on the top five. But the all time three point list is littered with specialists who paved the way. Take Kyle Korver. He’s top ten, and he did it almost entirely as a role player. He didn't have the ball in his hands creating; he was a ghost in the corners.
And Dame Lillard? Damian Lillard is the only person who actually makes Steph Curry look like he's playing "safe." Dame is the king of the 35-foot logo shot. He's climbed into the top five at a blistering pace. Watching him move up the rankings feels less like a basketball game and more like a mathematical inevitability.
Why the All Time Three Point List is Totally Different Now
The pace is jarring.
In the 90s, a team might take 10 threes a game. Total. Now, you have guys like Luka Doncic or Klay Thompson who might take 10 in a single half. This creates a massive "era gap" when you look at the stats.
Basically, the list is biased toward the present.
If you compare career totals, you're comparing guys who played a different sport. Damian Lillard and James Harden have the greenest of green lights. Back in 1995, if you took a contested transition three, your coach would bench you. Today, if you don't take that shot, you're getting yelled at for passing up a "good look."
The Klay Thompson Variable
Klay is the ultimate "what if" on the all time three point list. If he hadn't missed two full seasons with the Achilles and ACL tears, where would he be? He’s already in the top six. He has the record for most threes in a single game (14). He's the most efficient high-volume shooter we've ever seen besides his teammate.
Klay doesn't even need to dribble. He once scored 60 points on 11 dribbles. That is just absurd. It’s a different kind of greatness than the heliocentric styles of Harden or LeBron James (who, by the way, is way higher on this list than people realize because of his sheer longevity).
The LeBron James Paradox
LeBron is currently top 10 on the all time three point list. This drives some purists crazy.
"He's not a shooter!" they say.
True, he isn't a "pure" shooter like Buddy Hield or Paul George. But he’s played for over two decades. He has adapted. He realized midway through his Cleveland return that he couldn't just bully people in the paint forever. He had to develop the "LeBron-3"—that high-arching shot from the left 45-degree angle.
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His presence on the list is a testament to evolution. You don't stay at the top of the NBA for 20+ years without becoming a credible threat from deep. He has more career threes than icons like Dirk Nowitzki or Jason Kidd. Think about that for a second.
Predicting the Future: Who's Next?
The all time three point list is going to look unrecognizable in ten years. We have rookies coming into the league now who have never known a world without the "Curry Effect."
- Trae Young: He’s on a trajectory that could land him in the top three. He’s high volume, high skill, and starts his career with a green light no one had in the 80s.
- Luka Doncic: He takes difficult shots, but he takes a lot of them. Longevity will be the only question for him.
- Buddy Hield: He’s been one of the fastest to reach 1,000 and 1,500 makes. He's a specialist in the truest sense.
The math says Steph Curry’s record is safe for a long time, but "safe" is a dangerous word in the NBA. Someone is going to come along who treats the half-court line like the three-point line. It's just a matter of time.
The Efficiency Trap
One thing to keep an eye on is the percentage.
While the all time three point list tracks total makes, the real "shooters" are the ones doing it at 40% or higher. Steph is the unicorn because he does both. Most guys who climb the list do it through volume.
Harden’s career percentage is around 36%. LeBron is around 34-35%. Steph is at 42% while taking the hardest shots in the history of the league. That’s the "secret sauce." It isn't just that he makes them; it's that he doesn't miss enough to make them "bad" shots.
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How to Value These Rankings
Don't just look at the raw numbers. When you're arguing with your friends about who the best shooter is, you have to look at:
- Degree of difficulty: Was it a catch-and-shoot or off the dribble?
- Era: Did they play when the paint was packed and the perimeter was open?
- Volume vs. Efficiency: Are they hunting the record or playing winning ball?
The all time three point list is a living document of the NBA’s evolution. It shows how the league went from a "big man’s game" to a "guards' world."
If you want to track this properly, don't just check the totals once a year. Watch the "Active Leaders" list. That's where the real movement is happening. Guys like Kevin Durant are still climbing. Paul George is moving up. We are living in the golden age of the long-distance shot.
To really understand the impact of these shooters, start tracking "Points Per Shot" (PPS) alongside the total makes. It gives you a much clearer picture of who is actually breaking the game and who is just taking advantage of the modern pace. Pay close attention to the younger generation's "Attempts Per Game" versus the legends; that's where you'll see exactly when Steph's record will finally be under threat.
Keep an eye on the official NBA record books as they update after every game night—this list is the most volatile stat in professional sports right now. There is no lead that is safe. Not even Steph's.