Even though there have been plenty of great scorers in the NBA, not many of them have been able to find two crucial things: Efficiency and consistency.
Not many coaches would want a player who needs to take 25 shots to score 20 points. Given enough opportunities, every single player in the league could average 30+ points per game, even those at the bottom of the bench.
But there’s a handful of players who managed to not only score a lot of points throughout their careers but do it efficiently through time. Here, we’re going to let you know about the 90 players who have come the closest to averaging 50/40/90 per their careers.
9. Kyrie Irving
Shooting Splits: .470/.391/.881
Kyrie Irving gets a lot of criticism for his antics but when it comes to basketball, he’s always ready to ball. He’s got perhaps the best handles in the history of the Association and his layup package seems endless.
Irving does plenty of damage from within close range thanks to his ability to find tiny gaps of space. He’s a great finisher with both hands, can score in transition, and isn’t an erratic three-point shooter. That’s the recipe for efficiency. He joined the 50/40/90 club last season.
8. Kevin Durant
Shooting Splits: .494/.384/.883
Even though we’re just getting started, we’re going to give you a bit of a heads up. Kevin Durant is perhaps the most impressive player of all in this list, as he’s a seven-footer with the handles of a guard who can efficiently score from all three levels.
Durant is the ultimate cheat code. He’s long and tall enough to shoot over everybody in the world, and the most impressive part is that he seems automatic from all over the court. He’s also a member of the 50/40/90 club.
7. Stephen Curry
Shooting Splits: .477/.433/.907
When you think of a player who takes as many shots from beyond the three-point line as Stephen Curry does, you’d never think he’s an efficient scorer. Well, that’s why he’s considered the greatest shooter of all time.
Not only is Steph also a member of the 50/40/90 club but he’s also the owner of pretty much every single three-point related record in the league as of now. We’re talking about a guy who takes 12.7 three-pointers per game and still knocks down 43.3 of them. That’s insane.
6. Dirk Nowitzki
Shooting Splits: .471/.380/.879
Dirk Nowitzki made it to the league and almost instantly revolutionized the way the game was played. He was a big man who could shoot like the best of them, and his signature one-legged fadeaway was the league’s most unstoppable shot.
While not incredibly athletic or explosive, Dirk knew how to get to his spots and make the most of his length and size to shoot over every single defender, making his way to the 50/40/90 club in 2007.
5. Steve Nash
Shooting Splits: .490/.428/.904
Besides Larry Bird, Steve Nash is the only player in NBA history with multiple 50/40/90 seasons. Notably, he did it 4 times and in 3 straight seasons, to accolades that aren’t likely to be topped any time soon.
While not an elite scorer or an aggressive shooter, Nash was money every single time he took a shot. He was great at picking up his spots, finishing below the rim, shooting from the top of the arc, and knocking down free throws at an absurd rate.
4. Reggie Miller
Shooting Splits: .471/.395/.888
Reggie Miller was one of the first players to consistently rely on the three-point shot as a legit alternative. And, who could’ve blamed him? He was the best shooter in the league and a three-pointer from him was a high percentage shot.
Miller joined the 50/40/90 club in 1993 and set multiple three-point related marks that stood up for quite some time. Notably, he knocked down 2,560 three-pointers per his career and was clearly way ahead of his time.
3. Mark Price
Shooting Splits: .472/.403/.904
Even though we don’t talk about him very often, some older fans often say that Mark Price had a pretty similar game to Stephen Curry, and that’s not far-fetched at all. They were both entertainers with great playmaking skills and a sniper for a wrist.
Price joined the 50/40/90 club in 1989 by shooting an absurd 53/44/90 from the field. And even though he didn’t have as much of a green light to shoot threes as Curry does, his game would be tailor-made for today’s era.
2. Jeff Hornacek
Shooting Splits: .496/.403/.877
Younger fans may know Jeff Hornacek as an NBA coach but back in the day, he was a walking bucket, especially during his days with the Phoenix Suns. Moreover, he was as smart and efficient as they come.
Hornacek was one of the league’s finest shooters, winning the three-point shooting contest twice and the All-Star 2 Ball challenge as well. He also set a then-NBA record with 8 straight threes in a game.
1. Larry Bird
Shooting Splits: .496/.376/.886
And, of course, Larry Bird tops our list. Kevin Durant before Kevin Durant, some people believe that Larry Bird would’ve been as good – if not better – if he played nowadays, and that argument makes perfect sense.
Although in limited volume, Larry Bird was the best shooter in the league during his prime. He could turn around, shoot with both hands, create space with his hip, and go either way. He had a never-ending bag of tricks to fool his defenders. He was just too savvy and too good, and a two-time member of the 50/40/90 club.
