The Best NBA 3-Point Shooter Every Year From 2000 To 2023

• Stephen Curry is the only player on this list with multiple seasons of over 250 3-pointers made

• Ray Allen led the NBA in 3-pointers made three times but never led in 3-point shooting percentage

• Stephen Curry is the only player in NBA history with 400 3-pointers made in one season

It is no secret that the NBA has changed immensely over the last two decades. What was once a game of pounding the rock into the paint or guards attacking the rim, has now become a barrage of three-pointers and perimeter shots. This isn’t to say the game has devolved in any way but more just to point out the stark differences in gameplay. 

Back in 2000, just 23 years ago, an NBA team averaged just 13.7 3-point attempts per game. In 2023, the league average for 3-pointers attempted per team has risen to nearly triple that at over 34.0 attempts from beyond the arc. A big reason for that is, of course, the offense set forth by the Golden State Warriors, highlighted by two of the greatest 3-point shooters of all time, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Once teams saw their blueprint laid out for success, the NBA has never been the same.

Today, we thought we would take a trip back through the evolution of the game since 2000 and highlight the best 3-point shooter from every season. Obviously, Stephen Curry will control most of this list from 2014 onward, but what about the players who ruled 3-point land before him? Well, those players are the ones that will be highlighted here today.

These are the greatest NBA 3-point shooters every year from 2000 through 2023.

1999-00 NBA Season – Ray Allen

In the 1999-00 season, Ray Allen was headed into his fourth season with the Milwaukee Bucks and fourth season overall in the NBA. Allen had already shown the world that he had the potential to be one of the great 3-point shooters ever, but it was nothing compared to the storm coming. In the 2000 season, Allen would earn his first All-Star appearance averaging 22.1 PPG, and his three-point shooting is what helped elevate his game to a new level.

In the 2000 season, Allen would take an average of 5.0 3-point attempts per game and knock them down at a 42.3% clip. His 172 made threes that season ranked second in the NBA, five behind the league leader Gary Payton. His 42.3% conversion rate ranked 11th as well as he attempted the third-most threes in the NBA that season. Allen’s numbers may not be looked at as magnificent by today’s standards, but for the year 2000, it was incredible.

2000-01 NBA Season – Ray Allen

In the early 2000s, there were only a few elite 3-point shooters in the NBA. Names like Reggie Miller and Brent Barry come to mind, but nobody did it better than Ray Allen. Barry actually led the NBA in 3-point percentage in 2001, knocking down 47.6% of his 3.4 attempts per game. As efficient as he was, it doesn’t compare to the combination of volume and efficiency put forth by Allen that season.

In yet another All-Star season with Milwaukee, Allen would average 22.0 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 4.6 APG. He ranked second in the NBA with 202 made threes on the year out of 467 attempts. This translates to him making 2.5 of his 5.7 attempts per game on the season. His 43.3% shooting from deep ranked eighth in the NBA that season as well, behind players who took considerably fewer attempts than him from that distance. For the second season in a row, Allen is the three-point King, but can he make it a three-peat to start our list?

2001-02 NBA Season- Ray Allen

The answer to my previous question is a resounding yes. In 2002, Allen once again had an All-Star year with the Bucks, averaging 21.8 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 3.9 APG. Even the dynamic shot-chucking duo of Antoine Walker and Paul Pierce could not outshoot Allen that season from deep, although they combined for 432 made threes in 2002. Neither player ranked in the top 10 for efficiency in shooting the ball, which was the opposite case for Allen.

In 2002, Allen finally led the NBA in made threes with 229 on the season. He ranked second in 3-point attempts with 528, but the difference would be in his effectiveness shooting the ball. Allen would shoot 43.3% or make 3.3 of his 7.7 attempts per game. His 43.3% shooting ranked 10th overall in the NBA in 2002 as well, giving him three straight seasons of 11th or better in 3-point efficiency. Who said Stephen Curry was the first high-volume, high-efficiency shooter?

2002-03 NBA Season – Michael Redd

In 2002-03, Allen found himself in a peculiar situation during the season. About midway through the campaign, Allen would be traded from Milwaukee to the SuperSonics in exchange for Gary Payton. Now, Allen’s numbers dipped from the three-point line, and although he led the NBA in made threes again, his efficiency dipped to outside the top 20 at 37.7%. Meanwhile, his former Milwaukee teammate exploded.

Michael Redd had been in the shadow of Allen as a young player in Milwaukee but in 2003, made his presence known as a three-point shooter. For that season, Redd would average 15.1 PPG, mostly off the bench in Milwaukee. Of his 5.5 3-point attempts per game, Redd knocked down 2.2 of them for a shooting percentage of 43.8% from three, which ranked second in the NBA. His 182 made threes ranked third in the NBA, and his over 400 attempts ranked sixth in the NBA as well. Sorry Ray, but as far as a complete shooter from three that season, Michael Redd takes the crown.

2003-04 NBA Season – Peja Stojakovic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYtJjkiQbgA

A new name would enter the race for the 2004 season. Peja Stojakovic had one of the smoothest shooting strokes the game had ever seen, and in 2004, he put it on display for the entire world to see. While Allen and Redd were once again great, Peja was better, sitting atop the NBA in many different categories as it pertained to his shooting.

In 2004, Stojakovic would earn his third straight All-Star appearance with the Sacramento Kings averaging 24.2 PPG in 81 games played. Peja would lead the NBA in made threes with 240 as the only player to eclipse 200 threes that particular season. His 43.3% shooting from three would rank sixth in the NBA, as he made 3.0 of his 6.8 attempts on average per game. As far as 3-point shooting in 2004 goes, there were many to choose from, but only Peja stood out above the rest.

2004-05 NBA Season – Kyle Korver

The 2000s were filled with many of the types of players we often refer to as specialists. The 3-point specialist was especially prevalent at the time as teams began to implement the three-ball more and more into their game plans. One of these specialists, in just his second season, burst onto the scene and immediately inserted himself into the best 3-point shooter in the league conversation.

Kyle Korver was a second-round draft pick of the New Jersey Nets and was traded to the 76ers in 2003. Although Korver would put up a modest 11.2 PPG in the 2004-05 season, he would appear in all 82 games and lead the NBA in made 3-pointers with 226, which was tied with Quentin Richardson of the Phoenix Suns. Korver connected on 40.5% of his 3-pointers that season which ranked 18th in the NBA on 6.8 attempts.

2005-06 NBA Season – Ray Allen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m21gY3ixFM8

The 2005-06 season would be the year Ray Allen took his crown back as the best 3-point shooter in basketball. Of course, Korver gave him a run for his money, as did Chauncey Billups and Rip Hamilton of the Detroit Pistons. Hamilton would lead the NBA with a 45.8% 3-point percentage, while Billups knocked down the fifth-most 3-pointers in total with 184. If we are looking for the best combination of volume and efficiency, which we are, then the choice is Ray Allen.

During the 2005-06 season, Allen would average over 25.0 PPG for the first time in his career while leading the NBA in made 3-pointers with 269. He was the only player to reach even 200 made threes for the season and attempted over 100 more 3-pointers than any other player. His 41.2% shooting on 8.4 attempts ranked 17th in the NBA as well as he convincingly took the crown back as the 3-point King.

2006-07 NBA Season- Ray Allen

As far as his standing among the stats leaders in shooting for the 2006-07 season, Ray Allen’s stock took a little bit of a hit. However, something needs to be said for the shooting display he was consistently putting on, considering the volume at which he was shooting the ball. Very few players at this time were shooting close to the 8.1 three-point attempts per game, and those who were matching his volume weren’t exceeding 37.0% shooting like he was.

The 2006-07 season was a career year for Allen as he averaged a career-high 26.4 PPG in his final seasons with the Seattle SuperSonics. Allen would attempt 8.1 threes per game and knock them down at a 37.2% rate. He would drain 165 threes that season which ranked eighth in the NBA., and attempt 443 threes which ranked sixth. Allen was still considered to be the best shooter in the game until someone knocked him off the perch in a convincing fashion.

2007-08 NBA Season – Peja Stojakovic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2QY4Jsc6Q8

The 2007-08 NBA season would see Ray Allen take his talents to Boston and win his first NBA championship alongside Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. While Allen took a partial step back in favor of his teammates, Peja Stojakovic re-emerged as the best shooter in the game. Peja would not only reclaim his 3-point crown, but he would finish with 16.4 PPG while leading the NBA with a 92.9% free throw percentage as well.

Stojakovic attempted just under 7.0 threes per game in the 2007-08 season and connected on 3.0 of them per game. His 231 made attempts ranked second in the NBA behind Jason Richardson, and his 44.1% shooting from three ranked fourth. No other player in the NBA ranked in the top five for both total made threes and three-point percentage. With that combination of volume and accuracy, Peja Stojakpovic was the clear selection for 2008.

2008-09 NBA Season – Ray Allen

Fresh off an NBA championship with the Boston Celtics in 2008, Ray Allen would get even more comfortable in his role with the team in 2009, especially as a shooter. Allen was still a third option for the most part but had times when he had to be the second or first option, and he succeeded more often than not. Allen would increase his scoring to 18.2 PPG for 2009 while shooting 48.0% from the field overall.

As for his shooting, Allen was spectacularly accurate once again. He would finish the season making 199 total threes on 6.2 attempts per game, giving him a 40.9% shooting percentage from three on the year. Once again, his combination of volume and efficiency stood out above the rest as the gold standard in the NBA. While others shot more accurately, they didn’t do it on the same amount of attempts that Allen was putting up, making it another year that Allen reigned supreme over his peers.

2009-10 NBA Season – Stephen Curry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sc6d5Stynv4

Ok, I know at the time that the conversation hadn’t nearly started about Stephen Curry as the best 3-point shooter in the NBA. Looking back at it now with the stats to back it up, it had already happened, and we were just oblivious to it. Curry was just a rookie in 2010 and was still considered to be undersized and an experiment for the Warriors to move around and make work. Well, as it turns out, Curry was the best shooter in the game from the moment he stepped on the court.

Remember, I said he was a rookie. With that in mind, Curry would finish sixth in the NBA in made 3-pointers with 166. He was one of just 13 players to make at least 150 threes that season and attempted 4.8 threes per game. He shot a whopping 43.7% from three in 2010 as well, which ranked seventh. Only Channing Frye made more threes at a higher percentage that season. Now, you tell me who you would choose between the two.

2010-11 NBA Season – Ray Allen

The title of the best shooter in the NBA returned in 2011 for more than one reason. First, this would be the season that Allen would pass Reggie Miller as the all-time leader in made three-pointers. Allen would pass Miller on February 11, 2011, with his 2,973 made three at the time in front of his home crowd at the T.D. Garden in Boston.

Other than a soft spot for him breaking the record, Allen also proved to be the best shooter in the game with his daily performance. Allen would finish fifth in the NBA with 165 made 3-pointers on the year and a 44.4% 3-point percentage that ranked second. Although he attempted just 4.7 threes per game, Allen’s all-around shooting display was the best in the league.

2011-12 NBA Season – Ray Allen

The 2011-12 season would be the final time we see Ray Allen tabbed as the best 3-point shooter in the NBA. By this time, Allen’s time in Boston was nearly done as he struggled to play 50 games. Allen was still among the league leaders in every major shooting stat that just goes to show he was still as valuable as ever. Although he missed 20 games, Allen would average 14.6 PPG for the Celtics and help them win 39 games in a shortened 66-game schedule.

The 2011-12 season marked the last time we would see Allen among the league leaders in both made threes and 3-point shooting percentage. Allen would make 106 3-pointers on the year, which ranked 19th in the NBA. His 45.3% shooting percentage, however, ranked among the league’s best at fourth, tied with Mike Miller. Although it is a stretch for 2011-12, Ray Allen is named the best 3-point shooter in the NBA for one final time.

2012-13 NBA Season – Stephen Curry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9DQfHAXy6xA

The 2012-13 season is when we can declare the torch was officially passed on from every other shooter we covered up until this point to Stephen Curry. Now, a bit more mature and heading into his fourth NBA season, Curry took the reins of the Golden State Warriors offense and put forth the first of many incredible shooting seasons to come.

The 2012-13 season would see Curry averaging 22.9 PPG, 6.9 APG, and 1.6 SPG. It was the first season in which he truly showed he could be the number-one guy in Golden State. For the season, Curry would lead the NBA with an incredible 272 made 3-pointers on 7.7 attempts per game. What was even more impressive was the 45.3% rate at which he shot those 3-pointers, which finished third in the NBA. Although it had not translated to team success just yet, the culmination of it all was right around the corner.

2013-14 NBA Season – Stephen Curry

The statistics and lights-out performances just continued to get even more incredible from Curry in 2014, and he wasn’t even at his best yet. Both Curry and teammate Klay Thompson would be the only players to make 200 3-point field goals during the 2013-14 season, which began to bring into focus both the plan of attack and the blueprint for success of the Golden State Warriors.

For the second straight season, Curry would lead the NBA in made 3-pointers with 261. He would be the only player with 250 made threes that season. What is incredible about his performance is that while the attempts from the three-point range continue to climb, his efficiency remains the same or gets better. In 2013-14, Curry would shoot 42.4% from three on his slightly increased workload of 7.9 attempts per game which gave him the eighth-best shooting percentage from deep on the year.

2014-15 NBA Season – Stephen Curry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UaA4zaE2i7k

The next few seasons are the times that Stephen Curry solidified himself as the greatest shooter ever and began a run we likely will never see repeated in our lifetime. In 2015, Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors would light the NBA world on fire, rattling off 67 wins behind a relentless three-point attack led by Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. Curry would earn his first MVP award by averaging 23.8 PPG, 7.7 APG, and 2.0 SPG, but what cemented his case was what he did as a shooter.

Curry would once again set the single-season 3-point record with 286 threes made on 44.3% shooting. His shooting percentage ranked third in the NBA while also attempting 686 3-pointers total, which ranked first by nearly 80 attempts. Curry’s monumental shooting display would lead to the Warriors’ first NBA championship since 1975 when they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in six games in the NBA Finals.

2015-16 NBA Season – Stephen Curry

As amazing as Curry’s performance in 2015 was, it paled in comparison to what he and the Warriors were about to do in 2016. As the team rattled off the most wins in NBA history with 73, Curry would earn the NBA’s first and only unanimous MVP award after averaging 30.1 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 6.7 APG, and 2.1 SPG. He led the NBA in free throw percentage, PPG, and SPG and finished with a 50/40/90 shooting season.

Curry’s 2016 season gets even crazier as you dissect it. Not only did Curry become the first player in NBA history to make 300 threes in a season, but he took it even further and knocked down 402. His 66.9% true shooting led the NBA, and his 45.4% 3-point percentage was second only to J.J. Redick. It was the single greatest shooting season in NBA history and of the greatest individual seasons in NBA history, period.

2016-17 NBA Season – Stephen Curry

Look, as long as he is healthy and on the court, Stephen Curry is the best 3-point shooter in the NBA on his worst day. Every shot and every moment has you on the edge of your seat as a fan which nobody has ever been able to do with a jump shot like Stephen Curry has. To follow up his record-breaking 2016, Curry now had to share the ball with Kevin Durant as the Warriors became an unstoppable force on the court.

This hardly slowed him down as he once again led the NBA with 324 made 3-pointers on the season. For the second season in a row, Curry averaged double-digit three-point attempts with 10.0. His 41.1% shooting from deep ranked 15th in the NBA, as his shooting with Durant’s presence and the rest of the roster led the Warriors to 67 wins in the regular season. The team would then go on to win an NBA championship led by Curry and Durant for their second championship in three seasons.

2017-18 NBA Season – Stephen Curry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0hCsjnRGus

In 2018, Curry got even better from the three-point line, although not a repeat of his nuclear season in 2016. Coming off another NBA title, Curry shot the ball and played like he still had something to prove. He averaged 26.4 PPG that season while falling just shy of his second 50/40/90 effort. Curry and the Warriors were the odds-on favorites once again, and Curry led the way.

For the fifth consecutive season, Curry would make at least 200 3-pointers while shooting over 40.0% from that range. His teammate Klay Thompson had an equally impressive season, knocking down even more total threes than Curry with 229 on 44.0% shooting. The pair, along with Durant, would make the Warriors unstoppable throughout the regular season and playoffs for the second consecutive season. They would go on to knock off the Cavaliers in four games and win their third NBA championship in four seasons.

2018-19 NBA Season – Stephen Curry

The 2019 season was interesting as it was the third season of the Kevin Durant era in Golden State. James Harden became a relentless scoring machine and knocked down an NBA-leading 378 threes on his way to his second straight scoring title but did not earn the title of the best shooter in the NBA.

That title still belonged to Stephen Curry, who ranked just behind Harden with 354 threes made. The major difference between the two would be Curry’s 43.7% shooting from deep, which ranked fourth in the NBA, as opposed to Harden’s 36.8%, which didn’t even rank in the top 20. Curry’s shooting once again helped the Warriors advance to their fifth straight NBA Finals. Unfortunately for them, both Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson would go down with injuries that cost them a chance at a three-peat and so much more.

2019-20 NBA Season – Damian Lillard

Remember when I said that as long as Curry was healthy, he was the best shooter in the world? Well, four games into the 2020 season, Curry was injured and ruled out for what was the entire rest of the year. With that being said, somebody had to take his place during a season that saw many firsts, including a pandemic shutting down the NBA and a bubble format to determine an NBA champion.

The player that would step up and take Curry’s crown would be none other than Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers. Lillard is the second greatest 3-point shooting point guard in NBA history, and his 2020 season proved why that is true. Lillard would knock down the third-most 3-pointers on the year with 270 while being successful on 40.1% of his tries. Lillard would go on to earn Bubble MVP honors with a barrage of unreal performances while leading Portland to the playoffs and averaging 30.0 PPG.

2020-21 NBA Season – Stephen Curry

With Stephen Curry back on the court and fully healthy, the crown was his before the season even started. That became even more evident as the season unfolded. In 2021, Curry would go on to win his second career scoring title averaging 32.0 PPG, while desperately trying to qualify his team for the NBA playoffs. Although that goal fell just short, Curry reminded the world why he is the greatest shooter in NBA history.

Curry would once again lead the NBA with 337 made three-pointers which was the sixth time he led the NBA in made three-pointers, and the fourth time he had exceeded 300 in a season. Curry’s 42.1% shooting percentage from three once again ranked in the top 20. Despite the great season, the Warriors’ season would come to an end in the inaugural installment of the new play-in tournament format.

2021-22 NBA Season – Stephen Curry

The 2022 NBA season would also belong to Stephen Curry based on his performance in both the regular season and playoffs. After two seasons without their core fully intact due to injuries, Klay Thomspon returned to the court with some magic in his shoes. From that point forward, the Warriors looked like an unstoppable championship team led by Stephen Curry, who was still on top of the world as the best shooter in the game. Early on in the season, Curry would shake off some early jitters to become the NBA’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made, breaking Ray Allen’s record. Still, the best was yet to come.

For the seventh time in his career, Curry would lead the NBA in made threes with 285 on the season. Curry would shoot below 40.0% from three for the first time since his five-game season in 2020 but made up for it with an unforgettable playoff run. He would make 91 threes on a single playoff run, going 91-229 or 39.7% as the Warriors made their way to and through the NBA Finals. Once again, Curry had put the Warriors on his back for their fourth NBA title in eight seasons. This time, Curry was finally awarded the Finals MVP he had failed to capture in the past.

2022-23 NBA Season – Stephen Curry

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tBms2X_I1js

In all seriousness, are you going to sit there and argue anybody else is the best shooter in the game other than Stephen Curry? Seriously, if you had one shot, are you going with Curry or the field in a bet for your life? The 2023 season was disappointing all the way around for Golden State as they failed to defend their NBA championship and traded away Jordan Poole in the offseason. Yet, the fact always was that we were watching the best shooter in the game every time we watched Curry take the court.

In many ways, Curry had a much better shooting season in 2023 than he did in 2022. He would knock down a total of 273 threes which ranked third in the NBA behind Klay Thompson and Buddy Hield. Curry’s 42.7% shooting would put him back in the top 10 for efficiency at seventh as well. The race between him and Thompson was close for the title of the best shooter in 2023, but in the end, I could not bring myself to select anyone other than the greatest to ever do it.

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