NBA 3-point Contest winners & full history
NBA 3-point Contest winners & full history
Two years after introducing the Slam Dunk Contest as part of All-Star Weekend, the NBA added the 3-Point Contest the Saturday before the 1986 All-Star Game at Reunion Arena in Dallas. Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird won the initial competition. It was the beginning of a new chapter of Bird’s legend as he won the first three competitions, including the 1988 contest without taking off his warmup jacket.
The 3-Point Contest has been a staple of All-Star Weekend since, with the 38th edition set for Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on Feb. 17. The event was not held in 1999 after the All-Star Game was canceled due to the NBA lockout.
Bird is one of just two players to win the contest twice, along with former Chicago Bulls guard Craig Hodges. Five players have two wins, including Peja Stojaković, Jeff Hornacek, Mark Price, Jason Kapono and Stephen Curry.
List of 3-point Contest winners includes legends and role players alike
The list of NBA 3-Point Contest winners spans the spectrum of the Association’s history over the last four decades, with winners large and small and a list spiced with superstars and role players alike.
Here is the complete list of 3-Point Contest champions:
- 1986 (Dallas): Larry Bird, Boston Celtics
- 1987 (Seattle): Larry Bird, Boston Celtics
- 1988 (Chicago): Larry Bird, Boston Celtics
- 1989 (Houston): Dale Ellis, Seattle SuperSonics
- 1990 (Miami): Craig Hodges, Chicago Bulls
- 1991 (Charlotte): Craig Hodges, Chicago Bulls
- 1992 (Orlando): Craig Hodges, Chicago Bulls
- 1993 (Salt Lake City): Mark Price, Cleveland Cavaliers
- 1994 (Minneapolis): Mark Price, Cleveland Cavaliers
- 1995 (Phoenix): Glen Rice, Miami Heat
- 1996 (San Antonio): Tim Legler, Washington Bullets
- 1997 (Cleveland): Steve Kerr, Chicago Bulls
- 1998 (New York): Jeff Hornacek, Utah Jazz
- 1999: Not held
- 2000 (Oakland): Jeff Hornacek, Utah Jazz
- 2001 (Washington): Ray Allen, Milwaukee Bucks
- 2002 (Philadelphia): Peja Stojaković, Sacramento Kings
- 2003 (Atlanta): Peja Stojaković, Sacramento Kings
- 2004 (Los Angeles): Voshon Lenard, Denver Nuggets
- 2005 (Denver): Quentin Richardson, Phoenix Suns
- 2006 (Houston): Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
- 2007 (Las Vegas): Jason Kapono, Miami Heat
- 2008 (New Orleans): Jason Kapono, Toronto Raptors
- 2009 (Phoenix): Daequan Cook, Miami Heat
- 2010 (Dallas): Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics
- 2011 (Los Angeles): James Jones, Miami Heat
- 2012 (Orlando): Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves
- 2013 (Houston): Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers
- 2014 (New Orleans): Marco Belinelli, San Antonio Spurs
- 2015 (Brooklyn): Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
- 2016 (Toronto): Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors
- 2017 (New Orleans): Eric Gordon, Houston Rockets
- 2018 (Los Angeles): Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
- 2019 (Charlotte): Joe Harris, Brooklyn Nets
- 2020 (Chicago): Buddy Hield, Sacramento Kings
- 2021 (Atlanta): Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors
- 2022 (Cleveland): Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
- 2023 (Salt Lake City): Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers
The Bulls, Celtics and Heat share the record for most winners with four, while Cleveland, Sacramento and Golden State have had three champions. The Jazz and Suns have had two winners each, with Seattle (which moved to Oklahoma City in 2008), Washington, Milwaukee, Denver, Dallas, Toronto, San Antonio, Houston, Brooklyn and Portland each boasting one contest champion.
Eleven teams have never had a player win the competition, including the Knicks, 76ers, Pistons, Pacers, Hawks, Hornets, Magic, Grizzlies, Pelicans, Clippers and Lakers.
Hodges is the all-time leader with eight appearances in the contest, including his final trip in 1993 when he was not on an NBA roster after being waived by Chicago after the 1991-92 season. Hodges is one of two players to compete in the 3-Point Contest despite not being on an NBA roster.
The first was Lithuanian shooting guard Rimas Kurtinaitis in 1989. He was never drafted or signed by an NBA but played 25 seasons in Europe from 1981-2006.
Formats and notable firsts in the 3-Point Contest
For most of its history, the NBA 3-point contest has featured eight players with a few exceptions. The 1989 contest was expanded to nine participants to account for Kurtinaitis. From 2003-13, the contest was limited to six contestants before returning to eight in 2014, when the two-point “Money Balls” were added.
The only other exceptions to the eight shooters standard came in 2018, when there were seven,; 2019, when a record 10 players participated; and 2021, with six contestants.
The introduction of the Money Ball in 2014 increased the maximum score per round from 30 to 34. In 2020, two additional shots from longer distance worth three points apiece were added. The timer for each round was increased to 70 seconds from 60 and the maximum score rose to 40.
Curry is the only multiple-time winner not to win his titles consecutively and set the record for most points in a round with 31 in 2021, a mark that was matched by Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers last year.
Hodges set the records for most shots made in a single round (21) and the most consecutive successful attempts (19).
Detlef Schrempf (1988) and Michael Jordan (1990) share the mark for the fewest points in a round with five. Kyrie Irving’s title in 2013 made him the contest’s youngest winner at age 20.
In 2006, Nowitzki became the first 7-footer to win the title while Towns, in 2022, was the first center to take the 3-point contest crown.