We take a look at the history of each NBA franchise and find their greatest shooter of all time.
With the NBA moving towards a “pace and space” style of play more players are starting to expand their game to behind the 3-point line. It wasn’t until recently that players 6-foot-9 and taller needed to have perimeter games.
However, even though playing beyond the arc might be more en vogue now, the 3-pointer has been part of the game dating back to 1979. Before that, some players were still prolific scorers from outside the paint.
For each fan base there’s that one player that no matter where the shot was taken from, they always believed that it would end up in the bottom of the net. From 3-point marksmen, to mid-range assassins and everything in between, there’s one player that stands out above the rest.
In the following slides you will be presented with an argument for who is the greatest shooter of all time for each of the 30 NBA franchises. For the sake of this piece, no player was able to be used more than once (sorry Ray Allen!). Yet, the names to come represent some of the 30 of the best shooters to ever lace up in the NBA.
You’ll see a few names of players still on the court today, some players who became fan favorites, and some legends that will be remembered forever.
Atlanta Hawks: Kyle Korver
Korver has been known as a shooter since he first came into the league from Creighton. The 6-foot-7 wing’s shot got him on the court, but through stops with Philadelphia, Utah, and Chicago he could never find a role outside of rotation player.
That changed when he found himself in Atlanta in 2012, and in his second season the club brought in former Spurs assistant coach Mike Budenholzer and truly unlocked Korver’s full arsenal.
Throughout his five seasons as a member of the Hawks Korver shot 45.2 percent on 3s on 5.5 attempts per game. The amount of off-ball movement and screens that Budenholzer’s offense incorporated for Korver left the defenses picking the worst of two evils: an open Korver 3-pointer or a cutting big man with no rotating help in the lane.
His 10.9 points per game (PPG) average in Atlanta is his highest PPG total on any team he’s played for in his 14-year career. He also finished first in the NBA in true shooting percentage in both 2013-14 (.653) and 2014-15 (.699). That stretch included his then record-setting 127 consecutive games with a made 3-pointer.
In 2015, as a member of the Hawks, Korver was selected to his first All-Star game as an injury replacement for Dwyane Wade (he was also named player of the month in January of 2015).
Korver’s shooting was part of the revitalization of the Hawks as a franchise. It’s not up for debate whether or not Korver is one of the best shooters in NBA history. At 36, he’s showing no signs of slowing down from the perimeter and now that he’s next to LeBron James in Cleveland he might be able to add a championship ring to his career accolades.
But no one will ever forget his scorching hot run in Atlanta.
Boston Celtics: Larry Bird
Larry Bird’s entrance into the NBA just so happened to align with the introduction of the 3-point line. Bird took full advantage of it. He was the originator of the 50-40-90 club, which is when a player shoots 50 percent or better from the field, 40 percent or better on 3-pointers, and 90 percent or better from the free throw line. Bird is one of only two players in NBA history to have multiple seasons hitting those 50-40-90 numbers.
The Hall-of-Famer from French Lick, Indiana, was one of the first swing forwards as he often played both the power forward and small forward position during his time with the Celtics. He spent all 13 years of his NBA career in Boston and shot 37.6 percent from 3-point range.
Bird won the first three Long Distance Shootouts (name would be changed to 3-point contest later on) in NBA history and two of the players he defeated in the finals (Dale Ellis, 1989 and Craig Hodges, 1990-92) would go on to win 3-point contests of their own in the future.
A 12-time All-Star, 10-time All-NBA selection, three-time MVP, three-time NBA Champion and two-time NBA Finals MVP, Bird has had one of the most decorated careers of any player on this list.
He was also a member of the greatest team ever assembled as part of the 1992 Dream Team–though it came as Bird was experiencing back issues that would go on to end his playing career. After stepping away Bird has found success as a coach and in the front office with his hometown Pacers.
Brooklyn Nets: Drazen Petrovic
Though his time in the NBA was sadly cut short, the Croatian Sensation, Drazen Petrovic definitely made an impact on the court.
Originally selected by the Portland Trail Blazers — in the third round of the 1986 NBA Draft — Petrovic wanted out after coming over to America three years later and then being brought off the bench for a season and some change. He hit the ground running in New Jersey. The 6-foot-5 wing was the guy for those early 90’s Nets team and his prolific outside shot made him the key player to stop for opponents.
During his three seasons with the Nets, Petrovic nailed 43.7 percent of his 3-point attempts, which was also his percentage for his career (which ranks fourth overall for career 3-point percentage in NBA history).
In his first season in New Jersey Petrovic was named to All-NBA Third Team and he twice finished with an effective field goal percentage in the top 10 of the NBA (1991-1993).
Drazen was a member of the Croatian national team in 1992 where the Dream Team famously shut down the young Toni Kukoc, but Petrovic scored 19 and 24 points respectively in the two games against the United States.
Petrovic was well on his way to cementing himself as a perennial All-Star caliber player and his ability to score from all three levels was clear reason why.
Tragically, Petrovic passed due to an auto accident on the Autobahn 9 just before his 29th birthday. His No. 3 jersey was retired by the Nets organization and he was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2002.
Charlotte Hornets: Dell Curry
The original Curry definitely deserves a spot on this list. He was a staple of the early teams at the beginning of the Charlotte Hornets franchise.
While he didn’t bomb as many 3-pointers as his son, Steph (2.9 career 3-pointers attempted per game for Dell and 7.6 for Steph) he was just as much of a threat from behind the arc.
Curry played 10 seasons in Charlotte and shot 40.5 percent from 3 during his stint there. Dell won Sixth Man of the Year in the 1993-94 season and his 47.8 3-point percentage in 1998-99 led the league.
The sweet shooting is in the genes as the elder Curry shot 40.2 on 3-pointers for his career, and had an effective field goal percentage of .513 and a true shooting percentage of .537 over his 16 years in the NBA.
Dell was a part of two 3-point contests (1991-92 and 1993-94) and was part of the 2014 Shooting Stars competition at the New Orleans festivities, teaming up with Steph and current Spurs assistant coach Becky Hammon.
Dell’s greatest contribution to shooting in the NBA comes later on in this list, but don’t get blinded by what his junior has done. Dell was one of the premier 3-point specialist in the NBA. Playing off Alonzo Mourning and Larry Johnson allowed him free range to light opponents up from the perimeter spot of his choice.
He only had one season with the 3-point line at Virginia Tech (and shot 57.1 percent) and by the time he landed in Charlotte he was an elite sharpshooter.
Chicago Bulls: Steve Kerr
Though the second coming of the triangle offense failed in New York, Steve Kerr thrived in the system during his time with the Chicago Bulls. Kerr shot 47.9 percent on 3-pointers during his five years as a Bull.
Kerr shot over .500 from 3-point range twice in his NBA career (1989-90 with Cleveland and 1994-95 with Chicago). More importantly, Kerr is now the coach of the two-time champion Golden State Warriors, uh I mean he drilled the game winning 3-pointer in Game 6 of the 1997 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz.
Kerr was a regular at All-Star Weekend during his time with the Bulls. He participated in four straight 3-point contests from 1994-97. He finally prevailed in 1997 taking out another player that is on this list in the finals.
The Arizona alum also tasted glory as a member of the San Antonio Spurs, winning his fourth title in his final NBA season. A popular anecdote is of the training regimen Kerr put himself through while playing for the Trail Blazers, Kerr would sit on the bench and have a normal conversation with a coach and at a moment’s notice the coach would yell, “Go!” and the two would sprint on the court for one shot. They repeated this seven times for a length of 30 minutes.
As mentioned above, Kerr has found success post-career as a head coach of the current defending champions. In his first three years on the sidelines he has won 67, 73 and 67 regular seasons games. Kerr was also briefly part of the Phoenix Suns organization as the general manager from 2007-10.
Of all the former players on this list Kerr has likely been the most successful in the NBA after he stopped playing the game.
Cleveland Cavaliers: Mark Price
Like Kerr, Price now finds himself coaching on the sidelines — Price is the head coach at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Price was also at the height of his eagle eye prowess at the same time as Kerr too.
From 1986-95 Price was a knockdown shooter for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Price was such a good scorer that the Cavaliers decided to ship Kevin Johnson off to Phoenix and let Price run the show.
Price shot 40.9 percent on 3-pointers during his nine seasons with Cleveland. He also finished with the best free throw percentage twice as a Cavalier (1991-92, 1992-93) and once with Golden State (1996-97). He even shot a perfect 100 percent from the line in one season — albeit in just seven games and on 10 attempts.
Unlike others on this list, Price was more than just a specialist. He was highly effective as a point guard and was a maestro in the pick-and-roll. If a defender went under the screen he’d drain a jumper. If the defense trapped he’d slip a dime to the rolling big. If the big defender hedge he’d zip right around him and into the lane.
Price helped lead the Cavaliers to the playoffs seven consecutive seasons and if not for a guy named Michael Jordan he could easily have had the most postseason success in Cleveland sports of any athlete not named LeBron James.
Price was the originator of the style of play that players like Steve Nash and Steph Curry evolved over the courses of their career.
Dallas Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki
Nowadays if any player catches the ball in the post with a smaller defender on them the play will likely end with the offensive player taking a fade away jump shot off one leg. Therein lies the legacy of Dirk Nowitzki.
The “Dirk” as it is commonly known and referred to is a staple of any top tier wing and stretch big’s post arsenal. However, many have replicated it, but none make it look as good as Nowitzki does.
The 7-foot German truly revitalized the way power forwards could play the game. Nowitzki played mostly on the perimeter and his ability to hit shots from outside forced defenses away from the paint and opened things for himself and his teammates.
His numbers back up just how great and unique he has been since entering the league in 1998. Nowitzki is sixth all-time (and the highest scoring international player to date) in points scored with 30,260 total. He is also the active leader in made free throws and made field goals.
A former MVP and 13-time All-Star also led the Mavericks to an upset of the newly formed LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh “Heatles” trio in the 2011 NBA Finals, where he took home Finals MVP honors as well.
Before coming over to the NBA there had not been a player like Dirk. His shot might be duplicated, but the player will never be. The Hall of Fame (and a to be announced role in the Mavericks organization) await Nowitzki when he decides to call it quits.
Denver Nuggets: Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf
Though his time in the NBA was short-lived, the name Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf has been making the rounds in the news as of late. First, was the news that Abdul-Rauf would be an inaugural member of Ice Cube’s BIG3 league. Along with Rashard Lewis and Kwame Brown, Abdul-Rauf would help take the 3-Headed Monsters to the championship game.
The other reason that Abdul-Rauf has been highly sought after is his connection to Colin Kaepernick. Abdul-Rauf decided during the 1995-96 to refuse to stand for the playing of the national anthem. After a one-game suspension from the league, Abdul-Rauf remained steadfast in his belief that standing and saluting the flag during the anthem was against his Islamic belief system.
When the ball was tipped off, Abdul-Rauf — formerly known as Chris Jackson — was hard to stop. During his freshman season at LSU he averaged an NCAA record 30.2 points per game and entered the draft after his sophomore year, which was also Shaquille O’Neal’s freshmen season.
By his third year, and second coach, the former college star was lighting the NBA up with his smooth stroke. Technically, he holds the highest career free throw percentage at 90.5 percent, but he finished his nine-year career 39 attempts short of the 1200 attempt threshold to qualify for the leaderboard.
Abdul-Rauf shot only 35.4 percent from 3-point range in his six seasons with the Nuggets, but he displayed a lot of his shooting prowess in the mid-range and showcased his ability to knock down free throws.
Detroit Pistons: Chauncey Billups
Chauncey “Mr. Big Shot” Billups is renowned for his eight years as a Detroit Piston. Billups and Richard Hamilton, Rasheed Wallace and Ben Wallace helped transform the Pistons into a hard-nosed team that pulled off what many consider as the biggest upset in the NBA Finals when they defeated the Lakers in 2004 (a team that featured Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone, Gary Payton, and Shaq).
Billups had been a journeyman before finding a steady home with the Pistons, making stops in Boston, Toronto, Denver and Minnesota prior to signing with Detroit in 2002. Once there, Chauncey started to display the traits and potential that got him drafted third overall in the 1997 NBA Draft.
In the eight seasons he was on the Pistons he shot 39.7 percent from t3. His knack for draining clutch shots earned him his well-known moniker.
As a bigger guard, Billups would willingly take advantage of size mismatches and was strong enough to battle in the post and quick enough to get by like-sized players. That quartet of Pistons fit perfectly together and were part of a storied time in “DEEEEEEEEE-TROIT BASK-ET-BALLLLL!”
The sweet shot hasn’t left yet as like the previously mentioned Abdul-Rauf, Billups was also an original member of the BIG3, but bowed out after a brief flirtation with the Cleveland Cavaliers for their general manager position. Chauncey has been a staple of ESPN’s new look studio basketball analysts.
Golden State Warriors: Stephen Curry
The greatest shooter in NBA history doesn’t really need a 250-plus word slide on why he deserves to be on this list, but you’re getting one anyway.
Dating back to his explosive NCAA Tournament run as a sophomore at Davidson, Stephen Curry has mastered the art of the jump shot. He’s quickly silenced any critics over the course of his eight-year career and it’s mostly due to that beautiful jumper.
Curry has hit 43.8 percent of his 3-pointers to date and his 90.1 free throw shooting percentage is only a couple tenths off the pace for tops in NBA history.
With Curry, the greatness is that there isn’t a shot type that he can’t do. Catch-and-shoot? Check. Off the dribble? Check. Pull-up jumpers? Check. Transition 3-pointers? Check. Floaters? Check. Even his layups have exaggerated arcs on them.
He has what can only be defined as “gravity”, just having him on the floor attracts extra defensive attention and results in higher percentage looks for his teammates. Last season, only Kevon Looney and Anderson Varejao saw their effective field goal and true shooting percentages increase with Curry off the floor according to nbawowy.
During the last five seasons Curry has led the NBA in three-pointers made and attempted. He’s the active leader in 3-point percentage and ranks third all-time. Curry also places second overall in career true shooting percentage with a career average of .616.
In his second of consecutive MVP seasons, he finished with a true shooting percentage of .669, which led the NBA. He also topped the league in made field goals with 805.
Houston Rockets: Kenny Smith
Kenny “The Jet” Smith is another player on this list that was in his prime during the early-to-mid 90’s. Smith won back-to-back championships with the Houston Rockets in the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons.
Those Rockets team were led by Hall of Fame center Hakeem Olajuwon and embraced the open floor tactics that a lot of teams use today. With Olajuwon manning the post, Rudy Tomjanovich surrounded him with shooters and Smith was the best of them.
Smith shot 40.7 percent on 3-pointers over the six years he spent in Houston — which is almost spot on to the 40.8 percent he shot at North Carolina in his one season there with the 3-point line. The New York native had the fortune of playing with another all-time great as he shared the floor with Michael Jordan as a Tar Heel.
His ability to relocate and move without the ball resulted in a ton of open looks for him. He had an effortless shot and was as reliable as they come in catch-and-shoot opportunities. The former sixth overall pick also had some spring to his step and wasn’t afraid to attack the rim when opponents closed out too hard. He’s the only player on this list to complete in both the slam dunk (1990) and 3-point contests (1993) during All-Star Weekend.
Smith is now best known for his role with TNT’s Inside The NBA pre and post game studio coverage. Alongside Ernie Johnson, Shaq and Charles Barkley, the quartet brings their own brand of opinion, analysis and hijinks every Thursday during the season.
Indiana Pacers: Reggie Miller
This should come as no surprise as if there was possibly another answer for this franchise besides Reggie Miller. Another member of the Turner broadcast family, Miller was the first to take down Kenny Smith in TNT’s post-retirement 3-point shootout (Smith had previously beaten Danny Ainge and Steve Kerr).
Miller is one of the best shooting guards to play the game. Miller was at his best operating without the ball. With steady point guard play from the likes of Mark Jackson, Travis Best and others, Miller had the freedom to maneuver throughout the halfcourt as he pleased.
Reading screens and defenders was Miller’s exceptional skill. He was in incredible shape and any defender matched up against Miller had to prepare themselves for a track meet. Reggie was never the biggest player, but he had the strength and smarts needed to get himself open at a moments notice.
His eight-point explosion in nine seconds against the Knicks in the 1995 Easter Conference Semifinals at the Garden will live on forever. Consecutive 3-pointers and two free throws sealed the infamous moment from Miller.
Like Curry and Nowitzki, Miller spent the entirety of his 17-year career with the same team. He is not only the best shooter in Pacers’ history, but also their most recognizable player.
For his career he shot 39.5 percent on 3-pointers, but from 1993-1998 he shot over 40 percent from deep each season. Miller is second all-time in 3-point field goals made (2560) and 3-point field goals attempted (6486).
Los Angeles Clippers: J.J. Redick
The Los Angeles Clippers do not have what one would refer to as a storied history. The list of names associated with the franchise are more infamous than famous. However, things seemed to take a turn lately. Chris Paul, Blake Griffin and DeAndre Jordan all have an argument for top five slots in Clippers history, but when it comes to shooting none of them hold a candle to J.J. Redick.
The former Duke Blue Devil and National Player of the Year has always been one of the best shooters in the NBA during his 11-year career. However, it wasn’t until he was traded to the Clippers that he became a featured part of a team.
In four seasons in Los Angeles, Redick shot 44 percent from the perimeter. With Griffin and Jordan setting screens and Paul in charge of getting him the ball, all Redick had to focus on was hitting his open looks and he hit them for sure. Redick was just a few tenths away from being a 90 percent free throw shooter in his time with the Clippers.
While Curry was becoming the lone unanimous MVP in NBA history and leading the Warriors to a record 73 wins, Redick was leading the NBA in 3-point field goal percentage at 47.5 during the 2015-16 season.
The turnaround of the Clippers behind him, Redick signed a one-year, $23 million contract with Philadelphia this season. Giving the effect he had in LA, it would seem that the Sixers’ process led them to bringing in just the shooter they need.
Los Angeles Lakers: Jerry West
Jerry West did not have the luxury of playing with the 3-point line during his 14-year Hall of Fame career, but the NBA wouldn’t have been in the wrong if they decided to use a silhouette of West shooting as the league’s logo instead of the one of him dribbling. Without the arc, West still managed to rank 20th all-time in points scored (25,192).
The Logo is a legend in Laker land. He helped lead the franchise to a whopping nine NBA Finals appearances and is the only player to ever win Finals MVP despite playing for the losing team.
West twice held the highest true shooting percentage (1965-66 and 1967-68) and he also led the NBA twice in free throws made and attempted (1965-66 and 1969-70). His ability to convert from the charity stripe attributed to him racking up a fair share of the points he did. West ranks sixth all-time in made free throws (7,160) and eighth all-time in free throws attempted (8,801).
Despite not getting an additional point for shooting from distance, West did a lot of his damage in the mid-range. A 6-foot-2 combo guard from West Virginia, West showed true dedication to the sport. Sharpshooting big, Chuck Person, to this day credits West’s tutelage as the reason he became the shooter he was during his playing days.
He is to this day still involved in the NBA. After helping bring together Shaq and Kobe Bryant with the Lakers, West has been part of the front office with the Warriors, Clippers and the next team on this list, the Memphis Grizzlies.
Memphis Grizzlies: Mike Miller
Jerry West never suited up for Memphis, and not too many shooters made their way onto the Grizzlies rosters either. However, the Grizzlies were able to snag Mike Miller away from the Miami Heat when they waived him via the amnesty provision. Miller had previously spent six seasons in Memphis following a trade from the Orlando Magic where he had won Rookie of the Year in 2001.
A 40.7 percent 3-point shooter for his career, Miller saw that number jump up to 42 percent in his seven seasons playing in Memphis and shot under 40 percent only once during that stretch. At 6-foot-8 Miller’s speedy release helps him get his shot off quickly against recovering defenders.
Miller had his biggest moment in Memphis during the 2014 NBA Playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The opening round matchup went the full seven games with the Grizzlies ultimately losing. However, Miller was on fire from beyond the arc shooting 51.9 percent on 27 3-point attempts over the duration of the series. In the critical Game 5, Miller drilled five 3-pointers to help Memphis take a 3-2 lead.
Miller, a two-time NBA champion, also collected the 2005-06 Sixth Man of the Year award while he was with the Grizzlies. That season he averaged 13.7 points per game and connected on 138 3-pointers.The next season he would set the franchise record for 3s made (202) and attempted (498).
His shooting ability has been key in his professional basketball longevity as he prepares to embark on his 18th season, after being waived by the Nuggets this summer a reunion with the Grizzlies could be on the table.
Miami Heat: Glen Rice
Another great shooter of the mid-90’s finds himself as the next selection on this list. A year after their inaugural NBA season, the Miami Heat selected Glen Rice with the fourth overall pick. The Flint, Michigan native and University of Michigan All-American alum finished his career as a 40 percent 3-point shooter and knocked down 38.6 percent of his attempts during his first six years in the NBA with Miami.
Rice was a much more prolific shooter at his second stop in the NBA with the Hornets, but he was always a one-of-a-kind scorer. At 6-foot-7 he could rise right over the top of the defense and splash his smooth jumper at will. He was one of the tougher covers in the mid-90’s and his ability to score from any level made him a threat to score the moment he crossed halfcourt.
He would be named to the All-Star game three times in his career and even win the All-Star game MVP in the 1996-97 game. His 47 percent 3-point field goal percentage led the NBA that same year. Rice would win a title in 2000 with the Lakers, using the triangle offense and the threat of Shaq to unload from deep as he wished.
Now 50-years-old, Rice has seen his son, Glen Rice Jr. get a brief stint in the NBA with the Wizards. Rice also heads up Glen Rice Basketball, a training facility that aims to help big men shoot like guards and guards to work out of the post — two staples of Rice’s own game.
Milwaukee Bucks: Ray Allen
Just like Steph Curry and Reggie Miller before him, any list about shooting isn’t complete if it doesn’t include Ray Allen. Yet, unlike Curry and Miller, Allen possesses a picture perfect, textbook jumper. Everything about his shot is done exactly how a player would be coached up to shoot. His ability to shoot each shot the exact same way helped him to claim the top spot in all-time 3-pointers made (2,973).
Though he found more success during his stops in Miami and Boston, Allen truly broke into his own over the course of his seven seasons in Milwaukee. Allen was part of the 1996 NBA Draft Class, which is often thought of as one of the best drafts in NBA history, and following a draft day deal between Minnesota and Milwauke he hit the ground running with the Bucks knocking down 39.3 percent of his 3-pointers as a rookie. He was selected to the All-Rookie team following the 1996-97 season.
The He Got Game star definitely proved worthy of the Jesus Shuttlesworth moniker he adopted during the film. Allen also got the chance to play in those beautiful Milwaukee jerseys that featured a buck on the front. Though he would go on to star for the Supersonics, Celtics and Heat, he showed that he could be the man on his own team during his time in Milwaukee.
The future Hall of Famer, was a 10-time All-Star and selected twice to an All-NBA team. If there’s any proof that the jump shot is an art form it is watching Allen shoot. From gather to release it is pure poetry in motion.
Minnesota Timberwolves: Fred Hoiberg
Fred Hoiberg’s playing career is usually an after thought compared to the program he helped built out in Ames, Iowa, but for Minneosta he was one of their more successful role players. For current NBA fans, Fred Hoiberg might go down as the straw that finally broke the GarPax back, but when the head coach of the Chicago Bulls played in the NBA the only thing he broke was nets. A true Midwesterner to the core, Hoiberg spent the bulk of his career with the Indiana Pacers and Bulls.
Yet, to close out his 10-year career in the league, Hoiberg was the ultimate floor spacer for the Timberwolves. During his two seasons in Minnesota, Hoiberg shot 46.1 percent from 3-point range. In his final NBA season in 2004-05, he nailed a league-best 48.3 percent of his 33-pointers. “The Mayor” was never more than a rotation player, but he really was a key member of those Timberwolves team at the end of his career.
Minnesota, like Memphis, has had its fair share of struggle in retaining a high-level shooter for long stretches. Instead, they often search out shooters for hire (for lack of a better term) to bring in and get rid of if they don’t perform to expectations.
The franchise has had a few franchise-caliber talents in Karl-Anthony Towns, Kevin Garnett and Kevin Love, but they have had their issues feeling out the roster around them. For the sake of this post, that meant finding the player that has performed the best and that lead us to Hoiberg.
New Orleans Pelicans: Peja Stojakovic
The third consecutive franchise that has had its difficulties locking down a true long-term shooter. However, unlike Memphis and Minnesota, they were able to employ an elite shooter from another franchise. Peja Stojakovic was an All-NBA player in his time with the Sacramento Kings, but prior to the Croatian hanging it up in 2011 he spent five seasons showing off his sweet stroke for the New Orleans franchise.
In his time with the then named Hornets, Stojakovic shot 40.4 percent on 3-pointers. During their two trips to the playoffs Stojakovic’s shooting skyrocketed up to 46.8 percent from 3 in 17 total games. Teamed up with Chris Paul, David West and Tyson Chandler, Stojakovic had a one-track mind offensively: keep the floor spread for New Orleans three-headed monster.
At 6-foot-9 and 220 pounds, Stojakovic was well put together for a wing, easily knocking down perimeter shots over the defense and able to work out of the post when teams tried to play him with a smaller player. As noted above, Stojakovic’s run as one of the premiere players on his team came during the seven years he spent in Sacramento. In the bouts between the Kings and Lakers he was often the player Phil Jackson and the Lakers defense gave the most attention to.
A bit of an overlooked prospect from that famous 1996 NBA Draft, it didn’t take long for Peja to find his footing in the league. By his sixth season he had already nearly doubled the amount of 3-pointers he attempted per game. After 13 seasons in the league, Stojakovic brought his career to a close after winning the 2011 NBA Finals as a member of the Dallas Mavericks. Though he didn’t play much against the Heat, he was crucial to the success that Dallas had in the lead up to that series.
In the end, Peja had to walk away from the game due to lingering back and neck issues.
New York Knicks: Allan Houston
Another team that is wishing for the 1990’s to come back, the New York Knicks haven’t done many good things since making their impassioned run to the NBA Finals in 1999. One of the key contributors to that was none other than Allan Houston. Though he went cold from behind the arc over the five-game series against the Spurs, Houston missed just two of his 26 free throw attempts during the Finals.
In the summer of 1996, the Knicks brought in Houston as a free agent and for the next nine years, Houston played target practice on the hoops at Madison Square Garden. He would make the All-Star game twice as a Knick, in consecutive years following their run to the Finals. Over the course of his nine seasons in the basketball mecca, Houston shot 39.9 percent on 3-pointers.
The Knicks have not seen anything reminiscent to the success they had with Houston during the late-90’s. He was ultimately brought in as a consultant to Donnie Walsh in 2008 after multiple failed comeback attempts from a knee injury. Houston has remained in upper management ever since and is currently working as the general manager of the Knicks NBA G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks.
Houston’s time in New York bridged together the Pat Riley era team that featured Patrick Ewing, Charles Oakley and John Starks, with the Jeff Van Gundy team that was led by Latrell Spreewell, Marcus Camby and Larry Johnson. It would not be surprising to see his No. 20 jersey raised to the rafters in the near future.
Oklahoma City Thunder: Kevin Durant
The wonderful people and fans of the Seattle Supersonics made their displeasure known when NBA 2k announced that some of their past greats would be members of the all-time Thunder team. So, to not upset them anymore, guys like Deltef Schrempf, Dale Eliis, Hersey Hawkins and other great shooters from the Sonics were not considered for this slot.
However, for the fine folks of Oklahoma City, that means this choice is going to sting even more. Some of his former Thunder teammates still aren’t over Kevin Durant’s decision to join Golden State as a free agent if you believe Enes Kanter. Yet, the facts are the facts and for the duration of the nine years that the Oklahoma City Thunder have been an NBA team there’s been no better shooter on their roster than KD.
While his first season with the Warriors was a master class in efficiency, it isn’t like he wasn’t any less elite as a scorer and shooter with the Thunder. Subtracting his horrendous 28.8 percent 3-point shooting in his lone season in the Pacific Northwest, Durant shot 39 percent on 3-pointers as a member of the Thunder.
In the 2012-13 season he joined the elusive 50-40-90 club and has been a few percentage points short of making it back in each of the following four years. He brought home the MVP in 2013-14 to Oklahoma City as well.
This upcoming season is all about Russell Westbrook and Paul George, but don’t let what Durant did during his time in OKC get lost in the burning jersey and talk about cupcakes.
Orlando Magic: Dennis Scott
The Orlando Magic are another franchise that saw a once-in-a-generation talent skip town as a free agent, however, for the purpose of this post that player wasn’t also the team’s greatest shooter of all-time. Dennis Scott takes that mantle for Orlando. “3-D” as he is known, was a 6-foot-8 wing that could catch fire from 3-point range at a moment’s notice.
He played his first seven seasons with the Magic and along with Shaq, Penny Hardaway, Horace Grant and Nick Anderson helped lead the team to the NBA Finals in 1995. Much like the 2012 Thunder team that reached the Finals many people believed that that core group would bring the Magic to many more championship series in the future. Time showed that we were wrong both times.
For his part, Scott was everything he was billed as during his time in Orlando. In seven years Scott connected on 40.3 percent of his 3-pointers. Once Shaq left and Hardaway started dealing with injuries, Scott became expendable for the front office and after the 1997 season he was dealt away to the Mavericks. However, he bounced around to four other teams (Suns, Knicks, Timberwolves and Grizzlies) in the final three years of his career.
Apparently, being a lights-out shooter is one of the qualifications to becoming an NBA analysts as Scott also joined the Turner team in his retirement. The chemistry between Scott and Shaq is evident even now, sadly we didn’t get to see it on the floor again after losing to the Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conference Finals to end their 1995-96 season.
Philadelphia 76ers: Dana Barros
Next up we have Dana Barros, the player Korver and Curry jumped over to the top of the consecutive 3-pointers made list. Barros was a member of the Sixerss when his record-setting streak of 89 straight games with a made 3-pointer first began. Barros made a name for himself on the 76ers, being named to his lone All-Star team in 1995, even though his time in Philly only lasted two seasons.
He spent those two years in Philadelphia making himself into an All-Star type of talent. Barros shot 42.6 percent on 3-pointers in his two-year run with the 76ers. In his next stop with Boston, Barros would shoot 40.7 percent from 3-point range just .02 percentage points lower than future Hall-of-Famer Ray Allen. Allen also has been booted from his spot in Celtics lore and Barros is no Bird, so it felt more reasonable to give Barros some due love for his time in Philly.
Before Allen Iverson turned the NBA on his head with his style on and off the court, Barros was the original hard-nosed small guard scorer to don the Sixers’ red, white and blue.
The 1994-95 Most Improved Player finished in the top four of free throw percentage in back-to-back seasons from 1994-96. His 44.6 3-point field goal percentage in 1991-92 was tops in the NBA. Barros isn’t a name that is consistently brought up when great shooters are discussed, but he made his mark during his time in the NBA.
Phoenix Suns: Steve Nash
Another talented member of the 1996 NBA Draft — and the chairman of the 50-40-90 club (he has a league-best four seasons with those numbers) — Steve Nash’s time in Phoenix can be broken down into two parts. The Suns drafted him in 1996, but following two seasons in the desert, he was traded to Dallas for the lump sum of Pat Garrity, Martin Muursepp and Bubba Wells and a first round pick that eventually became Shawn Marion. Nash was nowhere near the star he would become at the time, but that trade still seems pretty one-sided.
After teaming up with Dirk Nowitzki in Dallas, for six years, Nash left to rejoin the Suns after Mavericks’ owner Mark Cuban didn’t “back up the brinks trunk” to quote Isaiah Thomas. Awaiting for him in Phoenix was Marion and Mike D’Antoni.
Under D’Antoni’s leadership, Nash became the conductor of the famed seven seconds or less offense in the mid-2000’s. In his second go-round, Nash was given total control of the offense and he was able to turn the Suns into an offensive juggernaut that the NBA will never forget. His ability as a passer and unselfish play were two big reasons why he helped D’Antoni’s system flourish, but Nash was also one of the deadliest shooters in the NBA despite not often looking for his own shot.
When he did look to the rim, Nash connected on 43.5 percent of his 3-pointers in 10 seasons in the Valley of the Sun. From 2004-2007, Nash won the MVP twice and finished as the runner up to Dirk once. Nash had every shot in his repertoire that a guard needed and when the defense slept on him he would always make them pay.
Portland Trail Blazers: Kiki Vandeweghe
In a season or two, this honor might be taken over by either member of the current Trail Blazers sweet shooting backcourt of Damian Lillard or C.J. McCollum. For now, it’s Kiki Vandeweghe that holds down this spot on the list. The German-born, California kid first came into the league under the guidance of Doug Moe and his prolific offenses in Denver.
The season before he became a Trail Blazer he hit 36.7 of his 3-pointers for Moe (a career-high at that point) and he brought that new found weapon with him to Portland. In his five years with the Trail Blazers Vandeweghe made 40.8 percent of his 3-pointers.
At 6-foot-8, Vandeweghe did not have much trouble getting his shot off from deep. The two-time All-Star led the NBA in 3-point percentage in 1986-87 when he made 48.1 percent of his 3-pointers.
Vandeweghe partnered with Clyde Drexler to give Portland a formidable scoring duo in the late 80’s. Vandeweghe’s cumaltively averaged almost 24 points per game in his time with the Trail Blazers, but a back injury cost him his starting spot to Jerome Kersey and then played five seasons with the Knicks and Clippers before retiring.
After serving in the front office for the Mavericks, Nuggets and Nets, Vandeweghe became Executive Vice President, of Basketball Operations in 2013 and has held the role ever since.
Sacramento Kings: Mitch Richmond
With Peja Stojakovic being claimed by New Orleans, that means the Kings have to go a different route. Mitch Richmond is a damn fine alternative in regards to shooting. The Hall of Fame guard spent seven seasons with the Kings after being the main cog of the RUN TMC days of the early-90’s with Golden State. He claimed Rookie of the Year and made the All-Rookie team after the 1988-89 season with the Warriors.
Richmond, a sixth-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA member, got his fair share of accolades during his time in the California capital as well. In 1995 he was named MVP of the All-Star game. Richmond was a sharpshooter and drained 40.4 percent of his 3-point attempts over the seven years he was with the Kings.
Mitch was a bigger bodied guard and was use his strength advantage to get into the lane when he wanted to, but once opponents played him to drive he would cooly sink jumper after jumper from the perimeter. In his one trip to the playoffs with the Kings in 1995096 he shot 34.8 percent from 3, but with an effective field goal percentage of .519.
While a very good player during his time with Sacramento, Richmond never had the running mates like he did with Golden State to lead the Kings to much long-term success. However, he did join the Lakers at the end of his career and was part of their final team in their championship three-peat.
Richmond’s career shouldn’t be considered a conciliation prize for any team on this list, there’s a couple that would trade their selection for his in the drop of a hat.
San Antonio Spurs: Matt Bonner
The San Antonio Spurs have seen some of the greatest players suit up for them from David Robinson to Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. They’ve also had players like Steve Kerr join the team in hopes of aiding the team in getting a championship. However, when it comes down to the best pure shooter in Spurs history, the obvious answer is Matt Bonner.
“Red Mamba” might not have gotten on the floor every night and didn’t have an impact on many of the team’s major games, but if there was one player that Gregg Popovic trusted to hit an outside shot it was Bonner. The Spurs love to run a play called “Hammer”. In this play two players on the opposite side of the ball run a backside flare screen as the ball handler or post attacks the defense on the baseline. The player would then kick it out to a shooter in the opposite corner for a likely wide-open 3-pointer. Whenever Bonner was in the game you could rest assure that “Hammer” was going to be run.
The 45th overall pick played his first two years in Toronto and then played his final 10 with the Spurs. During those 10 seasons Bonner shot 41.3 percent on 3-pointers (41.8 percent from the corner). At 6-foot-10 Bonner’s quick release and height made him an immaculate catch-and-shoot option, for his career he was assisted on 99.5 percent of all his attempted 3-pointers.
Bonner has been out-of-sight, out of mind of late, but that’s the way he was when he was in the NBA as well. A result of playing alongside the likes of Duncan, Ginobili and Parker. Yet, “Red Rocket” was one of the best 3-point shooters in the game for 12 years.
Toronto Raptors: Jason Kapono
The Toronto Raptors didn’t join the NBA until the 1995-96 season and in their 22 years as a franchise they’ve given us highlight reel players like Vince Carter, Tracy McGrady, and DeMar DeRozan. Yet, they haven’t had one player take hold of their best shooter of all-time title. The best one they’ve had is Jason Kapono.
Kapono checks off a lot of the boxes of some of his fellow choices on this list. 6-foot-7 or taller? Check, Kapono is 6-foot-8. Attend UCLA? Check, Reggie Miller and Kiki Vandewghe are also Bruins alumnus. Play with Shaq? Check, Dennis Scott, Steve Nash, Mitch Richmond and Glen Rice all played alongside the Diesel as well.
When it came to shooting 3-pointers Kapono cleared that mark with flying colors as well. In his time up North, Kapono shot 44.7 percent from 3-point range. He led the NBA in 3-point percentage in his first season as a Raptor as he shot 48.3 percent from deep. That number leaped up to 54.2 percent in his one playoff campaign with Toronto in 2007-08.
Shooting kept Kapono in the NBA as he played with six different teams over the course of his nine-year career. His 43.4 3-point percentage ranks fifth all-time in NBA history. He’s also a back-to-back winner of the 3-point contest and his 25 points is the second-most in any round of the 3-point contest.
Kapono ultimately decided to finish his career overseas as he helped bring Greek-powerhouse Panathinaikos a title in 2013.
Utah Jazz: Jeff Hornacek
Jeff Hornacek was the third banana to John Stockton and Karl Malone during his seven years in Utah, however, when it comes to shooting he was at the top of that trio. Hornacek started off with Phoenix then spent a couple years in Philadelphia before settling in with the Jazz at the close of his career. Playing alongside Stockton allowed for Hornacek to fully showcase his ability from deep.
Over the course of his time with the Jazz there was only one season in which Hornacek didn’t shoot over 40 percent from the 3-point line. On the whole, he shot 42.8 percent from long range. In his third option role, Hornacek excelled at moving without the ball on offense. He knew how to navigate screens and set up his defender to make sure he had an open look when he received the ball.
Hornacek once hit eight straight 3s against the Supersonics to set an NBA record at the time and he also went 11-of-11 from 3-point range collectively in Utah’s games from Dec.30, 1994 to Jan. 11, 1995.
Hornacek now is a coach and has been on the sidelines as the head guy in both Phoenix and New York, and also served in Utah as an assistant. With the Jazz he was tasked with the assignment of helping work on Andrei Kirilenko’s shot. He was runner-up for Coach of the Year in Phoenix, but lost to Popovich in the 2013-14 season. However, it’s been rough sledding for him as the man in charge ever since.
Washington Wizards: Tim Legler
Unlike 27 of the other players on this list, Legler did not begin his career in the NBA. However, unlike Stojakovic and Petrovic, Legler was American-born and undrafted. Legler spent a few seasons overseas and in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) before breaking into the NBA in 1990 with the Phoenix Suns.
After six seasons, including one in the United States Basketball League (USBL) at the ripe young age of 25, Legler finally got to play for his hometown Washington Bullets/Wizards. It was there that he exploded onto the NBA landscape. His best season was in 1995-96, which coincidentally was his first year in Washington.
During that year, Legler led the NBA in 3-point field goal percentage (52.2 percent) and true shooting percentage (.688). He also took home the trophy at the 3-point contest in 1996 All-Star Weekend. In his four years in Washington D.C. Legler shot 47.6 percent from beyond the arc.
Legler’s hold on this title for Washington will likely be challenged in due time by Bradley Beal. Beal has one of the best looking shots in the NBA today, however he has been consistently around the 40 percent mark over the course of his first five seasons from 3-point range up to this point in his career. If he keeps that up he will usurp Legler before you know it.
Next: Every NBA team's Mount Rushmore
Legler was one of the first to make the transition from player to analyst. He’s been with ESPN since 1999 and is a regular on SportsCenter and NBA Coast to Coast.