In the modern NBA, you either live by the 3-pointer or die by it. That statement hasn't always been true, but in today's game it's pretty widespread.
Teams around the league are hitting way more 3s than in other eras, and the longball has become a focal point in modern NBA offenses.
And while we have seen some elite 3-point shooting teams over the years, we've also seen some teams that were horrendous from deep. Let's look at the best and worst teams of all time beyond the arc.
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Who is the best 3-point shooting team in NBA history?
Since the 3-point field goal became an official stat in the 1979-80 season, teams have utilized it at different rates, and a late-90s team surprisingly still has the best percentage ever.
The team with the highest 3-point shooting percentage in NBA history is the 1996- 97 Charlotte Hornets, who shot 42.7 percent that season. That season, the Hornets were led by Glen Rice, who was traded from the Miami Heat during the offseason. Rice averaged 26.8 points per game and shot 47 percent from downtown.
Along with Rice, the Hornets had Dell Curry, one of the most reliable shooters of the 90s.
The 2015-16 Golden State Warriors boasted arguably the most prolific shooting backcourt in NBA history with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. That season, the Warriors had the second-highest 3-point percentage ever, shooting 41.5% from behind the arc.
That Warriors team would make history, finishing 73-9, breaking the best regular season record set by the 1995-1996 Chicago Bulls. However, they ultimately fell short of their goal of winning an NBA championship to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The 2009-10 Phoenix Suns have the third-highest 3-point shooting percentage with 41.2 percent. Two-time MVP Steve Nash led that Suns team alongside Amare Stoudemire, who was a force in the Western Conference for most of late 2000s, despite never winning the championship.
Who are the worst 3-point shooting teams in NBA History?
Going from the best to the worst shooters the league has ever seen, the Showtimes Lakers of the 1980s find themselves at the bottom of all teams when it comes to 3-point shooting.
Teams weren't shooting many threes during this era, as it was still a prettty new concept for NBA players.
The 1981-1982 Los Angeles Lakers hold the unfortunate distinction of being the third-worst 3-point shooting team in NBA history, shooting a putrid 13.2% from behind the arc. The Lakers somehow got worse from deep in the 1982-83 season, shooting 10.4% from downtown, the worst mark ever.
That Laker team, however, was far from unsuccessful. Led by Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, they are one of the greatest teams of the NBA. Despite their poor three-point shoot efforts, they dominated the 1980s thanks to the blazing pace that helped them win several championships throughout the decade.