NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest records: Best rounds, most wins, perfect scores & more

Gilbert McGregor

NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest records: Best rounds, most wins, perfect scores & more image

For some time now, the 3-Point Contest has been one of the most exciting competitions that NBA All-Star Saturday Night has to offer.

As many of the league's most prolific marksmen are in one place, the level of competition rises as players get hot and attempt to outdo one another within the allotted span of 70 seconds. Over the years, the format has changed, but the excitement has remained the same, if not greater than it was before.

With great shooters come some remarkable shooting performances. Have a look at some of the most impressive showings in the history of the NBA's 3-point contest.

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NBA All-Star 3-point contest records

Since being introduced in 1986, the 3-point contest has been the subject of some innovation over the last decade.

In 2014, the league introduced a rack comprised completely of "Money Balls" worth two points, increasing the maximum total score in one round from 30 to 34.

In 2020, the league introduced two additional shots from a longer distance worth three points each. As a result, the timed rounds were now 70 seconds long and the maximum total score increased from 34 to 40.

Below, find the best rounds in the history of the 3-point contest, including the total possible points to identify the era in which the record was set.

Best rounds

Most points in a round
Rank Player Score Out of Year
1, Stephen Curry 31 40 2021
2. Devin Booker 28 34 2018
3. Stephen Curry 27 34 2019
  Klay Thompson 27 34 2016
  Stephen Curry 27 34 2015
6. Joe Harris 26 34 2019
  Buddy Hield 26 34 2019
  Davis Bertans 26 40 2020
9. Jason Kapono 25 30 2008
  Craig Hodges 25 30 1986
  Klay Thompson 25 34 2018
  Eric Gordon 25 34 2017

 

Most points in the final round
Rank Player Score Out of Year
1. Karl-Anthony Towns 29 40 2022
2. Devin Booker 28 34 2018
  Stephen Curry 28 40 2021
3. Klay Thompson 27 34 2016
  Stephen Curry 27 34 2015
5. Joe Harris 26 34 2019
6. Jason Kapono 25 30 2008
  Klay Thompson 25 34 2018
8. Jason Kapono 24 30 2007
  Mark Price 24 30 1994
  Stephen Curry 24 34 2019
  Marco Belinelli 24 34 2014

 

Most shots made in one round
Rank Player Shots Year
1. Craig Hodges 21/25 1991
  Craig Hodges 21/25 1998
2. Devin Booker 20/25 2018
  Stephen Curry 20/25 2015
  Kyrie Irving 20/25 2013
  Jason Kapono 20/25 2008
  Mark Price 20/25 1994
8. Buddy Hield 19/25 2020
  Jason Kapono 19/25 2007
  Hubert Davis 19/25 1998

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Most 3-point contest wins

Seven players have won the 3-point contest more than once, with Larry Bird and Craig Hodges leading the way with three titles apiece. Both Bird and Hodges won for three consecutive years.

Of multi-time winners, Stephen Curry is the only one that did not repeat. Hornacek's repeat titles came in 1998 and 2000 because there was no All-Star Game in 1999 due to the league lockout.

Most 3-point contest wins
Rank Player Wins Years
1. Craig Hodges 3 1990, 1991, 1992
  Larry Bird 3 1986, 1987, 1988
3. Stephen Curry 2 2015, 2021
  Jason Kapono 2 2007, 2008
  Peja Stojakovic 2 2002, 2003
  Jeff Hornacek 2 1998, 2000
  Mark Price 2 1993, 1994

Gilbert McGregor

Gilbert McGregor Photo

Gilbert McGregor first joined The Sporting News in 2018 as a content producer for Global editions of NBA.com. Before covering the game, McGregor played basketball collegiately at Wake Forest, graduating with a Communication degree in 2016. McGregor began covering the NBA during the 2017-18 season and has been on hand for a number of league events.