Steph Curry didn’t make a 3-pointer in his first NBA game on Oct. 28, 2009, attempting just one.
Curry, the Golden State Warriors superstar, not making a 3-pointer in a game seems preposterous today, given his astonishing proclivity for making an abundance of 3-pointers anywhere inside halfcourt.
On Thursday against the Sacramento Kings, Curry became the first player in NBA history to reach 4,000 made 3-pointers when he made his second 3 of the game with 8:19 to go in the third quarter.
Curry is the league’s all-time leader in made 3s. In his 16th season, Curry leads the NBA in 3s made per game (4.5) in 2024-25 and will make about 60 more by the end of the regular season.
Considered the greatest shooter of all-time, Curry will continue to add to that number this season, next season and likely the season after that, conjuring what was once an unfathomable number.
Can Steph Curry reach 5,000 made 3-pointers?
Curry, 36, has made at least 250 3s in each of his past five seasons, and made at least 212 3s in 12 of his past 13 seasons – the only time he didn’t was in his injury-shortened 2019-20 season that limited him to five games.
If Curry were to play 70 games per season for the next four seasons, he would hit 5,000. Does he want to play that long and can he remain healthy enough?
“I hope we have a lot to accomplish on the court and not ending the journey anytime soon,” Curry said at All-Star Weekend in San Francisco last month.
How Steph Curry changed game with his 3-point shooting
Curry and the evolution of modern offenses with spacing and shooters spread around the arc changed the game with 3-point shooting.
In Curry’s rookie season in 2009-10, teams attempted 18.1 3s and made 6.4 per game. This season, teams shoot 37.6 3s per game and make 13.5. Volume has doubled. Curry is one of five players who shoots at least 10 3s per game (Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball tops the list at 11.5 per game and Curry is next at 11.3), and another eight players attempt at least 9.0 3s per game.
Curry has made at least 300 3s in a season five times, including an NBA-record 402 in 2015-16. There were four teams in 2009-10 that did not make 400 3s in the season. Of the top-12 best single-season marks for 3s made in a season, Curry holds seven of those spots.
The Boston Celtics are on pace to set league records in 3s attempted per game (48.2) and 3s made in a season. Golden State made 1,363 3s in 2022-23, and the Celtics have 1,177 with 16 games remaining and are on pace to make 1,450.
A team needs to make 3s to win in today’s NBA.
“That impact is pretty surreal to me just because that’s the way that I’ve seen the game since I was a kid,” Curry said. “I love expanding my range, but even more, I love the work that goes into earning and deserving that confidence. … I don’t have any problem with guys and teams shooting a lot of 3s. Obviously, that’s the way that I play, and I love that factor in the game, but you’ve also got to put the work in behind the scenes to take full advantage of it.”
Who are the NBA’s all-time 3-point leaders?
1. Steph Curry: 4,000
2. James Harden: 3,127
3. Ray Allen: 2,973
4. Damian Lillard: 2,792
5. Klay Thompson: 2,667
6. Reggie Miller: 2,560
7. LeBron James: 2,542
8. Kyle Korver: 2,450
9. Paul George: 2,349
10. Vince Carter: 2,290
Can anyone catch Steph Curry on all-time 3-point list?
Just like LeBron James’ scoring records, it will require a generational player with longevity to catch Curry on the all-time 3-point list. There is a caveat. The way teams and players shoot 3s, it is within the realm of possibility that some of the game’s younger players make a run at 4,000, and we’ll see what happens from there.
Boston’s Jayson Tatum, 27, has made 1,517 3s in eight seasons, and he has made at least 200 a season for four consecutive seasons. And 240 made 3s per season for 10 more seasons puts him in the 4,000 range.
Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards, 23, is another case study. He has made 262 3s this season and increased his attempts from 6.7 last season to 10.1 this season – and he has made at least 213 3s in three of his last five seasons. Let’s be generous and say Edwards makes 220 3s for 15 consecutive seasons – that puts him around 4,400.
James Harden and Damian Lillard are tremendous 3-point shooters but are too far behind at this point of their careers.
This story was updated with new information.
