The Dunk Contest once reigned supreme and may still headline NBA All-Star Saturday night, but for some time the 3-Point Contest has been the most entertaining event.
While the Dunk Contest struggles to get star talent and forces dunkers to get exceedingly more creative, the 3-Point Contest consistently gets the league’s top shooters and always delivers exactly what fans expect.
The level of competition rises as the league’s most prolific marksmen get hot and attempt to outdo one another. The format has changed a little over the years, but the excitement has not waned at all.
With great shooters in an era defined by 3-point shooting, the contest has provided some remarkable shooting performances. Here are some of the most impressive showings in the history of the NBA’s 3-Point Contest.
MORE: Rules, scoring, format for NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest
NBA All-Star 3-Point Contest records
Since its inception in 1986, the 3-Point Contest has seen a few changes.
In 2014, the league introduced a rack compromised completely of “Money Balls” worth two points, increasing the maximum total score of a round from 30 to 34.
For the 2020 event, the league introduced two additional shots from a longer distance worth three points each. The timed rounds increased from 60 to 70 seconds long and the maximum total score once again increased to 40.
Here are 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.
| Rank | Player | Score | Out of | Year |
| 1. | Stephen Curry | 31 | 40 | 2021 |
| Tyrese Haliburton | 31 | 40 | 2023 | |
| 3. | Karl-Anthony Towns | 29 | 40 | 2022 |
| 4. | Devin Booker | 28 | 34 | 2018 |
| Luke Kennard | 28 | 40 | 2022 | |
| 6. | Stephen Curry | 27 | 34 | 2015 |
| Stephen Curry | 27 | 34 | 2019 | |
| Klay Thompson | 27 | 34 | 2016 | |
| Devin Booker | 27 | 40 | 2020 | |
| Buddy Hield | 27 | 40 | 2020 | |
| Mike Conley | 27 | 40 | 2021 |
| Rank | Player | Score | Out of | Year |
| 1. | Karl-Anthony Towns | 29 | 40 | 2022 |
| 2. | Devin Booker | 28 | 34 | 2018 |
| Stephen Curry | 28 | 40 | 2021 | |
| 4. | Klay Thompson | 27 | 34 | 2016 |
| Stephen Curry | 27 | 34 | 2015 | |
| Buddy Hield | 27 | 40 | 2020 | |
| Mike Conley | 27 | 40 | 2021 | |
| 8. | Joe Harris | 26 | 34 | 2019 |
| Devin Booker | 26 | 40 | 2020 | |
| Damian Lillard | 26 | 40 | 2023 | |
| Luke Kennard | 26 | 40 | 2022 | |
| Trae Young | 26 | 40 | 2022 |
| Rank | Player | Shots | Year |
| 1. | Craig Hodges | 21/25 | 1991 |
| Craig Hodges | 21/25 | 1998 | |
| 3. | Devin Booker | 20/25 | 2018 |
| Stephen Curry | 20/25 | 2021 | |
| Stephen Curry | 20/25 | 2015 | |
| Kyrie Irving | 20/25 | 2013 | |
| Jason Kapono | 20/25 | 2008 | |
| Mark Price | 20/25 | 1994 | |
| Mike Conley | 20/25 | 2021 | |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | 20/25 | 2022 | |
| Tyrese Haliburton | 20/25 | 2023 |
| Rank | Player | Shots | Season |
| 1. | Craig Hodges | 19 | 1991 |
| 2. | Stephen Curry | 13 | 2015 |
| 3. | Joe Harris | 12 | 2019 |
| 4. | Larry Bird | 11 | 1986 |
| Hubert Davis | 11 | 1996 | |
| Stephen Curry | 11 | 2016 | |
| 7. | Jason Kapono | 10 | 2008 |
| Ray Allen | 10 | 2011 | |
| Kyrie Irving | 10 | 2013 | |
| Stephen Curry | 10 | 2019 |
MORE: Why Buddy Hield will beat Darius Garland in 2025 NBA 3-Point Contest
Most 3-Point Contest wins
Eight 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 in three consecutive years.
Damian Lillard, winner of the last two contests, has a chance to become the third player ever to win three consecutive.
Of multi-time winners, Stephen Curry is the only one that did not repeat. Jeff Hornacek’s repeat titles came in 1998 and 2000 because there was no All-Star Game in 1999 due to the league lockout.
| Rank | Player | Wins | Years |
| 1. | Craig Hodges | 3 | 1990, 1991, 1992 |
| Larry Bird | 3 | 1986, 1987, 1988 | |
| 3. | Damian Lillard | 2 | 2023, 2024 |
| 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 |
MORE: How much does the NBA’s 3-Point Contest winner make?
