The three-point shot was introduced to the NBA during the 1979-80 season, with Brian Taylor becoming the first champion by scoring 90 three-pointers in a single season. Fast forward to the 2023-24 season, where Stephen Curry is setting the standard with 357 made threes.
Here are the players who have led the league in three-point scoring across multiple seasons:
Stephen Curry: 8 times
Stephen Curry has dominated the three-point category, leading the league a record eight times. He holds the all-time record for career three-pointers made with 3,747 and also leads in playoff three-pointers with 618. In playoff games, Curry averages 4.2 made threes at a 39.7% success rate. His highest single-game total is 13 three-pointers, achieved on November 7, 2016, against the New Orleans Pelicans. Often referred to as the greatest shooter in NBA history, Curry is a two-time Kia MVP and a four-time NBA champion. He has been selected to 10 All-Star teams, led in scoring twice, and in steals once.
During his remarkable back-to-back MVP seasons in 2015 and 2016, Curry averaged 26.9 points on 49.6% shooting, hitting 4.3 three-pointers at a 44.9% rate while also registering a 91.0% free throw percentage. Across those two seasons, he contributed an average of 7.2 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.1 steals in 33.4 minutes per game. Now entering his 16th season with the Golden State Warriors, Curry was drafted by the franchise as the seventh overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft.
James Harden: 3 times
James Harden secured three consecutive three-point titles from 2017 to 2020, amassing a total of 942 makes at a 36.3% success rate during that time. He earned the Kia MVP Award in the first year of that run while also leading the NBA in free throws made in all three seasons. In the subsequent seasons, Harden topped the league in total points. This period marked the end of his nine-year tenure with the Houston Rockets, during which he averaged 29.6 points on 44.3% shooting, making 3.3 three-pointers per game at the same 36.3% clip and shooting 86.2% from the free-throw line. He also averaged 7.7 assists, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.8 steals over 37 minutes of play.
Harden is a 10-time All-Star and has led the league in assists on two occasions. Before his time with the Rockets, he played three seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder. After Houston, he spent time with the Brooklyn Nets, the Philadelphia 76ers, and is now entering his second season with the LA Clippers, having been drafted third overall in 2009.
Ray Allen: 3 times
Hall of Famer Ray Allen is celebrated as one of the best pure shooters in NBA history and also stood out as a versatile scorer during his prime. He led the NBA in made three-pointers in 2002, 2003, and 2006 while playing for the Milwaukee Bucks and the Seattle SuperSonics. During this span, Allen participated in four All-Star games and averaged 23.3 points on 44.4% shooting, making 3.0 three-pointers per game at a 39.9% rate. He also contributed 4.6 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.3 steals in 38.2 minutes per game. With a career three-point shooting percentage of 40.0%, Allen is a two-time champion, winning once with the Boston Celtics in 2008 and again with the Miami Heat in 2013. In his 171 career playoff appearances, he shot 40.1% from beyond the arc.
Players who have led the NBA in made three-pointers twice include: