Stephen Curry will soon be the NBA’s all-time leader in 3-pointers made.
Curry needs nine made 3-poiners to tie Ray Allen and 10 to pass him for the top spot heading into Saturday’s clash with the Philadelphia 76ers (and his younger brother, Seth).
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When he does pass Allen, it will only strengthen Curry’s case as the greatest shooter in NBA history.
Ahead of his historic achievement, let’s take a closer look at the NBA’s all-time leaders in 3-pointers made, some of the records Curry already holds and which players are the greatest threat to catch him in the record books.
NBA 3-pointers made record
The NBA’s record for 3-pointers made hasn’t changed hands much over the years.
In 2005, Reggie Miller retired with a total of 2,560 3-pointers to his name, setting the record for the most all-time. It wasn’t until Feb. 10, 2011 that Allen surpassed Miller to become the NBA’s leader in 3-pointers made. Allen retired in 2014 with 2,973 career 3-pointers.
Allen and Miller ranked first and second, respectively, until Curry passed Miller on Jan. 23, 2021.
Curry is now only nine 3-pointers away from tying Allen and 10 3-pointers away from moving into first place. He’s also only 36 3-pointers away from 3,000 career 3s, a milestone no player has ever reached.
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The other active players in the top 10 in 3-pointers made are Brooklyn’s James Harden and Portland’s Damian Lillard.
| Rank | Player | 3PM |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ray Allen | 2,973 |
| 2 | Stephen Curry | 2,964 |
| 3 | Reggie Miller | 2,560 |
| 4 | James Harden | 2,509 |
| 5 | Kyle Korver | 2,450 |
| 6 | Vince Carter | 2,290 |
| 7 | Jason Terry | 2,282 |
| 8 | Jamal Crawford | 2,221 |
| 9 | Paul Pierce | 2,143 |
| 10 | Damian Lillard | 2,106 |
MORE: Curry breaks defenses before he even touches the ball
What records does Stephen Curry hold?
Curry already holds quite a few 3-point shooting records.
In the 2012-13 season, Curry made a total of 272 3-pointers, breaking Allen’s record at the time for most 3s made in a single season. He broke his own record in 2014-15 when he made 286 3-pointers. He did it again in 2015-16 when he made 402 3-pointers, which remains the most all-time.
Curry now accounts for five of the 10 most prolific 3-point shooting seasons in NBA history.
| Rank | Player | 3PM | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stephen Curry | 402 | 2015-16 |
| 2 | James Harden | 378 | 2018-19 |
| 3 | Stephen Curry | 354 | 2018-19 |
| 4 | Stephen Curry | 337 | 2020-21 |
| 5 | Stephen Curry | 324 | 2016-17 |
| 6 | James Harden | 299 | 2019-20 |
| 7 | Paul George | 292 | 2018-19 |
| 8 | Stephen Curry | 286 | 2014-15 |
| 9 | Buddy Hield | 282 | 2020-21 |
| 10 | Buddy Hield | 278 | 2018-19 |
For his career, Curry is making an average of 3.8 3-pointers per game. That’s the most in NBA history, putting him ahead of Duncan Robinson (3.3), Buddy Hield (3.0) and Lillard (3.0).
Curry’s other records include most seasons with at least 200 made 3-pointers (8), most 3-pointers made in a calendar month (96) and most games with 10-plus 3-pointers (22). Additionally, he ranks first all-time in 3-pointers made in both the playoffs (470) and Finals (121).
MORE: All the 3-point records Curry holds
How many 3-pointers could Stephen Curry finish his career with?
Curry’s name is already all over the record books. The crazy part? He’s showing no signs of slowing down.
In 2020-21, Curry led the league in scoring for the second time in his career with an average of 32.0 points per game. He set career-highs in both 3-point makes (5.3) and attempts (12.7) per game that season while connecting on 41.6 percent of his opportunities.
Through 23 games this season, Curry is once again among the league leaders in scoring with 27.7 points per game, and he’s again setting career highs in 3-point makes (5.5) and attempts (13.2) per game. He’s established himself as the front-runner for MVP with his early-season play.
Curry is currently on pace to make 445 3-pointers this season, which would shatter his own record for most 3s made in a single season.
Health provided, Curry is going to create a lot of distance between him and Allen.
Having signed a four-year extension in 2021, Curry’s current contract takes him through the 2025-26 season.
MORE: Is this shaping up to be Stephen Curry’s best season ever?
Most likely players to catch Stephen Curry
Among active players, Harden and Lillard are closest to Curry, but both of them are around the same age. Considering there’s already a decent gap between them, it’s hard to imagine either one of them catching Curry. (Of the two, Harden probably has the best shot.)
Klay Thompson is another candidate, but missing two straight seasons with injuries set him back a decent amount.
Hield (1,115) made more 3-pointers than Curry (905) did through the first five seasons of his career, but Hield was more than two years older than Curry was when he entered the NBA. Similar deal with Robinson.
Given how young they are and the volume with which they shoot 3s, Trae Young, Luka Doncic, Donovan Mitchell and Devin Booker are perhaps the biggest threats to catch Curry.