2025-11-20 15:01
by
nlpkak
As I sat watching the ASEAN All-Stars pull off that stunning 1-0 victory against Manchester United in the Maybank Challenge Cup, something struck me about Sandro Reyes and Amani Aguinaldo's performance. There's a certain precision in football that reminds me of what makes basketball's greatest shooters so special - that ability to deliver under pressure with consistent accuracy. Which got me thinking about one of basketball's most debated questions: who actually holds the highest three-point percentage in NBA history?
Now, I've spent more hours than I'd care to admit analyzing shooting statistics, and let me tell you, the conversation around three-point shooting has evolved dramatically. When I first started following basketball seriously back in the early 2000s, the three-pointer was still considered somewhat of a specialty shot. Teams would have maybe one or two designated shooters, unlike today's game where it feels like everyone from centers to point guards needs to be competent from beyond the arc. The transformation has been nothing short of revolutionary.
If we're talking pure percentage, the name that consistently comes up is Steve Kerr. Throughout his career, Kerr maintained an incredible 45.4% shooting from three-point range. I remember watching him play for the Chicago Bulls alongside Michael Jordan - there was something almost mechanical about his shooting form. Perfect repetition every single time. What many people don't realize is that Kerr didn't just take a handful of shots either - he attempted over 1,500 threes throughout his career and made them at this remarkable clip. The consistency is what blows my mind.
But here's where it gets complicated - and this is something I've argued with fellow basketball enthusiasts for years. Pure percentage doesn't always tell the full story. Hubert Davis actually recorded a higher percentage at 44.1%, but on significantly fewer attempts. Then there's the modern era with players like Seth Curry, who's currently sitting at around 43.9% while taking much more difficult, contested shots. The game has changed so much that comparing across eras becomes incredibly challenging.
What fascinates me about these elite shooters is their mental approach. Watching Sandro Reyes and Amani Aguinaldo combine with their ASEAN teammates to take down Manchester United, I saw that same championship mentality - the belief that you can compete with and beat the very best. The greatest shooters share this psychological makeup. They might miss five in a row, but they'll take the sixth without hesitation. Ray Allen, who doesn't top the percentage charts but certainly belongs in any conversation about great shooters, personified this mentality. His shot in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals might be the most clutch three-pointer I've ever witnessed.
The evolution of shooting technique is another aspect I find compelling. When I look at today's players like Stephen Curry - who revolutionized the game with his range and shot selection - the mechanics have become more efficient than ever. The quick release, the higher arc, the footwork - everything is optimized for maximum efficiency. Curry's percentage sits around 42.8%, which might not top the all-time list, but considering the degree of difficulty and volume of his attempts, it's arguably more impressive.
Defenses have adapted too. I've noticed how teams now defend the three-point line with much more urgency than they did even a decade ago. The close-outs are faster, the schemes more complex. This makes the consistency of today's shooters all the more remarkable. Joe Harris won the three-point contest in 2019 and has maintained percentages above 40% throughout his career despite facing increasingly sophisticated defensive strategies.
What often gets overlooked in these discussions is the role of shot selection. The smartest shooters - and this is something I've come to appreciate more as I've studied the game - understand their spots on the floor. They know which shots are high-percentage for them personally. This is why players like Klay Thompson can have such incredible shooting performances - they stick to what works for their game.
The international influence on three-point shooting can't be ignored either. Just as we saw with the ASEAN All-Stars' victory showing the global nature of football, basketball has seen tremendous international impact on shooting. Players like Dirk Nowitzki from Germany changed how big men approach perimeter shooting, while the European game has long emphasized outside shooting fundamentals.
As I reflect on these shooting greats, I keep coming back to that idea of precision under pressure. Whether it's football players like Reyes and Aguinaldo executing perfectly against global giants, or basketball players draining clutch threes with the game on the line, there's something universally compelling about specialists who have perfected their craft. The three-point shot has become basketball's great equalizer - a weapon that allows teams to overcome talent disparities through sheer skill and execution.
Looking at the current NBA landscape, I'm convinced we'll continue to see these percentages pushed even higher. The training methods, the analytics, the specialized coaching - everything points toward even more efficient shooting in the future. While Steve Kerr's percentage remains the benchmark, I wouldn't be surprised to see it challenged seriously within the next few years. The beautiful thing about sports is that records exist to be broken, and shooting excellence continues to evolve in fascinating ways.
