Sixteen of the greatest shooters in NBA history square off in the ultimate all-time three-point contest.
Over the last 76-plus seasons of NBA basketball, we have been blessed to see the greatest basketball players grace the court for our favorite teams. Over time, as most things do, the game has evolved with a much bigger emphasis on perimeter three-point shooting as opposed to feeding the big men in the paint game of yesteryear. Using this information, we felt it was time to set up the greatest three-point contest in history to crown the greatest three-point shooter ever in our all-time three-point contest.
Using our randomized process once again, we have placed 16 of the greatest shooters in NBA history into bracket-style matchups just as they would play out in real life. On one side of the bracket will be these four matchups to start:
Stephen Curry vs. Vince Carter
Peja Stojakovic vs. J.J. Redick
Damian Lillard vs. Paul George
Klay Thompson vs. Kobe Bryant
On the opposite side of the bracket, there will be four more matchups to watch for including:
Ray Allen vs. Paul Pierce
James Harden vs. Kevin Durant
Kyle Korver vs. Larry Bird
Reggie Miller vs. Jason Terry
Now that the matchups have been set, it is time to go over the rules.
Rules:
– Each contestant will have one minute to complete five racks of five shots (four shots plus a money ball)
– Each regular shot is worth one point while the money ball is worth two points
– Each player can place a rack strictly consisting of money balls in any of the five spots they wish for every round
– There will also be two different spots for the Mountain Dew long-distance shot worth 3 points each
– The player with the most amount of points at the end of each round will advance while the loser is eliminated
The contestants have been named and the rules have been laid out. Now it is time to get into Fadeaway World’s all-time 3-point contest.
First RoundStephen Curry vs. Vince Carter
Credit: Fadeaway World
Our first matchup features the tournament favorite Stephen Curry up against one of its biggest underdogs in Vince Carter. As the greatest 3-point shooter in NBA history, Curry will most likely approach this round as a warmup for his tougher matchups later on in the contest.
Curry is first up in the contest, looking to set the tone for the rest of the night. He goes a perfect 5-5 for 12 points on his first two racks. He then misses the first Mountain Dew ball before heading to his money ball rack at the top of the key. He goes 3-5 from that spot to bring his total to 18 points and misses the other Mountain Dew ball going into his final two racks. In those final two racks, he goes 5-5 and 3-5 including both money balls, bringing his round total to 28 points to start things off.
Carter approaches his first rack with a smile on his face knowing the tall task ahead of him in this round. On his first two racks, Carter goes 4-5 including both money balls to bring his total to 12 points through two racks. He miraculously makes his Mountain Dew shot to bring it up to 15 points heading into the money ball rack. After going 2-5 and missing the second Mountain Dew ball, Carter is mathematically eliminated already. He finishes up with 23 points total, a valiant effort against the shooting GOAT.
Result: Stephen Curry vs. Vince Carter 28-23
Peja Stojakovic vs. J.J. Redick
Credit: Fadeaway World
Peja Stojakovic and J.J. Redick are two of the greatest yet underrated three-point shooters in NBA history. This first-round matchup is one which fans have been jacked up for, ever since they were announced earlier in the evening.
First up is Peja who shot 40.1% from three for his career. Stojakovic gets off to an incredibly hot start, going 5-5 on his first two racks and draining the first Mountain Dew ball for a total of 15 points. At the top of the key, Stojaovic struggles picking up just two points and missing the second Mountain Dew ball to give him 17 points going into his last two racks. Stojakovic would go 4-5 on his money ball rack and 3-5 on the final rack to bring his score to a final of 28 points.
Redick steps up knowing that he must have an all-time great round to take down Peja. It starts off great as he goes 4-5 and 5-5 on his first two racks plus the Mountain Dew money ball. Redick then completely botches his money ball rack, going 1-5, and misses his second Mountain Dew shot to bring his total to 13 going into his final two racks. Having been already mathematically eliminated, Redick all but gives up, accumulating just 20 points in total and falling in the first round to a much superior shooter.
Result: Peja Stojakovic vs. J.J Redick 28-20
Damian Lillard vs. Paul George
Credit: Fadeaway World
Our next matchup features one of the greatest three-point shooting point guards ever up against one of the most skilled players of this generation. Damian Lillard is first to the racks, ready to put on a show. That is exactly what he would do, hitting both of his first two racks and first Mountain Dew ball on 100.0% accuracy to give him 15 points right away. To finish his round off, Lillard would go 4-5 on his money ball rack, miss the second Mountain Dew ball, and go 4-5 on each of his last two racks with no money ball for a total of 31 points to set the show on fire.
Paul George, with his mouth still wide open from awe, gets set and makes his approach to the first rack. From the get-go, it was a catastrophe for George who pulled off just four points through his first two racks. After missing the Mountain Dew ball, George would go just 2-5 from his money ball rack, giving him nine points in total. He would make the second Mountain Dew ball but it would make no difference as he finished with just 18 points, resulting in a dominant win for Lillard.
Result: Damian Lillard vs. Paul George 31-18
Klay Thompson vs. Kobe Bryant
Credit: Fadeaway World
Our final matchup from the left side of the bracket features one-half of the iconic Splash Bros. duo up against one of the most feared competitors in the history of the NBA. Klay Thompson and Kobe Bryant go at it in their first-round matchup with many favoring Thompson by a landslide.
Thompson heads into position into his first rack and in true Klay form, takes a minute to get warmed up. After gaining just 5 points through two racks, he starts to find his stroke. Thompson goes 5-5 on his money ball rack and drains one of two Mountain Dew balls as well. In his final two racks, Thompson would go 4-5 and 3-5 including both money balls to bring his round total to a score of 27 points.
Kobe, unfazed by Klay’s performance, would let the inner Mamba be released just before taking his spot next to his first rack. Things started off hot for Bryant, going for 13 points through his first two racks and Mountain Dew ball. After the hot start, things cooled off drastically for Kobe who would go 5-16 on his next three racks, giving him a total of 18 points for the contest and a first-round exit in this competition.
Result: Klay Thompson vs. Kobe Bryant 27-18
Ray Allen vs. Paul Pierce
Credit: Fadeaway World
To start things off on the right side of the 3-point contest bracket, two former teammates in Ray Allen and Paul Pierce square off in their first-round matchup. Before long, it becomes clear this is a mismatch of the highest degree. Allen gets going with 21 points through his first two racks, Mountain Dew ball, and the money ball rack. After missing the second Mountain Dew ball, Allen goes 3-5 on both of his final racks with both money balls going in to give him 29 points for the round.
Pierce, known more for his clutch shooting with the Boston Celtics and other stops made in his career, struggled mightily to get things going in the round. Through his first two racks and Mountain Dew ball, he accumulated just 6 points in total needing to make all of his remaining shots to even have a chance at advancing. Quickly, that fell apart as Pierce finished the round with just 14 points total and the former teammates’ battle ended with a blowout statement win by Ray Allen.
Result: Ray Allen vs. Paul Pierce 29-14
James Harden vs. Kevin Durant
Credit: Fadeaway World
The second matchup on this side of the bracket also pits former teammates against one another with James Harden and Kevin Durant taking center stage. Although Harden is the more “accomplished” three-point shooter, Durant should be no pushover in this contest.
Harden gets things started with a strong showing to open his round. Through three racks and the Mountain Dew shot, he has a total of 12 points going into the home stretch. Things begin to cool down after sinking 3-5 on his money ball rack. Harden would finish up his final two racks, turning in a solid performance of 22 points in round one.
While Kevin Durant is not known as much of a pure three-point shooter, we would be incredibly ignorant not to notice how efficient he has been from there for his career. Durant would start the contest red hot, gaining 15 points off the bat with perfection on every shot. His money ball rack would see him struggle with just one make but it did not matter in this round. Durant would sink eight more points on his final two racks to secure the victory 25-22 for the close win.
Result: James Harden vs. Kevin Durant 22-25
Kyle Korver vs. Larry Bird
Credit: Fadeaway World
Many people forget Kyle Korver’s name when it comes to the great three-point specialists in NBA history. Tonight will be the former contest winner’s toughest test as he faces another defending champion, Larry Bird.
Korver has the unfortunate task of going first in this situation, giving Bird time to scope out his opponent and know the exact number he needs to beat him. Bird has his work cut out for him as Korver goes for a perfect 15 points through two racks and one Mountain Dew ball. Korver In his money ball rack, Korver would go 4-5 as well, bringing his total to 23 points with two racks to go. Korver would go cold, hitting just four shots in those two racks to still give him an incredible score of 27 for his round.
Bird is not sweating it one bit. As a matter of fact, he leaves his warm-up jacket on just to show the world he isn’t worried. Bird absolutely torches the first two racks, the money ball rack, and both Mountain Dew balls as he has 25 points with two racks to go. Without any hesitation, Bird calmly knocks down three more shots and with 15 seconds still left on the clock, raises his hand and walks off the court forfeiting his final seven shots for the win.
Result: Kyle Korver vs. Larry Bird 27-28
Reggie Miller vs. Jason Terry
Credit: Fadeaway World
The final matchup of the first round is as lopsided as can be with Reggie Miller taking on Jason Terry. Miller gets the round going with a scorching start, going for a perfect 15 points through two racks and the Mountain Dew Ball. He also adds 4-5 from his money ball rack to get to 23 points. In his final two racks, Miller would add seven more points for a score of 30 left for Jason Terry to match or exceed.
Terry starts out as cold as ice, hitting on just 7 points through his first two racks and Mountain Dew ball. After going 4-5 on his rack at the top of the key and knocking down a Mountain Dew ball, he gets to his money ball rack on the wing with 14 points. Terry, needing every shot just to tie Miller, would miss his second money ball attempt, ending his round. He would finish with 22 points as Miller headed to the quarterfinals.
Result: Reggie Miller vs. Jason Terry 30-22
QuarterfinalsStephen Curry vs. Peja Stojakovic
Credit: Fadeaway World
The second round of our all-time 3-point contest sees Stephen Curry and Peja Stojakovic kick things off after a long wait on the bench. For most, this would be a disadvantage. For Stephen Curry, the only thing that would be a disadvantage at this point is an amputation of his hands.
Curry looks unbeatable on this night, starting off with a perfect 15 points through two racks and the Mountain Dew ball. At the top of the key, he goes 3-5 on his money ball rack and knocks down the second Mountain Dew ball for 24 points with two racks left. Curry goes 4-5 on both racks with the crowd erupting at what they just saw as Curry finishes with 34 points in the round to the astonishment of his remaining competitors.
Peja Stojakovic throws his hands in the air, signaling his astonishment as well at Curry’s feat. He approaches the first rack and gets started on a hot streak as well with 10 points through two racks. A miss on the Mountain Dew ball all but seals his fate until a perfect 5-5 on his money ball rack gets him back into it. After another miss on the Mountain Dew ball, Peja is eliminated from the round. Despite the defeat, he still registered a 28-point round which against any other opponent would have surely meant a win.
Result: Stephen Curry vs Peja Stojakovic 34-28
Damian Lillard vs. Klay Thompson
Credit: Fadeaway World
The next second-round matchup in this contest is one of the many reasons fans have filled the arena to catch the competition. Two of the best shooters of the last decade square off in a matchup of Damian Lillard vs. Klay Thompson.
Up to the racks first is Damian Lillard, fresh off his win over Paul George in the first round. Lillard starts cold which doesn’t bode well for him considering his opponent. With both Mountain Dew balls down and a 4-5 run on his money ball rack, he eases back into it though. On his final two racks, Lillard goes 4-5 and 5-5 to bring his total to 27 points for this round which will not be an easy task for Thompson to conquer.
Klay is unfazed. He has been in this situation before in his share of three-point contests and that is evident by the way he starts. After going 4-5 on rack one, Thompson goes perfect on the next two to bring his total up to 19 points. He goes 3-5 on the first rack to start his money ball rack needing 3-5 for the win. Thompson sealed Lillard’s fate on his first three shots, finishing with 28 points and advancing to compete against his fellow Splash Brother Stephen Curry in the semifinals.
Result: Damian Lillard vs. Klay Thompson 27-28
Ray Allen vs. Kevin Durant
Credit: Fadeaway World
After defeating a pair of former teammates in the first round of this competition, Ray Allen and Kevin Durant square off in the quarterfinals. Allen got the quarterfinal matchup kicked off with a dazzling display of efficient shooting. He would record 14/15 points on his first three racks headed toward the top of the key. On his next three racks, he went 4-5, missed the Mountain Dew Ball, and 4-5 once again. On his money ball rack, he recorded 3-5 to end the round with a score of 30 points for the round.
As great as Durant has proven he is as a shooter, it would not be enough in this round against one of the greatest ever. The round did not start well for Durant as he went 2-5, 2-5, and missed the Mountain Dew ball. He now needed every shot there was to continue on in the tournament. Unfortunately, Durant went just 2-5 on his money ball rack, ending his chances at a win. He would finish with 23 points in total.
Result: Ray Allen vs. Kevin Durant 30-23
Larry Bird vs. Reggie Miller
Credit: Fadeaway World
Our final quarterfinal matchup is another one of all-time greats from the three-point line doing battle for a chance at the semifinals. Reggie Miller is looking to feed off his 30-point performance in the first round knowing he will need all of it to defeat a locked-in Larry Bird.
Miller got things going with a cold start to his round racking up just 11 points by the time he reached the top of the key. He then went 4-5 on his money ball rack, bringing that up to 19 with two racks to go. After making just 2-5 on his second-to-last rack, Miller would go perfect on his final one to give him a final score of 27 points for the round. Of course, that is an excellent score but may not be enough when opposing Larry Bird.
Bird made sure that Miller was sweating from the start with 15 straight points to start his round. A 4-5 rack for his money ball from the top of the key gave him 23 points heading into his final Mountain Dew Shot and the last two racks needing only five points to win. Despite missing his Mountain Dew Shot, Bird knocked down all five of his shots from his next rack, walking off once again before even attempting a shot from his final rack.
Result: Reggie Miller vs. Larry Bird 27-28
SemifinalsStephen Curry vs. Klay Thompson
Credit: Fadeaway World
Although it is a matchup we have seen plenty of times before, any time the Splash Bros. meet in a 3-point contest, it is sure to be a wild ride. Curry would make sure of that as the two Warriors battled for a spot in the championship round. By the time he reached the top of the key, Curry was still perfect with 15 points after hitting the Mountain Dew ball. He then got cold making 2-5 from the top of the key before ending on a ridiculous hot streak that even Klay had to applaud. He would finish the round with another 34-point performance.
Klay, laughing about it all having seen this every day in practice for over a decade. Thompson would give it all though, going perfect through his first three spots for 15 points as well. He was on pace to defeat Curry before getting to his money ball rack on the wing where he went 1-5 and ended his hopes of taking down his teammate. Thompson would finish with 19 points in one of the best rounds of the entire contest.
Result: Stephen Curry vs. Klay Thompson 34-29
Ray Allen vs. Larry Bird
Credit: Fadeaway World
At this point, defeating Larry Bird who is this locked in on his goal seemed like an insurmountable task, even for Ray Allen. Not willing to roll over and accept defeat, Allen would ignite the crowd with a performance for the ages. After going for 15 points perfectly through three racks, Allen continued his onslaught. He knocked down the second Mountain Dew ball as well as 4-5 from the top of the key to get to 23 points. On rack four, he struggled a bit adding just three points to his total but ended with fireworks, going 4-5 for eight more points to bring his total to 31.
Bird didn’t even flinch as he watched Allen exceed 30. He knew what he had to do. Things got started and quickly you could tell that something was seriously off about Bird. His shooting did not look the same as it did through the first two rounds as he struggled through two racks. After knocking down all five money ball shots and both Mountain Dew balls, he was back in it. However, from the wing and corner, he got cold again and garnered just 25 points in the shocking loss. Later it would be revealed that his back had seized up and he could not perform at the levels he had hoped to.
Result: Ray Allen vs. Larry Bird 31-25
FinalsStephen Curry vs. Ray Allen
Credit: Fadeaway World
The finals of this competition were finally here featuring the two players sitting at No. 1 and No. 2 all-time in made threes in NBA history. Stephen Curry and Ray Allen, already connected forever in history, were set to add one last chapter to that part of the game with a three-point shootout for the ages.
Curry was up first and it was almost sealed from the first round that this was going to be his night. The fans and fellow competitors watched in amazement as Curry went around and nicked down every rack with ease to near perfection. Despite misses on both the Mountain Dew balls and 4-5 on three different racks, Curry finished the round with 31 points for as solid of a final-round score as there is.
Allen would fight valiantly just as he did to take out Bird, Durant, and Pierce. The crowd grew nervous and excitement filled the air as he went perfectly through three racks and one Mountain Dew ball to give himself 21 points, needing only 10 to pass Curry. On his money ball rack, Allen would fold under the pressure, going 1-5 and completely falling apart. With no chance to catch Curry even with a perfect final rack, Allen conceded to the fact he was not going to catch his opponent. He would finish with 26 points for the round which crowned Stephen Curry the inaugural Fadeaway World all-time 3-point shootout champion.
