Was Larry Bird the best 3 point shooter ever?

[Another Fan]

He was a bit before my time to really appreciate his game but I’d lean toward yes.  Or in the top 5 at least.

 

I know his 3 point percentage wasn’t the best per say but that was before the 3 point shot became as specialized as it is in todays league.  Plus there’s no teams today like the bad boy Detroit Pistons teams that would have shut the 3 point shooters down by um any way possible 

[Jay_Fixit]

No. But he definitely would be in the conversation in todays game. 
 

Larry would most likely be a 30/11/9 - 50/40/90 guy today. I wish I got to see him play more than I did.

[Mark80]

No, that's Steph.  Larry was pretty silky smooth though.  Just watch one of his 3 Point Contest wins.  For his size he is probably the best, but there are better guards.  Shame his career was impacted relatively early by his back problems.

Edited March 20, 2023 by Mark80

[Royale with Cheese]

Craig Hodges is the greatest 3 point shooter of all time.

[Ned Flanders]

You wonder how Pete Maravich would have fared with a three point line and better health.  He could have been the best there ever was.

[Jauronimo]

Larry Bird invented the slam dunk.  Pretty important contribution to the game.  He was a really bright guy.

[Buffalo716]

4 hours ago, Another Fan said:

He was a bit before my time to really appreciate his game but I’d lean toward yes.  Or in the top 5 at least.

 

I know his 3 point percentage wasn’t the best per say but that was before the 3 point shot became as specialized as it is in todays league.  Plus there’s no teams today like the bad boy Detroit Pistons teams that would have shut the 3 point shooters down by um any way possible 

Probably not the best but in the conversation of top 5

 

and he took extremely difficult shots

[Augie]

Larry Bird did it back when the NBA was worth watching. So, there’s that…. 🤷‍♂️

[Simon]

He was probably the best shooter in the history of the NBA.

Until Steph Curry came along.

[US Egg]

Bird, along with Earvin Johnson, helped rekindle basketball interest after the league slogged through the ‘70’s.

 

Then Jordan set it on fire for good. The NBA is huge globally, their next set of TV contracts will be NFL’ish like.

 

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by I am the egg man

[therealjoshallen17]

No way Steph curry is better

[Gugny]

Pretty sure that would be Jimmer Fredette. 

[DrW]

5 hours ago, Mark80 said:

No, that's Steph.  Larry was pretty silky smooth though.  Just watch one of his 3 Point Contest wins.  For his size he is probably the best, but there are better guards.  Shame his career was impacted relatively early by his back problems.

 

Dirk might agree with you, but only because he is too humble to put himself in that spot. He is the only big guy in the top 20 three point shooters of all time.

 

Edited March 20, 2023 by DrW

[BringMetheHeadofLeonLett]

'Thunder' Dan Majerle and Detlef Schrempf felt like more infuriating mid-long range shooters, but Bird was amazing with his lazy lopers a couple feet inside the arc.  
 

Magic was three players in one at all times, so Bird needed every bit of team around him to compete.  

[Mark80]

On 3/20/2023 at 7:33 PM, DrW said:

 

Dirk might agree with you, but only because he is too humble to put himself in that spot. He is the only big guy in the top 20 three point shooters of all time.

 

Just a couple of points on this.

 

1.  Larry wasn't very good at 3s the first few seasons of his career, impacting his career %.  His year 6-9 are all over 40%, one being 42.7% from 3, another 42.3%.  Breaking 40% 6 times in his career.  Dirk only did it 5 times in a much longer, healthier career.  His high was 42.1%

2.  Larry injured his back in his prime (while he was 4 consecutive seasons over 40%), what could have been if he stayed healthy.  But he didn't.

3.  Larry played in a different time when 3 pointers we not nearly as much as a focus.   Fewer attempts, fewer plays to get open for them, etc.

 

Dirk is the man and a fantastic all time-great, but IMO, Larry was just a tad better.

 

Now, go look at Steph's 3 point numbers and see who the real GOAT is.  Amazing.

Edited March 22, 2023 by Mark80

[ExiledInIllinois]

The rank Bird #8 out of 10 here:

 

"When the 3-point line was first introduced, only 3.1% of the total shot attempts were made from beyond the arc. In today's era, we cannot imagine a team winning a game without scoring from downtown. The significance of this shot was proved beyond any doubt when Steph Curry and Klay Thompson won the NBA championship in 2015 with 3-pointers as their main weapon. In this article, we'll take a look at the top 10 best 3-point shooters in the history of the league."

 

 

https://www.sportskeeda.com/basketball/top-10-best-3-point-shooters-nba-history

 

"Even if Larry Bird's 3-point percentage doesn't stand out among the rest, he was among the best shooters in the league when it came to clutch game-winning shots. He won the first-ever 3-point contest and made a name for himself with his ability to shoot highly contested, off-balance 3s. The 3-time NBA champion is regarded as one of the best NBA players of all time."

 

 

[DrW]

12 hours ago, Mark80 said:

Just a couple of points on this.

 

1.  Larry wasn't very good at 3s the first few seasons of his career, impacting his career %.  His year 6-9 are all over 40%, one being 42.7% from 3, another 42.3%.  Breaking 40% 6 times in his career.  Dirk only did it 5 times in a much longer, healthier career.  His high was 42.1%

2.  Larry injured his back in his prime (while he was 4 consecutive seasons over 40%), what could have been if he stayed healthy.  But he didn't.

3.  Larry played in a different time when 3 pointers we not nearly as much as a focus.   Fewer attempts, fewer plays to get open for them, etc.

 

Dirk is the man and a fantastic all time-great, but IMO, Larry was just a tad better.

 

Now, go look at Steph's 3 point numbers and see who the real GOAT is.  Amazing.

 

First, there is no doubt about Steph as number one. Here are comments by Dirk on this topic:

https://www.sportingnews.com/ca/nba/news/dirk-nowitzki-stephen-curry-3-point-record/1tr70o9o8iqj71nhckf95q9ppd

 

As to the Larry/Dirk comparison, you seem to be cherrypicking a bit: we cannot count Larry's first years because he was not very good then, and we cannot count his last years because of his injured back.

I agree with your point 3 that 3 pointers were were not a major focus. However, this argument can go either way. For one, because they were rare, defenses were not prepared for them. Second, it seems possible that in the early days players attempted a 3 point shot only if they were wide open. Nowadays, they have to fight for every opportunity, trying 3 point shots with defenders clinging to them.

[Big Turk]

Steph and Reggie Miller for me...and of course "Big Shot Bob" Horry in the playoffs who was unconsciously clutch with big threes late in games.

[Nextmanup]

Larry Bird is an all time great.  He doesn't necessarily look like a pure athlete, but he was.

 

He would flourish in today's game just as much as he did then.

 

 

[Greybeard]

Larry Bird, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, had a lifetime 3-point shooting percentage of 37.6% during his career in the NBA. He played for the Boston Celtics from 1979 to 1992, and during that time, he made 649 out of 1727 attempts from beyond the arc. It's important to note that the NBA introduced the three-point line in the 1979-80 season, which was Bird's rookie year. So, his career 3-point percentage is based on his performance over the course of 13 seasons.

 

As of my knowledge cutoff in 2021, the three players with the highest lifetime 3-point shooting percentage in NBA history (minimum 250 attempts) are:

Steve Kerr - 45.4%

Hubert Davis - 44.1%

Stephen Curry - 43.5%

It's worth noting that this list may have changed since my knowledge cutoff, as players' statistics can change over time.