A Complete List of All NBA 3 Point Contest Champions Through the Years
I still remember watching my first NBA 3-Point Contest back in 1998, sitting cross-legged on the floor just a few feet from our bulky television set. When Jeff Hornacek sank that final money ball to clinch the title, I jumped up so fast I nearly knocked over my soda. That moment sparked what would become a lifelong fascination with this particular All-Star weekend event, and over the years I've come to appreciate how the contest has evolved alongside the game itself. The three-point shot has transformed from a novelty to a fundamental weapon, and tracking the champions through the decades reveals much about basketball's changing identity.
Looking back at the complete list of winners, Larry Bird's three-peat from 1986 to 1988 stands as what I consider the most legendary run in contest history. There's something magical about those early years when the three-pointer was still finding its place in the game. Bird's famous "who's coming in second?" quack before his first win embodies the confidence that made him special. What many forget is that he won his third title by a single point over Dale Ellis, scoring 17 points in the final round - not exactly the high numbers we see today, but dominant for that era. The 1990s brought us Craig Hodges' own three-peat from 1990 to 1992, though his achievement sometimes gets overshadowed by Bird's earlier dominance. Personally, I've always felt Hodges doesn't get enough credit for his shooting prowess - the man made 19 consecutive shots during his 1991 victory, a display of pure shooting rhythm that remains breathtaking to watch even today.
The turn of the millennium marked what I see as a transitional period for the contest. The 2000s gave us memorable moments like Peja Stojaković's back-to-back wins in 2002 and 2003, and Jason Kapono's near-perfect performance in 2008 where he scored 25 points in the final round, a record that stood for years. I distinctly remember watching Kapono's performance with a group of friends, all of us gradually falling silent as shot after shot swished through the net. We knew we were witnessing something special, the kind of shooting exhibition that makes you appreciate the hours these players must spend in empty gyms perfecting their craft. The contest format has evolved too, adding the "money ball rack" and later the "MTN DEW Zone" shots, changes that have generally improved the viewing experience though I'll admit I sometimes miss the simplicity of the original setup.
Recent years have seen the contest dominated by what I'd call the "volume shooters" - players like Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson who have transformed how three-pointers are used in actual games. Curry's 2021 victory at age 33 was particularly meaningful to me, showing that shooting excellence can endure even as athleticism naturally declines. The current record of 31 points set by Curry in 2021 feels almost untouchable, though I suspect someone will eventually surpass it as shooting continues to improve across the league. What's fascinating is how the contest has mirrored the NBA's three-point revolution - where early winners typically attempted 3-4 threes per game in their regular seasons, today's participants often shoot that many in a single quarter.
The community aspect of these events reminds me of something Jun de Dios, Philippines Business partner of Newgen, said after organizing a golf event: "We had a blast and we are looking to do it again next year--with more of the same faces and at a different course." There's a similar feeling of camaraderie among the 3-point contest participants I've observed over the years. Many players return multiple times, forming what feels like a special fraternity of elite shooters. The location changes yearly like de Dios's "different course," but the core experience remains - the pressure, the bright lights, and the shared respect among competitors who understand the dedication required to reach this stage.
As I reflect on the complete list of champions, what strikes me is how each era's winners reflect the basketball philosophy of their time. The early winners were often specialists who might not have been stars otherwise, while recent champions tend to be franchise players who incorporate elite three-point shooting into all-around games. Personally, I find the current era most exciting from a pure shooting perspective, though I'll always have nostalgia for the character and personalities of those early contests. The evolution isn't just about higher scores - it's about how the very definition of a "good shooter" has changed. Today's contestants often shoot from deeper range, off movement, and with quicker releases than their predecessors, skills that translate directly to modern NBA offenses.
Looking ahead, I'm curious to see how future contests will evolve. Will we see a player challenge Bird's and Hodges' three-peats? Will the record climb into the mid-30s? Whatever happens, the 3-point contest will likely remain my favorite All-Star Saturday event, a pure celebration of shooting artistry that continues to capture the imagination of fans like myself who appreciate the beauty of a perfectly arched shot finding nothing but net. The list of champions isn't just names on a page - it's a timeline of basketball's evolving relationship with the three-pointer, each winner representing a chapter in the ongoing story of how this once-novelty shot came to define an era.