You can hear the difference during warmups. When Stephen Curry shoots, the net doesn’t just move; it snaps. It is a violent, rhythmic sound that has haunted defensive coordinators for fifteen years. Now, as Curry’s career enters its twilight, the league is scanning the horizon for the next anomaly. 2,973 was supposed to be the ceiling. That was Ray Allen’s number, a figure that took eighteen years to build. Stephen Curry breezed past it and kept running. As he approaches 4,000, the record has shifted from a milestone to a mathematical absurdity. But in gyms across the country, the next generation is doing the math. This is not just about mechanics. Breaking this record requires lungs that never burn, ankles that never stiffen, and a green light that never turns red.
The Mathematical Mountain
The math is daunting. To challenge the three point shooting records set by Curry, a player must average nearly 300 made threes annually for over a dozen seasons. At the time Ray Allen retired, his record seemed untouchable. Curry will likely push the ceiling past 4,000. Suddenly, skill isn’t enough. The new requirement is unparalleled durability.
Data from Basketball Reference confirms that volume is rising across the board. But volume isn’t enough. You need to sustain that fire for a decade. A challenger needs the freedom to miss. They require an offensive system built entirely around their gravity. The modern game is a simple equation of efficiency. That narrows the field to the few players with the green light to shoot at will. We combed through career trajectories and usage rates to find the outliers. The candidates below possess a rare combination of traits. They have high volume, early starts, and—most importantly—the coaching freedom to launch from anywhere.
10. Buddy Hield
Buddy Hield wakes up shooting. He doesn’t dribble, he doesn’t facilitate, and he doesn’t care if a hand is in his face. In a November 2023 matchup against Cleveland, Hield caught a pass at his shoelaces and fired before the defense could blink, burying his fastest shot of the season. Since entering the league in 2016, Hield has made more three-pointers than any player not named Stephen Curry, per NBA.com tracking data. He represents the pure gunner, a player who survives multiple roster changes because his gravity creates space for everyone else.
9. Tyrese Maxey
Speed kills, but speed coupled with range devastates. Maxey uses his burst to freeze defenders, creating open looks that simply shouldn’t exist. During a chaotic playoff sequence in Philadelphia last April, Maxey pulled up from 30 feet in transition, silencing the road crowd instantly. Maxey increased his attempts per game by nearly 40% between his second and fourth seasons, signaling a shift toward volume shooting. He embodies the modern hybrid guard and exposes the vulnerability of the record to pure speed.
8. LaMelo Ball
Audacity is his primary weapon. Ball treats the half-court logo as a legitimate scoring zone, forcing defenses to guard him 40 feet from the basket. Against the Bucks in late 2024, Ball casually flipped a 35-footer with eighteen seconds left on the shot clock, draining it as if it were a layup. Ball became the second-youngest player in NBA history to hit 500 career three-pointers, highlighting his rampant early pace. Ball normalizes the bad shot. He proves that rhythm matters more than location, a philosophy essential for anyone chasing Curry.
7. Donovan Mitchell
Power and elevation define his approach. Mitchell doesn’t just shoot; he elevates over contests, making his release point difficult to bother. In a game against Chicago, he hit six threes in the quarter, forcing the opposing coach to call a timeout just to stop the bleeding as defenders slumped shoulders-first toward the bench. Mitchell has consistently ranked in the top 10 for three-pointers made per season since 2020, maintaining volume despite changing teams. He brought the volume shooter mentality to the shooting guard position in a way that blends athleticism with finesse.
6. Devin Booker
Efficiency often trumps volume, but Booker is learning to merge both. His stroke is technically flawless, devoid of wasted motion or hesitation. After a devastating playoff loss in Phoenix, Booker was found on the practice court, methodically hitting corner threes until the net barely moved. Booker set a then-record 28 points in the 2018 Three-Point Contest, showcasing a rhythm that rivals the best shooters in history. He keeps the mid-range art alive while adapting to the modern requirement for deep-range prowess.
5. Tyrese Haliburton
His form is unorthodox, but the results are undeniable. Haliburton combines playmaking with a set shot that is deceptively quick and remarkably accurate. During the In-Season Tournament semifinals, Haliburton hit a dagger three, stared at his wrist, and signaled that his time had arrived. Haliburton has joined the elite 50-40-90 club conversations early in his career, maximizing the value of every possession. He proves that textbook mechanics are secondary to repetition and confidence.
4. Jayson Tatum
Height allows him to shoot over anyone. Tatum utilizes a side-step mechanic that generates space against even the most suffocating wing defenders. In Game 7 against the Sixers, Tatum broke the Celtics’ playoff record for threes, carrying the offense solely on his perimeter scoring. Tatum is the youngest player to reach 1,000 career three-pointers, putting him ahead of Curry’s pace at the same age. He represents the evolution of the forward position, where 6’10” players are primary ball-handlers and volume shooters.
3. Trae Young
Range is the great equalizer. Young begins his offense from the logo, distorting the floor geometry more than any player since Curry himself. New York fans haven’t forgiven or forgotten the moment Young bowed to the Madison Square Garden crowd after burying a 30-footer to seal a playoff victory. Young consistently leads the league in attempts from beyond 30 feet, per Second Spectrum tracking. Young plays the heel, weaponizing the deep three to silence arenas and break defensive schemes.
2. Luka Doncic
The step-back is indefensible. Doncic creates separation at will, manipulating time and space to launch threes that look difficult but fall with regularity. Consider the buzzer-beater against the Clippers. The step-back three seemed to hang in the air for an eternity before dropping. Doncic reached 1,000 made threes faster than almost anyone, trailing only Buddy Hield in games played to that milestone. He has normalized high-difficulty shots, proving that records can be threatened without supreme athletic burst.
1. Anthony Edwards
Explosiveness meets volume. Edwards has rapidly developed a pull-up game that, combined with his slashing ability, makes his three-point shot nearly impossible to anticipate. The Target Center produces a low, anticipatory rumble the second Edwards waves off a screen at the top of the key. Edwards exploded for 43 points in Game 1 of the 2024 semifinals, signaling his arrival as a premier volume shooter. He is the future face of the league. Edwards possesses the charisma and the green light to take fifteen threes a game for the next decade.
The Uncharted Future
Edwards may be the best bet today, but the record book is long. The chase for three point shooting records is a marathon run at a sprinter’s pace. While Curry’s final number may seem astronomical, the evolution of the sport suggests it is not eternal. Young players now enter the NBA having shot threes since grade school. The learning curve has flattened. Ultimately, the player who breaks this record may not be on this list; they might currently be in a middle school gym, taking 500 shots before homework.
The game has changed irrevocably. We measure greatness now by distance and frequency. As defenses adapt, offenses simply move further back. The next king of the arc will not just be a shooter; they will be an architect of space, building their legacy twenty-four feet from the rim, one rotation of the ball at a time. The rim is the same size, but the court feels infinitely larger.
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FAQs
What makes Stephen Curry’s 3 point record so hard to break? The record demands elite shooting and elite durability. A challenger must keep a huge volume for more than a decade.
How many threes per season would someone need to chase the record? They likely need close to 300 made threes every year. They must hold that pace for many seasons.
Who has the best shot right now to chase the record? Anthony Edwards looks like the clearest volume bet today. Luka Doncic and Trae Young also have the range and freedom to keep climbing.
Do logo threes really matter in a record chase? Yes. Deep range bends the defense and creates space. It also boosts volume because the shooter needs less separation.
Could the player who breaks it be someone not in the NBA yet? Absolutely. The next breaker might be in a middle school gym right now, taking hundreds of threes before homework.
