History of NBA 3-Point Contest winners: Who has the most wins in All-Star event?
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History of NBA 3-Point Contest winners: Who has the most wins in All-Star event? originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The 3-point shot has not lasted long in the grand scheme of the history of basketball. It didn't become a part of the NBA until the start of the 1979-80 season.
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But it hasn't taken long for the thrill of the long-range field goal to become a premier event at the NBA's All-Star Weekend. It took just six years after the 3-point line was introduced that the NBA paired it with the Slam Dunk Contest to form a duo of events to go alongside the All-Star Weekend.
Since its advent in the 1985-86 season, it has been held every season except the year of the lockout, which took place during the 1998-99 campaign.
Who has won the event the most? Here's what you need to know.
MORE:Inside the NBA 3-Point Contest records
History of NBA 3-Point Contest Winners
Larry Bird was a dangerous 3-point shooter during his NBA career, twice leading the league in made 3s. It should be no surprise then that the future Hall of Famer enjoyed playing in the 3-Point Contest.
He won the first 3-Point Contest and proceeded to win the next two as well, starting off with a streak of three straight years winning the event. Dale Ellis broke the streak in 1989, only for Craig Hodges to then go on a three-game streak of his own from 1990-92. Mark Price followed that up with two straight wins of his own.
YearWinnerTeamAll-Star Weekend Location1986Larry BirdCelticsDallas1987Larry BirdCelticsSeattle1988Larry BirdCelticsChicago1989Dale EllisSonicsHouston1990Craig HodgesBullsMiami1991Craig HodgesBullsCharlotte1992Craig HodgesBullsOrlando1993Mark PriceCavsSalt Lake City1994Mark PriceCavsMinnesota1995Glen RiceHeatPhoenix1996Tim LeglerWizardsSan Antonio1997Steve KerrBullsCleveland1998Jeff HornacekJazzNew York2000Jeff HornacekJazzOakland2001Ray AllenBucksWashington, D.C.2002Peja StojakovicKingsPhiladelphia2003Peja StojakovicKingsAtlanta2004Voshon LenardNuggetsLos Angeles2005Quentin RichardsonSunsDenver2006Dirk NowitzkiMavsHouston2007Jason KaponoRaptorsLas Vegas2008Jason KaponoRaptorsNew Orleans2009Daequan CookHeatPhoenix2010Paul PierceCelticsDallas2011James JonesHeatLos Angeles2012Kevin LoveTimberwolvesOrlando2013Kyrie IrvingCavaliersHouston2014Marco BelinelliSpursNew Olreans2015Stephen CurryWarriorsNew York City2016Klay ThompsonWarriorsToronto2017Eric GordonRocketsNew Orleans2018Devin BookerSunsLos Angeles2019Joe HarrisNetsCharlotte2020Buddy HieldKingsChicago2021Stephen CurryWarriorsAtlanta2022Karl-Anthony TownsTimberwolvesCleveland2023Damian LillardTrail BlazersSalt Lake City2024Damian LillardBucksIndianapolis2025Tyler HerroHeatSan Francisco2026Damian LillardTrail BlazersLos AngelesMORE:Revisiting the history of the NBA Slam Dunk Contest
Who has won the most 3-Point Contests?
Bird and Hodges were long the only two players to win three 3-Point Contests, but in 2026, another name joined that list: Damian Lillard. The Trail Blazers star won his third contest while recovering from a torn Achilles.
Price, Jeff Hornaceck, Peja Stojakovic, Jason Kapono and Stephen Curry each have won the event twice.
Winners have tended to come in bulk. Bird, Hodges and Price each won in consecutive seasons, as did Hornacek, who went back-to-back in 1998 and 2000 (there was no 1999 edition). Stojakovic won two straight from 2002-03. Kapono then won it in 2007 and 2008. And finally, Lillard won it in 2023, 2024 and 2026.