This article will take a deep dive into the evolution of the three-point shot with fans and see how the three-point shot has changed the way the NBA plays. Background: The NBA officially introduced the three-point line in the 1979-80 season, when it was seen as a novelty. Today, shooting three-pointers has become one of the most basic skills of modern basketball players.
The Origins of the Three-Point Shot: From an ABA Gimmick to an NBA Game ChangerThe introduction of the three-point shot in professional basketball dates back to the late 60s of the 20th century, when the American Basketball Association (ABA) used it as a tactic to compete with the National Basketball Association (NBA). To bring a unique dimension to the game and engage fans, the ABA added the three-point line to the exhibition game and eventually officially incorporated it into the rules of the game. Despite the ABA's success in integrating three-point shots, initial reactions to the new shot have been mixed. Traditional fans of the sport believe that unique scoring opportunities can undermine the core rule of basketball: teamwork. So, when the ABA merged with the NBA prior to the 1976-77 season, the NBA refused to immediately adopt the three-point line, not embracing it until the 1979-80 season. In the first season of the three-point line, NBA teams were hesitant to rely on a new shooting line, when three-point shots accounted for only 3% of total shots. At that time, all teams still prioritized the inside scoring system, and the three-point shot was once considered a novelty that could disrupt pre-established offensive tactics. However, it didn't take long for players and teams to realize the tactical value of the three-point shot. The potential for extra scoring and further expanding the range of the defense. At this time, all the coaches began to incorporate three-point shooting into their tactics, and many players began to study long-range shooting techniques. As the competitive advantage of the three-point shot became more apparent, its popularity began to skyrocket. Coaches and players alike are aware of the importance of a 50% increase in points from beyond the three-point line, and that alone can make or break an entire game. The realization was also a turning point for the league, with the three-point shot transforming from a method considered a gimmick to a tactical key for the team. The moment the NBA began to embrace the three-point shot, it meant a major change in the sport, and while the three-point line was once at odds with the foundations of basketball, it is now an integral part of the tactical setup of any team in the league. As the NBA began to deploy the three-point shot, a large number of outstanding long-range shooters began to appear, which also completely changed the perception and meaning of the three-point shot. The '80s and '90s of the 20th century saw the rise of these pioneers who demonstrated the precision of the three-point shot. 
Larry Bird: The first man of the three-point revolutionLarry Bird is a player known for his excellent shooting skills and one of the key figures in the vanguard of the three-point revolution. Bird often hit shots from seemingly impossible angles under intense defensive pressure, which scares many teams at the timeThe impact of the original three-point shot:Bird's excellent three-point shooting skills have made him a feared opponent and a respected figure in the basketball world. Bird was particularly successful in the NBA Three-Point Contest, winning the inaugural Three-Point Contest in 1986 and defending the title for the next two years, winning three consecutive Three-Point Contests, and his hat-trick is still regarded as a three-point contest record today. Bird's three-point shooting ability revitalized the entire Celtics team at the time, allowing the team to be more flexible in their tactics for a while. 
Bird's rivalry with Johnson: The legendary rivalry between Bird and Magic Johnson once made the three-point shot even more magical, and Bird often used the three-pointer to kill the game in key games as he battled for supremacy with the Lakers. On the other hand, Johnson's long-range shooting at that time was not as good as Bird's, and he relied more on passing and organizing the team, which is why Bird led the Celtics to suppress the Lakers back then, and it was with Bird's three-point advantage that the Celtics once became the most powerful three-point team in the league at that time. Following Larry Bird, the NBA has a new three-point superstar --- Reggie Miller. Miller is very obsessed with long-range shooting, and because of this, Miller's three-point shooting ability quickly attracted the attention of all teams in the league, making the league once again realize that the three-point shot seems to be more and more important. 
Players who start marking from beyond the three-point line:Miller's mastery of three-point shooting led to his career, his ability to shoot from distance even under intense defensive pressure, and as his skills further advanced, Miller quickly became the nemesis of all defenders in the league. The most classic is the last moment of the 1988 Eastern Conference Finals G4, Miller pushed Jordan to complete a three-point kill. 
The pinnacle of success - a record-breaking season::The 1995-96 season was a testament to Miller's long-range shooting ability. He made a staggering 229 three-pointers — a league record at the time — and shot a whopping 427%。This statistic is staggering even now, and Miller's statistic officially recognized the value of an efficient three-point shooter at the time. Recognize the value of the three-point shot:Players like Miller have redefined the power of three-point shooting. Immediately after that, more and more players began to improve their long-range shooting skills, and the once underrated three-point shot began to become the center of gravity, but it did not reach the core stage. The league found that the technology was starting to push the game in favor of teams with three-point shooters. All in all, Miller's success with three-pointers marked a major turning point in NBA history. It can be said that Miller has elevated the three-point shot in the game. 
In the 21st century, Ray Allen's mature and masterful three-point shooting skills have further elevated the importance of long-range shooting in basketball tactics. In particular, Ray Allen used a jumper to kill the three-point game, making him a new generation of "marksmen" in the NBA. 
Master of three-point shooting:Accurate three-point shooting once made Ray Allen an NBA legend. Ray Allen perfected and perfected his long-range shooting skills, and at one point defined three-point shooting skills as professional with his shooting movements. His movements are also beginning to be imitated by more and more players. NBA All-Star and Champion: Ray Allen is a ten-time NBA All-Star with top-notch three-point shooting, a three-point contest title, and two NBA titles, one with the Celtics in 2008 and the Miami Heat in 2013. 
The legend of the G6 game: Ray Allen's most iconic moment came in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals, when the Miami Heat faced elimination by the Spurs. In the last 6 seconds of the game, the Heat trailed by three points, Ray Allen threw a classic three-point in NBA history, tied the score, and finally dragged the game into overtime, the Heat finally locked up the victory and won the NBA championship. 
It wasn't until the meteoric rise of the Golden State Warriors in the mid-2010s that the three-point shot made a real shift in NBA history. The team's iconic "Splash Brothers" – Curry and Thompson led the team into a fast-paced three-point game and rewrote the playbook and rules throughout the NBA league. 
Rise of the "Splash Brothers":Curry and Thompson, known as the "Splash Brothers" for their incredible three-point hollow "splash" into the net, put on a long-range projection performance that the NBA had never seen before. Together, they created a fast-turning, fast-shooting style of play that relied heavily on three-point shots, breaking the traditional defensive tactics and bringing new challenges to the defensive team. The change in pace, coupled with the number and efficiency of their three-point shots, once made the Warriors earn enough money every game. 
Curry's three-point shooting:While both Curry and Thompson's three-point shooting were revolutionary, Curry was the face of three-point domination in the truest sense of the word. Curry's three-point shot was a series of shots, which made the opponent desperate, and coupled with the Warriors' "Death Five", there was a situation where the game was opened in the third quarter. At the same time, Curry's three-pointers were almost visible to the naked eye, setting a record for the most three-pointers made in a single season, and in the 2015-16 NBA season, Curry made a staggering 402 three-pointers, a record that has not been broken to this day.
Revolutionizing the game: The Warriors' three-point-centric small-ball storm has changed the way basketball is played in the NBA as a whole. The Warriors relied on Curry's three-point style as the core to win 4 championships in 10 years, and what is even more terrifying is that in the 15-16 season, the Warriors won 73-9 in 82 games in the entire regular season, not only breaking the 72-10 record held by the Chicago Bulls led by Jordan in one fell swoop, but also creating a new record in the NBA. Since then, the three-point shot has been completely elevated from an integral part of the offensive strategy to the core of the team's strategy. The "Splash Brothers", who used the three-point shot to shift the focus of the entire NBA league's tactical layout to long-range projection, and the Warriors also sparked a tactical revolution in the NBA that will continue to define the future of basketball. Three-point shot: a symbol of basketball evolution:The shift from a niche tactic to an indispensable convention** is a fitting demonstration of the inherent adaptability of basketball and the evolutionary nature of competitive sports. The three-point shot was initially seen as a departure from the core foundations of basketball, or even a threat, but now it has become the sport's most important core technology.
Three-point shot: Changing NBA rules:The tactical significance of the three-point shot cannot be overstated. It has a 50% added value compared to the classic mid-range score, which alone is enough to make it a scoring-only dependency. At present, the tactical position of the three-point shot in the league has gradually had a subtle impact on the NBA rules. Three-point shot: Redefining the player:In order to win a championship in the three-point era, all teams usually test whether they can shoot three-pointers when selecting players, and they can shoot three-pointers and have a good shooting percentage to adapt to the team's tactics. Therefore, the emphasis on three-point shooting is also known as a metric that the NBA league began to evaluate players.
The evolution of the three-point shot has made long-range shooting no longer feel as new as it used to be, but a must-learn skill.
Some people may say that the three-point shot makes the NBA lose its highlights, but it can only be said that some people like domineering dunks, and some people like to shoot accurately and elegantly as they want. With the advent of the small-ball era, the shooting distance and accuracy of the three-point shot have become the focus of fans' attention, the farther the distance, the more difficult the action, the faster the shot, the smaller the shooting space, the more enjoyable it is. Contemporary basketball has replaced the previous confrontation with speed, distance, and accuracy, so the spectacle of the game has not changed, only the viewing angle has changed, and the attraction of the game has not decreased but increased.