When you think of the NBA’s most prolific three-point shooters, Paul Pierce probably isn’t a name that comes to mind. But by the time Pierce retires, he’s likely to have knocked down more threes than all but two players in league history.
The list of career leaders in made three-point field goals is a funny thing. A large part of it is due to longevity first, followed by accuracy second.
Rashard Lewis is No. 8 all-time. Lewis entered the league as a 19-year-old, and over the course of 16 seasons he managed to accumulate 1,787 three-pointers while shooting 38.6 percent from long range. The No. 7 spot is held by Chauncey Billups. Billups drained 1,830 threes over a 17-year career at a 38.7 percent clip.
No. 6 on the list is Vince Carter, who just the other day nailed his 1,850th three-pointer. Now in his 17th NBA season, Carter is a 37.5 percent shooter from downtown.
None of those players have ever been considered great three-point shooters, but they’ve all stood the test of time. The best example of this is found at No. 5, Jason Kidd. Over a 19-year career Kidd shot just 34.9 percent from beyond the arc, but he was still able to sink 1,988 triples.
On Jan. 14, Pierce hit the 1,989th three-ball of his career, moving him past Kidd into fourth place all-time. Jorge Castillo of The Washington Post eloquently described it:
"Paul Pierce watched the ball swish through the basket and held his follow-through, his right arm straight up and his right wrist curled, a few seconds longer than usual as he skipped to the Washington Wizards’ bench, staring off somewhere into the upper levels of United Center.He was soaking up the stunned silence from a crowd that had watched him hit those big shots against their beloved Chicago Bulls in Celtics green, not the red, white and blue he donned Wednesday night."
Bulls fans were stunned because their team trailed Pierce’s Wizards by 10 late in the fourth quarter, but that’s beside the point. Despite just a 37.1 three-point percentage over the course of his career, now in his 17th season Pierce has connected on enough treys to put himself among the top four ever.
ICYMI, @paulpierce34 passed @RealJasonKidd on the All-Time 3-PT FG list earlier tonight #TheTruth pic.twitter.com/NaVBjxxG8C
— NBA TV (@NBATV) January 15, 2015
Unlike the fourth through eighth spots on the list, the first three names fit the profiles of classic three-point marksmen. Ray Allen is No. 1 with 2,973, while Reggie Miller is No. 2 at 2,560.
More from Hoops Habit
- The 5 most dominant NBA players who never won a championship
- 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
- Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
- Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
- Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
Pierce has no chance of catching his former teammate Allen, and even though he did recently jump ahead of Miller for 16th place on the all-time scoring list, he’s not going to pass Miller for three-pointers.
However, there is a very real possibility Pierce will eventually take over the No. 3 position, held by another ex-teammate of his, Jason Terry.
Pierce (1,995) currently trails Terry (2,018) by just 23 made three-point field goals. Both players are hitting threes at roughly the same rate this season: 1.7 per game for Terry at 38.6 percent, 1.5 per game for Pierce at 39 percent. They are also both 37 years old, born less than a month apart in 1977.
But, Terry’s contract is up at the end of the season, while Pierce’s deal still has one more year.
Should Terry retire and Pierce play out the final season of his contract, chances are “The Truth” will finish his career as the third leading three-point shooter in NBA history.