Andrew Pace
The three-point line has become one of the most important rules in basketball, but it hasn't always been a feature of the game. The three-point shot was first introduced in the American Basketball League (ABL) in 1961, but the league only lasted a season and a half. The three-point shot was then popularized by the American Basketball Association (ABA) in its inaugural 1967-68 season. However, it wasn't until 1979 that the NBA adopted the three-point line, and even then, it was only on a one-year trial basis. Since its introduction, the three-point shot has completely changed the way basketball is played, with offenses becoming more spread out and allowing players to attack the basket more easily.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year the three-point line was introduced in the NBA | 1979-80 season |
| Year the three-point line was introduced in the NCAA | 1987 |
| Year the three-point line was introduced in high school basketball | 1988 |
| Year the three-point line was introduced in the Olympics | 1988 |
| Distance of the three-point line in the NBA | 23'9" from the middle of the rim (22' in the corner) |
| Distance of the three-point line in the NCAA | 19'9" |
| Distance of the three-point line in FIBA | 6.25 m (20 ft 6 in) |
| First player to score a three-pointer in the NBA | Boston Celtic Chris Ford |
| First player to score a three-pointer in college basketball history | Ronnie Carr of Western Carolina |
| First NBA player to reach 1,000 career three-pointers | Dale Ellis |
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What You'll Learn
- The three-point line was first introduced in the American Basketball League (ABL) in 1961
- The NBA introduced the three-point line in 1979
- The three-point shot was popularised by the American Basketball Association (ABA) in 1967
- The NCAA's Southern Conference was the first collegiate conference to use the three-point rule
- The three-point shot was first tested at the collegiate level in 1945
The three-point line was first introduced in the American Basketball League (ABL) in 1961
The three-point line in basketball was first introduced in the American Basketball League (ABL) in 1961. The ABL was founded by Abe Saperstein, who also founded the Harlem Globetrotters. Saperstein wanted to give smaller players a chance to compete and bring fans to their feet. He felt that the game was dominated by taller players, and so he invented the three-point line to allow smaller players to make up for their lack of height with their shooting skills.
The three-point line was drawn 25 feet from the backboard, with a 22-foot line in the corners. However, the ABL only lasted a season and a half, and the three-point shot was seen as a "`gimmick'" by many basketball purists. Despite this, the idea of the three-point shot lived on, and it was adopted by the Eastern Professional Basketball League (EPBL) in the 1963-64 season, two years after the ABL shut down. The EPBL became the first league to implement the shot league-wide.
The three-point shot gained further popularity when it was introduced by the American Basketball Association (ABA) in its inaugural 1967-68 season. The ABA used the three-point shot, along with the slam dunk, as a marketing tool to compete with the NBA. The ABA commissioner, George Mikan, stated that the three-pointer "would give the smaller player a chance to score and open up the defense to make the game more enjoyable for the fans".
It wasn't until 1979 that the NBA finally adopted the three-point line, initially on a one-year trial basis for the 1979-80 season. By this time, the ABA had already merged with the NBA, with four ABA teams joining the NBA in 1976. The introduction of the three-point line to the NBA marked a significant shift in the way basketball was played, with offenses becoming more spread out and allowing players to attack the basket more easily.
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The NBA introduced the three-point line in 1979
The three-point shot was intended to give smaller players a chance to score and open up the defense, making the game more enjoyable for fans. During the 1970s, the ABA used the three-point shot as a marketing tool to compete with the NBA. However, when the NBA first introduced the three-point line, it had minimal impact on the game. In the first five seasons, teams took less than three three-pointers per game and made only 26% of their attempts. It took time for the three-point shot to gain widespread acceptance and utilization in the NBA.
The three-point line in the NBA is 23 feet 9 inches from the middle of the rim and 22 feet from the corners. The introduction of the three-point line in the NBA led to a significant shift in the way basketball was played. Offenses became more spread out, with more space in the paint, allowing players to attack the basket more easily. The three-point shot also changed the strategy of the game, as teams could now attempt a lower-percentage long-distance shot for a higher point value.
The collegiate level first tested the three-point shot in 1945 in a game between Columbia and Fordham. However, it was not until the 1980s that the three-point line was widely adopted across college basketball conferences. The three-point shot has now become a staple in basketball, with elite NBA shooters expected to have both a high level of efficiency and shooting range. The evolution of the game has led to a greater emphasis on the three-point shot, with teams averaging about 37.5 three-point attempts per game in today's NBA.
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The three-point shot was popularised by the American Basketball Association (ABA) in 1967
The ABA's adoption of the three-point line built on the efforts of earlier leagues, such as the American Basketball League (ABL), which first introduced the concept in 1961. However, the ABL folded shortly after, and the three-point shot did not gain widespread traction until the ABA brought it back in 1967. The ABA's use of the three-point line, along with the slam dunk, created a more fast-paced and dynamic style of play that appealed to fans.
During the 1970s, the ABA continued to utilise the three-point shot as a key element of its marketing strategy, positioning itself as a more exciting alternative to the NBA. The three-point line changed the way basketball was played, spreading out offenses and creating more space on the court. This allowed players to attack the basket more easily and encouraged a higher-scoring, fast-paced style of play.
The ABA's impact on the popularisation of the three-point shot is significant, as it laid the groundwork for its eventual adoption by the NBA in 1979. In 1976, four ABA teams merged with the NBA, bringing their rules and style of play with them. While the NBA initially resisted the three-point line, it eventually introduced it during the 1979-80 season, marking a pivotal moment in the evolution of professional basketball.
The three-point shot has since become a staple in basketball, with its introduction to the NBA leading to its implementation in other leagues worldwide. Over time, the strategic value of the three-point shot has been recognised, and it has had a profound impact on the way the game is played, coached, and strategised. Today, the three-point line is considered one of the most important rules in basketball, shaping the skills and strategies required to excel at the highest levels of the sport.
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The NCAA's Southern Conference was the first collegiate conference to use the three-point rule
The three-point line in basketball was first introduced in the American Basketball League (ABL) in 1961 by Abe Saperstein, the founder of the Harlem Globetrotters. Saperstein created the ABL to compete with the NBA, and he believed that smaller players were being forced out of the game by taller players. Thus, he created the three-point line to give smaller players a chance to score and make the game more exciting for fans. After the ABL shut down in 1963, the three-point shot was adopted by the Eastern Professional Basketball League in the 1963-64 season and later popularized by the American Basketball Association (ABA) in its inaugural 1967-68 season. The NBA finally adopted the three-point line in the 1979-80 season, initially on a one-year trial basis.
At the collegiate level, the first recorded instance of a three-point line was in a 1945 game between Columbia and Fordham, but it was not kept as a rule. The NCAA's Southern Conference became the first collegiate conference to officially adopt the three-point rule, implementing a 22-foot (6.71-meter) line for the 1980-81 season. Ronnie Carr of Western Carolina College scored the first three-point field goal in collegiate basketball history on November 29, 1980, in a game against Middle Tennessee State University.
In the following years, NCAA conferences varied in their use of the three-point rule, with distances ranging from 17 feet 9 inches (5.41 meters) in the Atlantic Coast Conference to 22 feet (6.71 meters) in the Big Sky Conference. The NCAA itself did not universally adopt the three-point rule until 1987, opting for a distance of 19 feet 9 inches (6.02 meters). The three-point line made its debut in the NCAA tournament in March 1987 and became mandatory in women's basketball for the 1987-88 season.
Over time, the NCAA adjusted the three-point line distance, lengthening it to 20 feet 9 inches (6.32 meters) for men's basketball starting with the 2008-09 season. The women's line was moved to match the men's in the 2011-12 season. The NCAA also experimented with the FIBA three-point line distance of 6.75 meters (22 feet 1+3/4 inches) in the National Invitation Tournament in 2018 and 2019 before adopting it for all men's play in the 2019-20 season.
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The three-point shot was first tested at the collegiate level in 1945
The three-point shot has become an integral part of basketball, with players like Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard exemplifying the importance of shooting range in the modern era. However, the concept of the three-point shot was first tested at the collegiate level in 1945, in a game between Columbia and Fordham.
The idea of the three-point shot was conceived by then-Columbia doctoral student Howard Hobson, who had been studying the game of basketball over the course of 13 seasons. Hobson believed that the long-distance shot was more exciting and wanted to make these shots more viable while reducing the advantage of taller players closer to the basket. This concept of the three-point shot would eventually be adopted by professional leagues, but its journey from collegiate testing to widespread adoption was a long one.
The three-point shot was tested again at the college level in 1958 and 1961, and in the latter year, it was adopted league-wide by the American Basketball League (ABL) with a 25-foot arc. Abe Saperstein, the founder of the Harlem Globetrotters, created the ABL to compete with the NBA, as he felt that smaller players were being forced out of the game by taller players who dominated near the rim. However, the ABL only lasted a season and a half, and the three-point shot was initially seen as a gimmick by many basketball purists.
Despite its short lifespan, the ABL's experimentation with the three-point shot inspired other leagues to follow suit. In the 1963-64 season, the Eastern Professional Basketball League (later known as the Continental Basketball Association) adopted the three-point shot, and it was also popularized by the American Basketball Association (ABA) during its inaugural 1967-68 season. The ABA used the three-point shot, along with the slam dunk, as a marketing tool to position itself as a more entertaining alternative to the NBA.
It wasn't until 1979, after the ABA merged with the NBA in 1976, that the three-point shot was finally adopted by the NBA on a one-year trial basis for the 1979-80 season. During the trial, NBA teams averaged less than three three-point shots per game, and the rule change initially had minimal impact on the game. However, over time, the three-point shot gained acceptance and utilization, eventually becoming a permanent fixture of the NBA and revolutionizing the way basketball is played.
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Frequently asked questions
The NBA introduced the three-point line in the 1979-80 season.
Boston Celtic Chris Ford made the first three-pointer in the history of the NBA.
The American Basketball League (ABL) was the first league to implement the three-point line in 1961.
