Kristian Ferrell
The three-point shot in basketball was first tested in 1945 by Howard Hobson, a then-doctoral student and Oregon head coach, in a game between Columbia and Fordham. Hobson believed that the long-distance shot would create excitement and wanted to reduce the advantage of taller players. The three-point shot was then adopted by the American Basketball League in 1961, followed by the American Basketball Association in 1967. The NBA first adopted the three-point shot in the 1979-80 season, with Chris Ford of the Boston Celtics making the first official three-pointer in NBA history.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of Invention | 1945 |
| Inventor | Howard Hobson |
| First Player | John Cahill |
| First League Implementation | American Basketball League (ABL) |
| Year of First League Implementation | 1961 |
| Distance from Basket | 25 feet |
| First NBA Player | Chris Ford |
| Year of First NBA Player | 1979 |
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What You'll Learn
Howard Hobson's 1945 experiment
Howard Hobson, a famed Oregon coach, is credited with introducing the concept of the 3-point shot in basketball. On February 7, 1945, Hobson, a member of the NCAA Rules Committee, conducted an experiment where he organised an exhibition game between Columbia and Fordham, with a unique feature: a 3-point line. This game marked the first time the three-point line was tested in college basketball.
Hobson, a progressive young strategist, had studied 23 games at Madison Square Garden during the 1944-45 season and concluded that the game needed a 3-point line. He believed it would bring excitement to the game, reintroduce the long-lost art of the "long shot", and address the increasing congestion and physicality on the court. In this experimental game, Fordham player John Cahill unofficially made what a reporter described as "the world's first 3-point field goal".
While the concept of the 3-point shot intrigued fans, it did not initially gain widespread acceptance. Most customers approved of the idea, but writers, coaches, officials, and some players found it confusing, and it eventually faded away for a few years. However, Hobson's experiment laid the groundwork for future iterations of the 3-point shot.
It is worth noting that the idea of a scoring system based on shot distance was not entirely new. In 1933, high school coach Herman Sayger proposed a similar concept, but it was never implemented. Hobson's experiment, however, brought the concept to life and sparked further exploration of the 3-point shot in basketball.
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The American Basketball League
To determine the distance of the new shot line from the basket, Saperstein collaborated with longtime DePaul University coach Ray Meyer. They measured the distance on a court with tape and selected 25 feet as the appropriate length. However, in June 1961, while Saperstein was travelling, the other seven ABL owners voted to shorten the line to 22 feet.
The ABL ceased operations in 1963, but the three-point shot was quickly adopted by other leagues, including the Eastern Professional Basketball League (EPBL) in the 1963-64 season. The American Basketball Association (ABA) also played a significant role in popularising the three-point shot, introducing it in their 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 during the 1970s.
Despite initial resistance and concerns, the three-point shot gradually gained acceptance and became an integral part of basketball strategy. The NBA eventually adopted the three-point line for the 1979-80 season, initially on a one-year trial basis. Over time, the three-point shot has evolved from a novelty to a fundamental aspect of the game, with players like Stephen Curry revolutionising long-distance shooting and shaping the modern era of basketball.
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The Eastern Professional Basketball League
The EPBL billed itself as the "World's Oldest Professional Basketball League" as its founding predated the founding of the National Basketball Association (NBA) by two months. The league was fast and physical, often played in tiny, smoke-filled gyms across the Northeastern United States, and featured some of the best players who could not make it into the NBA due to unofficial quotas on the number of black players.
In the 1963-64 season, the EPBL adopted the three-point shot, following the lead of the American Basketball League (ABL) in 1961. The EPBL added a three-point line for its 1964-65 season, and although three-point shots during that time were rare, the Eastern League developed several scorers who used the three-point shot to their advantage.
In 1970, the league rebranded itself as the Eastern Basketball Association, operating as a professional Northeastern regional league and an unofficial feeder system to the NBA and the American Basketball Association (ABA). The Eastern Basketball Association lasted until 2009 when it halted operations.
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The NBA's 1979-80 season
The 1979-80 NBA season was the 34th season of the National Basketball Association. It was a significant year for the league, as it marked the introduction of the three-point field goal, adding a new layer of excitement to the game. This rule change had first been tested in 1945 by Oregon coach Howard Hobson, who introduced a 21-foot line in an exhibition game between Columbia and Fordham.
The 1979-80 season also saw the Los Angeles Lakers win the NBA Championship, beating the Philadelphia 76ers 4 games to 2 in the NBA Finals. The Lakers' success was driven by the outstanding performances of Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, with Johnson scoring 42 points and Abdul-Jabbar winning the Most Valuable Player award for the sixth time in his career.
This season is also notable for being the rookie season of two future legends: Larry Bird and Earvin "Magic" Johnson. The Boston Celtics guard Chris Ford made history by scoring the first official three-pointer in the NBA on October 12, 1979, against the Houston Rockets.
Other notable events from the 1979-80 NBA season include the relocation of the New Orleans Jazz to Salt Lake City, where they became the Utah Jazz. Additionally, the Kansas City Kings were forced to play most of their games at the Municipal Auditorium due to the roof collapse at Kemper Arena. The season also marked the final appearances of future hall-of-famers Rick Barry, Walt Frazier, and Pete Maravich.
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The NCAA's 1986 adoption
The 3-point shot in basketball was first tested in 1945 by Howard Hobson, a Columbia University doctoral student and Oregon coach. Hobson, who was also a member of the NCAA rules committee, believed that the long-distance shot would create excitement and bring back the art of the "long shot". He also thought it would reduce the advantage of taller players. However, the 3-point shot was not adopted as a rule at that time.
Over the next few decades, the 3-point shot was experimented with at the collegiate level and in various professional leagues. The American Basketball League became the first league to implement the shot league-wide in 1961, followed by the Eastern Professional Basketball League in 1963. The American Basketball Association (ABA) also played a key role in popularising the 3-point shot, introducing it for their inaugural 1967-68 season.
Despite the growing popularity of the 3-point shot in other leagues, the National Basketball Association (NBA) did not adopt it until the 1979-80 season, initially on a one-year trial basis. Finally, in 1986, the NCAA adopted the 3-point basket, followed by the high school level in 1987. This marked the widespread acceptance of the 3-point shot in basketball, more than four decades after it was first conceived by Hobson.
The adoption of the 3-point shot by the NCAA in 1986 was a significant milestone in the evolution of basketball. It standardised the use of the 3-point shot across collegiate basketball, bringing it in line with the rules of other major leagues like the NBA and ABA. This move recognised the growing popularity and strategic value of the 3-point shot, which had been gaining traction since its inception in the 1940s.
The 1986 adoption of the 3-point shot by the NCAA reflected a shift towards embracing innovation and excitement in the sport. By rewarding long-distance shots, the rule change encouraged more dynamic and diverse gameplay, giving smaller players a greater opportunity to contribute and opening up defences. This move away from the traditional style of play, which favoured taller players and close-range shots, added a new layer of complexity and strategy to the game.
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Frequently asked questions
The 3-point shot in basketball was first tested in 1945 by Howard Hobson, a then-doctoral student at Columbia University and Oregon head coach. Hobson believed that the long-distance shot would create excitement and make long-distance shots more viable while reducing the advantage of taller players.
The 3-point shot was first officially adopted by the American Basketball League (ABL) in 1961. The ABL shut down in 1963, and the three-point shot was then adopted by the Eastern Professional Basketball League in the 1963-64 season.
Chris Ford of the Boston Celtics made the first official 3-point shot in NBA history on October 12, 1979.
