1) Michael Jordan, 1990

Turns out that yes, there is something Jordan couldn’t do. In fact, he was statistically the worst performer in Three-Point Contest history, a superlative that likely doesn’t sit well with the G.O.A.T. Jordan shot just 5-of-30 with a five point output that ties Detlef Schrempf for the worst ever, and a 16.67% clip that’s the record. As you would expect, that placed Jordan dead last in a competition ultimately won by his Bulls teammate, Craig Hodges, with the next worst score that year belonging to Mark Price, who more than doubled Jordan with 11 points. Contrasting with most of today’s star players, Jordan never really excelled at long distance shooting nor did he need to, winning 10 NBA scoring titles (including in that ’89-’90 season) despite shooting just 32.7% from three-point range in his career. For the record, Jordan made a more agreeable history as the first Slam Dunk Contest champion to also participate in the Three-Point Contest. He was followed later by Brent Barry, Zach LaVine, and Donovan Mitchell, who all similarly struggled in the shooting competition.

2) John Stockton, 1992 and 1997

Despite his unconventional mechanics, Stockton was a decent long distance shooter for his era, finishing in the top 10 in the NBA three-point shooting percentage four times. Stockton’s offensive focus was usually more on his near-unstoppable pick-and-roll with Karl Malone, with three-point shooting more of a lifeline, most notably evident in his series clinching buzzer beater in the 1997 Western Conference Finals. Stockton would have likely excelled in the Skills Challenge, which didn’t debut until his 19th and final season, but as it stands, he settled for two gos at the Three-Point Contest. In 1992, Stockton finished with just 11 points, which at least put him ahead of his future Jazz back court mate, Jeff Hornacek (then with the Suns), who finished in last with seven points. Stockton declined a chance to participate a year later in front of his hometown fans in Salt Lake City but did opt to try again in 1997, this time upping his score to 13 points, which was respectable but not enough to advance to the semifinals.

3) James Harden, 2015 and 2016

2015 and 2016 were maybe the most stacked lineups in Three-Point Contest history. Both featured the three-point demigod, Stephen Curry, who won the former, as well as “Splash Brother” Klay Thompson, who won the latter, along with past champion Kyrie Irving, future champion Devin Booker, and legacy legends Kyle Korver and J.J. Redick. There was also Harden, who has more career three-point field goals than anyone in NBA history besides Curry but just couldn’t cut it on All-Star Saturday Night. Harden finished in last place in 2015 with 15 points then showed some improvement in 2016 with 20. But that put him even for third with Booker, who easily defeated Harden in a tiebreaker to advance. Though Harden led the NBA in three-point field goals in the ’17-’18, ’18-’19, and ’19-’20 seasons, he has yet to return to the exhibition contest and arguably goes down as the all-time greatest three-point shooter to never win it.

4) Clyde Drexler, 1991

After failing to win a Slam Dunk Contest title despite participating five times in the ’80s, Drexler marked a new decade by turning his sights to the other All-Star Saturday competition. But similar to his tormenting rival, Michael Jordan, Drexler was not a particularly adept – or prolific – long distance shooter. In fact, he finished in the top 20 in the league in three-point field goals just twice in his career, and never in the top 20 in three-point field goal percentage. One night before taking the floor in Charlotte for his fifth All-Star appearance, Drexler finished dead last in the Three-Point Contest, scoring just eight points out of a possible 30. While low scores in his first Dunk Contest appearance didn’t discourage Drexler from returning and eventually finishing as high as second place, he opted for one-and-done in three-point shooting. Drexler’s Portland teammates Terry Porter and Danny Ainge fared much better in this competition, both advancing to the semifinals and ultimately finishing second and fourth, respectively.

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Long range duds: Eight other notable disappointing performances in the NBA Three-Point Contest

Michael Adams, 1989: In ’88-’89, Adams became the first player in NBA history to total over 150 three-pointers in a season but his signature, unconventional “push shot” didn’t translate well to the Three-Point Contest that year, finishing in a tie for fifth place
Clifford Robinson, 1996: Long before tall champions like Dirk Nowitzki and Karl-Anthony Towns, Robinson was the contest’s first participant to be 6’10” or taller but the ahead-of-his-time big man finished in last place, with just 11 points
Kevin Huerter, 2023: Even with the score inflation caused by the recent additions of the all-“money ball” rack and the two long-range bonus shots, Huerter managed to tie for the seventh worst performance in contest history in 2023 by pure points, with just eight
Jeff Hornacek, 1992: He would go on to win back-to-back titles in 1998 and 2000 (there was no All-Star Weekend in 1999 due to the lockout) but Hornacek’s first Three-Point Contest appearance was dismal, finishing in last place with seven points and having to hit his final three shots just to reach that mark
Vladimir Radmanovic, 2005: “Rad Vlad” was dealing with a wrist injury during All-Star Weekend in 2005 and it showed, as he managed to sink just 6-of-30 shots, the second worst performance in Three-Point Contest history behind only Michael Jordan
Khris Middleton, 2019: Already a last place finisher with 13 points in 2016, Middleton was even worse in his 2019 return, finishing with 11 points and making Three-Point Contest history as the first, and only, player to finish in 10th place, as the field was expanded for one year only
Antoine Walker, 2003: Still considered one of the best long-range shooting big men in NBA history, Walker was a major disappointment in his only Three-Point Contest appearance, finishing with seven points on 7-of-30 shooting, which notably means he was 0-of-5 on money balls
Rimas Kirtainitis, 1989: A star player at the time for BC Zalgiris in his native Lithuania, Kirtainitis was a special invite to the 1989 Three-Point Contest and didn’t make much of the opportunity, scoring just nine points and finishing in last place

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5) Paul George, 2013 and 2018

Just 22 years old and about to make his All-Star debut, George opted to additionally try his hand at the Three-Point Contest in Houston in 2013. The then Pacers star not only finished in last place but well behind the other competitors, with just 10 points. George could at least take some solace that the second-to-last finisher, with 17 points, was none other than Stephen Curry. After his career was waylaid in 2014 by a broken leg, George had re-established himself as one of the league’s best long-distance shooters by 2018 and came back to the contest, this time in his hometown of Los Angeles. But he finished in last place again, this time scoring just nine points. George finished the ’17-’18 season with a then career high 244 three-point field goals, good for second in the league, and has made four further All-Star appearances, but has not tried his hand again at the long range contest.

6) Allen Iverson, 2000

He was arguably one of the greatest NBA All-Star Game competitors in the contest’s history but Iverson never made a mark in the attendant Saturday Night contests, aside from a solid showing in the 1997 Rookie Challenge. Perhaps it’s because the only time Iverson ever participated in a solo competition was at the 2000 Three-Point Contest in Oakland and it went poorly, to say the least. Iverson missed four-out-of-five shots on the first rack and didn’t improve much from there, finishing with just 10 points. The normally competitive guard seemed to at least be having fun, laughing it up with Cheryl Miller in his debrief interview, remarking that maybe he should have “practiced a little more” (we’re talking about practice?!?!?!). One thing Iverson can at least hang his hat on is that he didn’t finish in last place, just edging out Cleveland’s Bob Sura, who logged nine points.

7) Chauncey Billups, 2004 and 2006

He earned the nickname “Mr. Big Shot” for his clutch baskets during the biggest moments of Pistons games, but Billups’ performance under pressure didn’t translate to Three-Point Contest success. A regular presence on the three-point shooting leaderboards during the ’00s, Billups made his All-Star Saturday Night debut in 2004 in Los Angeles and finished in dead last with 12 points. Two years later, after getting selected to make his first All-Star Game appearance, Billups tried again in the Three-Point Contest in Houston and had an identical performance, with 12 points. At least this time he was tied for last place, alongside Quentin Richardson. That was enough for Billups, who played in the All-Star Game four more times but never returned to the Three-Point Contest. A notable addendum to Billups’ story: the Pistons are one of six teams, along with the Hawks, Pacers, Clippers, Knicks, and 76ers, who have existed since the first Three-Point Contest in 1985 and have never claimed a title.

8) Kevin Durant, 2011

Scoring has always come naturally for Durant, who is now ninth in NBA history in career points and third all-time in All-Star Game scoring behind only LeBron James and Kobe Bryant. But his first foray into the Three-Point Contest was downright embarrassing, shooting just 5-of-25 in the 2011 contest in Los Angeles, finishing dead last with six points. It was such a disappointment that TNT cameras caught his Thunder teammate Russell Westbrook staring in awe afterwards, before transitioning into a patronizing clap. But unlike the other legends on this list, Durant got a chance to redeem himself and took advantage. When Joe Johnson pulled out of the 2012 Three-Point Contest with an injury, Durant stepped in as his replacement in Orlando and finishing in second place, only losing out on the title to Kevin Love in a tiebreaker round. One night later, Durant dropped 36 points and earned his first All-Star MVP trophy. Though he never won a Three-Point Contest title, Durant did take him the title in the first two – and only two – HORSE competitions during All-Star Weekend in 2009 and 2010.

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