Unbelievable! Steve Kerr Wants to Abolish the Three-Point Shot

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, in his 12th season and facing uncertainty about renewing his contract set to expire in July – at least until the 2026/27 season when Stephen Curry's current deal with the Californians concludes – has surprised many by suggesting that eliminating the three-point line could benefit modern basketball.

This is a radical idea coming from someone who has leveraged the three-point shot so effectively, helping to revolutionize modern basketball. Kerr transformed the game by capitalizing on the unique long-range shooting abilities of Curry and Klay Thompson – the most successful shooting duo in the NBA's 80-year history. This strategy led him to four championships (2014/15, 2016/17, 2017/18, 2021/22) in six Finals appearances (2015/16, 2018/19) over eight seasons.

In an interview with The New Yorker, when asked about the possibility of adding a four-point line, the 60-year-old Kerr was unequivocal. "I would never create a four-point play," he stated, adding, "In fact, I would even consider getting rid of the three-point line."

It's worth remembering that Kerr himself was a lethal three-point shooter, still holding the league record for three-point percentage at 45.4 percent. He achieved these numbers during his 15 seasons in the NBA, where he won three titles with the Bulls (1995/96, 1996/97, 1997/98) and two with the Spurs (1998/99, 2002/03).

The justification for such a surprising statement lies in the evolution of the game, which has strayed from its original intent. "I think the game, as it was designed, is about creating the best possible shots," he began to explain. "That's why, in the early days, you passed the ball into the post. The three-point line came from the ABA (American Basketball Association) in 1979, and I think it was very effective. It makes the game exciting, but the analytics revolution has created a strange situation where we all know exactly where the most efficient shots are: dunks and corner threes, because the corner three is 22 feet, not 23 feet, 9 inches, like at the top of the arc," he elaborated.

Kerr argues that this obsession with efficiency has created a "no man's land" on the court, devaluing mid-range shots. "If you take a 22-foot shot from the top of the key now, it's considered a bad shot," he continued. "I wonder – and I don't know if it would work or not – if by getting rid of the three-point line, it would diversify the way everyone plays and create a lot of different creative solutions for basketball."

According to Steve, statistics confirm this trend. Data analysis shows that teams focus on shots near the basket or beyond the three-point line, discouraging players from attempting mid-range shots. The increase in three-point attempts is evident: in the 2005/06 season, teams averaged 16.0 three-point attempts per game. Twenty years later, that number has more than doubled, reaching an average of 37.0 attempts in the 2025/26 season – the second-highest figure ever, only surpassed by 37.6 in 2024/25.

Despite Kerr's radical proposal, some believe that a perfect three-point line should be maintained from the top of the arc, thereby only eliminating the possibility of a corner three-point shot.

A Brief History of the Three-Point Line: Although the four teams from the defunct American Basketball Association – Nets, Pacers, Spurs, Nuggets – joined the NBA in 1976/77, the three-point line (from 23 feet, 9 inches) that existed in the ABA since 1967 was only implemented in the NBA for the 1979/80 season on a trial basis. Chris Ford of the Boston Celtics converted the first three-pointer.