The Road to 6,272 Threes
What happens if you give a player the most 3 pointers made at every age?
I’m calling this player Trey King for obvious reasons. The rule is simple: at each Basketball-Reference season age, King receives the NBA season with the most regular-season three-pointers made at that age. ABA seasons and playoff threes are excluded. There is no age-17 NBA three-point season, so the career starts at 18 and ends with the oldest available NBA season in the three-point era at 44.
51 threes | 7.6 PPG | 1.9 RPG | 1.3 APG | .417/.375/.819
Team: Lakers, 56-26
Result: Lost in the Western Conference semifinals
King enters the league as a teenager on a veteran team that’s pretty good.
He starts six of his 71 games and plays 15.5 MPG.
The production is modest, but 51 threes at 37.5% isn’t bad for a 18 year old.
King also gets immediate playoff experience. The Lakers win 56 games and reach the second round, allowing him to begin his career around meaningful basketball rather than spending his rookie season firing away for a lottery team.
Career total: 51 threes
171 threes | 19.3 PPG | 4.7 RPG | 2.9 APG | .417/.329/.776
Team: Timberwolves, 23-49
Result: Missed the postseason
King’s team is no longer a contender and is immediately handed the keys to one of the worst teams in the league.
His minutes jump from 15.5 to 32.1 per game. His scoring rises from 7.6 to 19.3. He attempts 520 threes, more than three times as many as he did during his rookie season.
The efficiency is not particularly good. He shoots 41.7% from the field and 32.9% from three, and they only win 23 games. But the season reveals the first glimpse of the player he might become.
The team is terrible, but King’s reputation improves. He is now viewed as a future star, maybe superstar.
Career total: 222 threes
273 threes | 18.5 PPG | 5.3 RPG | 3.4 APG | .475/.425/.863
Team: Hornets, 44-38
Result: Won the first play-in game, lost the game for the eighth seed
King’s third season is his first genuine shooting explosion.
He makes 273 threes, leads the entire league and shoots 42.5% on 642 attempts. He is no longer accumulating makes through volume alone. He has become one of the most efficient high-volume shooters in basketball.
The rest of his game also begins to fill out. He averages 5.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists while starting 80 games. His team improves to 44-38 and comes within one play-in victory of reaching the playoffs.
He finishes the year with 495 career threes. Stephen Curry had made 372 NBA threes through his age-24 season. Trey King has nearly 500 before turning 21.
Career total: 495 threes
227 threes | 13.5 PPG | 2.9 RPG | 3.4 APG | .430/.394/.802
Team: Rockets, 52-30
Result: Lost in the first round
After leading the league in threes at age 20, King becomes a reserve.
He starts only 21 games and averages 26.2 minutes. His scoring drops to 13.5 points per game, but he still makes 227 threes while shooting 39.4%.
Houston wins 52 games, although the Rockets lose to the Lakers in six games in the first round as massive favorites. King finishes sixth in Sixth Man of the Year voting.
There are brief concerns that his age-20 breakout was a one-year anomaly.
Those concerns do not last long…
Career total: 722 threes
234 threes | 21.0 PPG | 4.6 RPG | 3.4 APG | .423/.354/.813
Team: Rockets, 52-30
Result: Lost in the first round
King returns to the starting lineup and plays all 82 games.
His efficiency is ordinary, but he scores 21 points per game and makes 234 threes for a Houston team that earns the second seed in the Western Conference.
The regular season appears to confirm that King can be a major scorer on a winning team. They win 52 games and enters the playoffs with legitimate expectations.
Then Golden State eliminates them in seven games in the first round.
The Warriors were favorites, but it still begins a trend of King losing as a higher seed.
Career total: 956 threes
320 threes | 27.6 PPG | 5.7 RPG | 4.5 APG | .447/.395/.837
Team: Timberwolves, 49-33
Result: Lost in the Western Conference finals
King becomes a superstar.
He averages 27.6 points, improves his three-point percentage to 39.5% and makes 300 3s for the first, certainly not the last time.
He leads the league in threes, makes the All-Star team and earns All-NBA Second Team honors. He also finishes third in Clutch Player of the Year voting.
More importantly, he performs as the best player on a team that reaches the Western Conference finals. They wis two playoff series before OKC ends the run in five games.
He is now one of the best guards in basketball, capable of combining enormous three-point volume with athletic downhill scoring and respectable playmaking.
Career total: 1,276 threes
284 threes | 33.9 PPG | 9.2 RPG | 9.8 APG | .487/.382/.786
Team: Mavericks, 50-32
Result: Lost in the NBA Finals
King responds to becoming an All-NBA scorer by transforming into one of the greatest offensive engines the league has ever seen.
He averages 34/9/10. He wins the scoring title, makes All-NBA First Team and finishes third in MVP voting.
The player who averaged 13.5 points as a sixth man three seasons earlier now nearly averages a 34-point triple-double.
His team enters the playoffs as the fifth seed, but King guides them through the Western Conference and wins the conference finals MVP. They reach the NBA Finals before losing to Boston in five games with King fighting a lone battle against a stacked team.
Although the Finals are not competitive, the run changes how King is perceived. He is no longer merely an elite shooter who happens to score a lot. He has proven that he can organize an entire offense and carry a team through multiple postseason rounds.
At 24, he has 1,560 threes, a scoring title, three All-NBA-caliber seasons and a Finals appearance.
The next question is whether he can win a championship.
Career total: 1,560 threes
276 threes | 22.1 PPG | 3.8 RPG | 2.1 APG | .470/.425/.873
Team: Warriors, 73-9
Result: Lost the NBA Finals after leading 3-1
King follows his near-triple-double season by becoming an entirely different player.
His assists fall from 9.8 to 2.1. He no longer dominates the ball or dictates every possession. Instead, he spends the season sprinting around screens, relocating along the arc and punishing defenders for looking away from him for half a second.
King makes 276 threes at 42.5%, earns another All-Star selection and makes All-NBA Third Team. His team wins 73 games, setting the best regular-season record in NBA history.
For most of the season, it appears King is about to complete the perfect response to losing the Finals. He has sacrificed individual control, played selflessly, and helped produce a historic regular season.
Golden State then takes a 3-1 lead over Cleveland in the Finals.
And loses.
The Warriors become the first team ever to blow a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals. King’s 73-win season is reduced to a setup for the most famous collapse in league history.
This becomes the first major scar on his legacy. No matter how well he played during the year, every discussion of the season begins and ends with 3-1.
King is now 0-2 in the Finals.
Career total: 1,836 threes
286 threes | 23.8 PPG | 4.3 RPG | 7.7 APG | .487/.443/.914
Team: Warriors, 67-15
Result: NBA champion
King responds to the collapse by winning his first MVP.
He averages 23.8 points and 7.7 assists while shooting 44.3% from three. He leads the league in makes, earns All-NBA First Team honors and receives 100 first-place MVP votes.
Golden State wins 67 games and returns to the Finals against Cleveland.
This time, King finishes the job.
The Warriors win the series in six games, giving him his first championship after two consecutive Finals losses. He does not win Finals MVP, but the championship still changes the direction of his career.
King’s legacy greatly improves with the win, despite not winning finals MVP, many of his fans argue he was robbed.
Career total: 2,122 threes
402 threes | 30.1 PPG | 5.4 RPG | 6.7 APG | .504/.454/.908
Team: Warriors, 73-9
Result: Lost the NBA Finals after leading 3-1
Oh…
King produces one of the greatest regular seasons in NBA history.
He becomes the first player ever to make 400 threes, finishing with 402. He wins the scoring title, leads the league in steals and joins the 50-40-90 club while averaging 30.1 points.
He receives every first-place MVP vote, becoming the first unanimous MVP in NBA history.
He wins 73 games again!
King has somehow played on two separate 73-win teams within three seasons, with a 67-15 ring sandwiched in between, easily the greatest run in NBA history, team success wise.
The Warriors fall behind Oklahoma City 3-1 in the Western Conference finals but complete the comeback. They then take a 3-1 lead over Cleveland in the Finals.
And lose Again!!
Trey King has now played on two 73-win teams.
Both teams led the NBA Finals 3-1 and blew it.
Critics begin asking whether his style becomes easier to defend over a long series. Others argue that no individual player should be blamed for two team-wide collapses.
He is now a two-time MVP and champion, but the phrase “73-9” has somehow become an insult. He’s now 1-3 in finals, and people call him a huge choker.
Career total: 2,524 threes
324 threes | 25.3 PPG | 4.5 RPG | 6.6 APG | .468/.411/.898
Team: Warriors, 67-15
Result: NBA champion
King enters the season under a level of scrutiny few players have ever faced.
Every regular-season accomplishment is dismissed as meaningless. Every fourth-quarter mistake becomes evidence that he cannot handle pressure. Analysts debate whether another championship would even erase the two collapses.
Golden State wins 67 games, and King makes 324 threes while averaging 25.3 points and 6.6 assists. He finishes sixth in MVP voting and makes All-NBA Second Team.
Then the Warriors destroy everyone.
They go 16-1 in the playoffs, the best postseason record in NBA history, and defeat Cleveland in five games in the Finals.
King wins his second championship.
He has now reached four consecutive Finals, won two championships and been the offensive center of one of the greatest teams ever assembled.
Haters say he didn’t even win Finals MVP for either of his championships.
Career total: 2,848 threes
384 threes | 36.4 PPG | 6.6 RPG | 7.5 APG | .445/.374/.879
Team: Rockets, 53-29
Result: Lost in the Western Conference semifinals
King leaves the elegant motion offense style and turns into the most extreme isolation scorer in basketball.
He averages 36.4 points, the highest scoring average of his career, while adding 7.5 assists and 6.6 rebounds. He attempts 1,028 threes and makes 384, the second-highest total of his career.
Possessions become almost comically predictable. King dribbles at the top of the floor, waits for the switch he wants and either steps back for three or drives into the paint.
And it’s unstoppable, he averages 40 for a massive portion of the season with a middling team around him, with his owner refusing to pay the luxury tax (I’m definitely not still sad about the Harden Rockets not winning a ring).
He finishes second in MVP voting despite receiving 23 first-place votes. They win 53 games but loses to Golden State in six games in the second round.
He finishes the year with 3,232 career threes. He has passed the career totals of every player except Stephen Curry and James Harden, and he has just turned 29.
Career total: 3,232 threes
354 threes | 27.3 PPG | 5.3 RPG | 5.2 APG | .472/.437/.916
Team: Warriors, 57-25
Result: Lost in the NBA Finals
King returns to the motion offense and produces another elite shooting season.
He makes 354 threes while shooting 43.7%. He earns All-NBA First Team honors and finishes fifth in MVP voting.
The Warriors reach the Finals for the fifth time in six seasons, but injuries and Toronto’s defense end the run in six games.
King is now 2-4 in the NBA Finals.
That record becomes a popular talking point despite the fact that simply reaching six Finals is an extraordinary accomplishment. His supporters point to the two championships and unprecedented sustained contention and outlier shooting. His detractors point to the two 3-1 collapses and four defeats.
Career total: 3,586 threes
240 threes | 16.9 PPG | 3.4 RPG | 3.1 APG | .428/.374/.921
Team: Hawks, 36-46
Result: Lost in the first play-in game
I’m sure you read this and immediately realized that the comp changed cuz Steph got injured. Don’t worry though he’ll back.
For the first time since age 22, King is not an All-Star-level player.
He starts only 33 games and averages 16.9 points. He remains an effective shooter, making 240 threes, but no longer bends entire defenses around him.
Atlanta finishes 36-46 and loses the 9⁄10 play-in game.
The sudden decline produces immediate speculation that King’s prime is over. He has accumulated enormous mileage and played deep into the postseason almost every year.
He finishes fifth in Sixth Man of the Year voting, an oddly bizzare achievement for a player with two MVPs and more than 3,800 threes.
For the first time, King’s career begins to look mortal. The post game thread after the play-in loss becomes the most upvoted post in r/nba history.
Career total: 3,826 threes
337 threes | 32.0 PPG | 5.5 RPG | 5.8 APG | .482/.421/.916
Team: Warriors, 39-33
Result: Lost both play-in games
The decline lasts one season.
King returns to MVP form, averaging a career-high 32 points outside of his Harden season. He shoots 42.1% from three, makes 337 in only 63 games and wins his third scoring title.
He finishes third in MVP voting and makes All-NBA First Team.
The Warriors, however, finish eighth and lose both play-in games. King produces one of the greatest offensive seasons of his career and does not officially reach the playoffs.
Individually, it proves that his greatness was not merely a product of stacked teams. He can still dominate without an overwhelming supporting cast.
From a team perspective, it is another brilliant season that ends without meaningful postseason success.
Career total: 4,163 threes
285 threes | 25.5 PPG | 5.2 RPG | 6.3 APG | .437/.380/.923
Team: Warriors, 53-29
Result: NBA champion
His regular-season efficiency slips by his standards. He shoots 38% from three and finishes eighth in MVP voting. He is still an All-Star and All-NBA Second Team selection, but he no longer looks like the automatic MVP candidate of previous seasons.
Then the playoffs begin.
King reaches the Finals and defeats Boston in six games. King wins the Western Conference finals MVP and, most importantly, his first Finals MVP.
It is the defining championship of his career.
His first two titles came with dominant Warriors teams and were used by critics to minimize his individual importance. This one comes after his apparent decline, after a play-in elimination and after years of jokes about his postseason résumé.
At 33, King leads another championship run and finally owns the Finals MVP trophy missing from his résumé.
He now has three championships, seven Finals appearances and the career three-point record.
The two blown 3-1 leads remain impossible to ignore, but they are no longer the conclusion of his story.
Career total: 4,448 threes
273 threes | 29.4 PPG | 6.1 RPG | 6.3 APG | .493/.427/.915
Team: Warriors, 44-38
Result: Lost in the Western Conference semifinals
King follows his redemption championship with one of the most efficient scoring seasons of his career.
He averages 29.4 points while shooting 49.3% from the field and 42.7% from three. He adds 6.1 rebounds and 6.3 assists and makes All-NBA Second Team.
Trey’s team only wins 44 games but advances through the first round before losing to the Lakers in six.
His career is waning though, his team is struggling to stay relevent.
Career total: 4,721 threes
357 threes | 26.4 PPG | 4.5 RPG | 5.1 APG | .450/.408/.923
Team: Warriors, 46-36
Result: Lost in the first play-in game
King becomes the oldest player ever to lead the league in three-pointers.
He makes 357, the third-highest total of his career, while shooting 40.8%. He wins Clutch Player of the Year and makes All-NBA Third Team.
The award is fitting because Golden State repeatedly requires him to save close games that probably should not have been close in the first place.
The Warriors win 46 games but finish 10th in the crowded Western Conference and lose to Sacramento in the play-in.
King becomes the first player to surpass 5,000 career threes.
Career total: 5,078 threes
311 threes | 24.5 PPG | 4.4 RPG | 6.0 APG | .448/.397/.933
Team: Warriors, 48-34
Result: Lost in the Western Conference semifinals
King remains an All-NBA player at 36.
He averages 24.5 points and six assists, shoots 93.3% from the line and makes another 311 threes. It is his seventh season with at least 300 makes.
Golden State finishes seventh, wins the 7⁄8 play-in game and then upsets second-seeded Houston in seven games. The Warriors lose to Minnesota in the second round, with King injured.
Career total: 5,389 threes
190 threes | 26.6 PPG | 3.6 RPG | 4.7 APG | .468/.393/.923
Team: Warriors, 37-45
Result: Won one play-in game, lost the second
For the first time, injuries become the central story of King’s season.
He plays only 43 games, although he remains excellent when available. He averages 26.6 points and makes 190 threes at 39.3%.
He earns another All-Star selection but is ineligible for All-NBA because he falls well short of the 65-game requirement.
Golden State finishes 37-45, wins the 9⁄10 play-in game and loses the final game for the eighth seed.
The year suggests that King’s ability remains intact, but his body can no longer reliably support a full season.
This is the beginning of the end of his superstar period.
Career total: 5,579 threes
134 threes | 10.0 PPG | 2.4 RPG | 3.1 APG | .438/.401/.885
Team: Pacers, 61-21
Result: Lost in the Eastern Conference finals
King finally accepts a reduced role.
He averages only 10 points and 28.2 minutes, but shoots 40.1% from three and starts all 80 games for the best team in the East.
He no longer needs to create the offense. He spaces the floor, moves the ball and rarely makes mistakes, averaging fewer than one turnover per game.
Indiana wins 61 games and reaches the conference finals before losing to Detroit.
He is no longer the player carrying the team, and doesn’t need to.
Career total: 5,713 threes
149 threes | 25.7 PPG | 7.3 RPG | 8.3 APG | .540/.410/.750
Team: Lakers, 47-35
Result: Lost in the first round
King decides screw this reduced role BS, I’m Trey King.
At 39, he averages 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 8.3 assists. He shoots 54% from the field and a career-best-for-this-stage 41% from three.
He makes All-NBA Third Team and leads the Lakers through the 7⁄8 play-in game before Denver eliminates them in five games.
He is once again one of the best all-around offensive players in basketball.
His playmaking, which had been mediocre the previous year, are back, he averages over 8 assists a game.
Career total: 5,862 threes
149 threes | 24.4 PPG | 7.8 RPG | 8.2 APG | .513/.376/.782
Team: Lakers, 50-32
Result: Lost in the first round
King becomes the first player in NBA history to reach 6,000 career threes.
He does it while remaining an elite player.
At 40, King averages 24.4 points, 7.8 rebounds and 8.2 assists. He finishes sixth in MVP voting and makes All-NBA Second Team.
The Lakers win 50 games and earn the third seed, but Minnesota eliminates them in five games in the opening round.
The early exit adds another disappointing postseason result to a career filled with them, but it is difficult to hold the loss against a 40-year-old averaging nearly 25-8-8.
Career total: 6,011 threes
77 threes | 20.9 PPG | 6.1 RPG | 7.2 APG | .515/.317/.737
Team: Lakers, 53-29
Result: Lost in the Western Conference semifinals
Trey King gets the yips.
He makes only 77 threes and shoots 31.7%, his lowest percentage since age 19. It is his first season with fewer than 100 makes since his rookie year.
Fortunately, he has several other skills.
King still averages 20.9 points and 7.2 assists while shooting 51.5% from the field. He remains an All-Star and helps the Lakers win 53 games.
Los Angeles defeats Houston in six games before Oklahoma City sweeps the Lakers in the second round.
The jumper is gone, but King is still a productive player at 41.
Career total: 6,088 threes
123 threes | 7.4 PPG | 2.6 RPG | 1.1 APG | .419/.389/.712
Team: Hawks, 29-53
Result: Missed the postseason
King finally becomes a conventional old player.
He comes off the bench, averages 17.5 minutes and starts only nine games. His athleticism and all-around production largely disappear.
The shooting returns, however.
He makes 123 threes at 38.9%, giving Atlanta a useful floor spacer and giving fans a reason to continue watching a 29-win team.
At this stage, King is playing largely because he enjoys basketball and because teams remain willing to employ anyone who can make nearly 40% of his threes.
His record reaches 6,211.
61 threes | 5.0 PPG | 2.1 RPG | 0.8 APG | .352/.302/.793
Team: Hawks, 20-47
Result: Missed the postseason
King’s production finally becomes difficult to defend.
He averages five points, shoots 35.2% from the field and 30.2% from three. He does not start a single game.
Atlanta wins 20 games and does not receive an invitation to the bubble.
There is no competitive reason for King to continue playing. His record is safe, his legacy is secure and he has already played longer than nearly everyone in league history.
He returns for one final year.
Career total: 6,272 threes
0 threes | 2.4 PPG | 1.6 RPG | 0.2 APG | 5 games
Team: Mavericks, 67-15
Result: Lost in the first round
He plays 43 minutes with no 3 point attempts.
King is on a 67 win Dallas team, but he barely participates. He makes five field goals, collects eight rebounds and ends his final season without adding a single three to the record that defines his career.
Dallas then suffers one of the greatest first-round upsets in NBA history, losing to the 8 seed, the we believe warriors in 6 games.
After 27 seasons, he retires with 6,272 career threes.
27 seasons(1st)
1,873 games(1st)
1,549 starts(2nd behind Lebron)
58,269 minutes(2nd behind Lebron)
41,473 points(2nd behind Lebron again)
22.1 PPG
4.8 RPG
5.0 APG
1.2 SPG
0.4 BPG
14,189-30,542 FG: 46.5%
6,272-15,728 3P:39.9%
6,823-7,950 FT: 85.8%
56.7% eFG%
60.9% true shooting %
A player could make 300 threes every season for 20 consecutive years and still enter Year 21 needing another 272.