Jamal Crawford was the undisputed king of the four point play with 54 four-point plays over his long NBA career. That’s until James Harden had that amazing run of three seasons in which he led the league in scoring with the three-point shot as a large part of his offensive portfolio. The Beard leverages the NBA’s rules against his defenders. Still in the height of his powers and Harden has long surpassed Crawford with at least 70 four point plays in his career.

Not far behind (and catching up quickly) is Steph Curry with 44 four point plays in his career.

Before Crawford, Harden and Steph, there’s Reggie Miller who was the master of the four-point play in the 1990s. Miller popularized sticking out his leg as a defender ran by trying to contest his shot. The defender’s momentum would catch Miller’s leg and bring both of them down. He did this to the tune of 23 three point plays.

As we mentioned above, four point plays are now such a common occurrence that we wouldn’t bet against it happening on any given night. Especially when players like Harden, Curry, Kevin Durant or JJ Redick are playing.

From Two Points to Three Points to Four Points

So how has the four point play has gone from a extremely rare instance to a semi-common occurrence in the NBA game? It all started when the NBA introduced the three-point line in 1979. In the lines first several years of existence, barely any teams utilized the three in their offensive sets. Not a surprise considering that prior to 1979, shooting from twenty-three feet was worth the same amount of points as a layup, so it wasn’t a skill set that players put emphasis on.

“It was just a matter of guys not being used to it yet,” Denver Nuggets Hall-of-Fame forward Kiki Vandeweghe told NBA.com “They never practiced (the three point shot).”

As the seasons passed in the 1980s, certain players became more accustomed to the line and when best to utilize the three. The benefit was simple, a three-point shot was worth 50% more than a layup, dunk or mid-range jump shot and in the most-crucial moments of the game, a well-timed three could psychologically deflate an opponent.

If there was one player from the 1980s that was associated with the three-point shot, it was Larry Bird. Even Bird took a couple seasons before he realized the power of the shot. Here’s an excerpt from his book “Drive”:

It’s still interesting to me what’s happened with the 3-pointer because I thought so little of the shot when I first came into the league. It’s a great weapon and I’ll tell you when it is a particularly good time to use it. You’re the road team, you’ve got maybe a five-point lead with a couple of minutes to go and you’re wide open. That’s when I love to crank that thing up there, because if you make it, you simply destroy a team at that point. That’s when you need your concentration.

The 3-point shot demoralizes an opponent; there is no question about that. You’re working hard on defense and all of a sudden there is a 3-pointer and you feel so deflated. If the deficit goes from two to five with a minute to go, you’re dead in the water. It’s really a killer.

Since then, the NBA and their superstars like Curry, Harden, Klay Thompson, Damian Lillard, Durant, and others have really embraced the three and the game has evolved. The efficiency of their three-point shooting along with a handful of game rules has contributed significantly to the increase in the number of four-point plays we’ve seen over the last few years.