Eddie Rios Mellado

The Inventor(s) of the Three-Point Shot |

The three-point line has become such a integral part of basketball that it’s difficult to fathom the game was ever played without the ability to shoot from afar for an extra point.

However taking a quick look over the history of  the three-point line; the three-pointer has only been around for roughly 40 years – with it first being popularized by the ABA.  Even with the ABA’s mainstream use in the 1970s, the idea of the three-point line has been around for as long at 75-years, depending on whom you believe and how you define the invention.

The Inventor(s) of the Three-Point Line We can all agree that it wasn’t in Naismith’s original game plan when he invented basketball back in 1891.   So then, who came up with the idea of a basketball three-point line?

This is where the facts get a little hazy.

Checking over the information on the web, Wikipedia refers to the possibility that the three-pointer was first created in 1933.

Herman Sayger, a high-school basketball phenom cum coach in the midwest, came up with the idea of a three-point shot in a scoring system that rewarded distance of the shot being made; shots made within 15 feet of the basket were worth one point, shots between 15-25 feet were worth two points, and shots from 25 feet (!) and beyond were worth 3 points.

Despite Saygar’s stature (he set the Indiana state record for points in a game with 113) his suggestion was never put into practice.

According to a couple articles, Howard Hobson was the innovator I was looking for.  Back in 1945, Hobson was the head coach of the University of Oregon and was also part of the Rules Committee.  And as a Rules Committee member, Hobson lobbied for the “bonus shot” designed to limit the effectiveness of a taller players and eliminate zone defenses.  The three point line, as well as other rule changes, were tested in a game between Columbia and Fordham on February 07, 1945.