Steph Curry, Dame Lillard already eyeing next season’s 3-point competition

While the NBA’s slam dunk contest appears to be on life support, the league’s All-Star weekend 3-point competition is not only alive and well, but has also been given a breath of fresh air. 

Over the weekend, injured Warriors All-Star Steph Curry, a two-time 3-point contest champion (2015 & 2021), told media members he soon plans to return to the shooting contest that he last participated in during the 2021 season. Curry laid the foundation for a return during next season’s All-Star weekend, which will be held in Phoenix. He told reporters that he’d work on getting his former Golden State teammate, and current Dallas Maverick, Klay Thompson, on board as well. And he was already under the assumption that the 2026 champ, Damian Lillard, would return to defend his title.

Upon hearing Curry’s future intentions, Lillard took to Instagram to share a text exchange between he and Curry setting the stage for a star-studded event in the Valley of the Sun:

“Next year… Me, you, klay, book (Devin Booker), and 4 more real shooter…,” wrote Lillard. Curry responded: “Yessir I’m in. Know Klay will do it if I ask and book will be at home. Perfect setup.”

That foursome alone would be worth the watch. Curry is the NBA’s all-time leader in made 3s, Dame shares the record (3) for most three-point contest wins in league history (2023, ’24 & ’26), Klay Thompson won the contest in 2016 and has a 60-point game on his resume, and Devin Booker won the three-point title in 2018. The Phoenix Suns guard scored 70 points in a March 2017 game. So yeah, these guys are all capable of taking home another crown next winter.

Should Dame, who is still working his way back to game action after tearing his Achilles last season, go back-to-back and get the best of the former champions, he’d break a tie with Larry Bird and Craig Hodges for most three-point contest wins in league history.