Most 4 Point Plays in NBA History

We’re counting down the most 4 point plays in NBA history! These are the plays that had us on the edge of our seats, the ones that made us jump out of our chairs in excitement. From buzzer beaters to improbable comebacks, these are the moments that make the NBA great

Introduction

A 4 nt play is when a player is fouled while making a 3 point shot. It is an extremely rare event, happening only a handful of times in NBA history The following list contains the 10 players with the most 4 point plays in their careers.

The Early Years

The early years of the NBA saw very few 4 point plays. In fact, from the league’s inception in 1946 until the late 1970s, there were none at all. The first 4 point play in NBA history was not registered until 1979, when Orlando Woolridge of the Chicago Bulls hit a jump shot and was fouled by Milwaukee Bucks player Brian Winters

The late 1970s and early 1980s saw a handful of 4 point plays, with Woolridge again hitting the milestone shot in 1981. These early years were characterized by players mostly just trying to get the ball in the hoop and get fouled, as the rules surrounding jump shots and fouls were still relatively new and not well understood.

This all changed in 1984, when Dallas Mavericks player Derek Harper hit two back-to-back 4 point plays against the Minnesota Timberwolves This began a trend of players becoming more strategic about how they used fouled jump shots to their advantage, and 4 point plays became somewhat more common. Still, they remained relatively rare, with only a few happening each year up until the early 2000s.

The Modern Era

In the modern ERA of the NBA, there have been countless great 4 point plays. A 4 point play is when a player is fouled while making a 3 pointer. This weekend, we take a look at the 5 best 4 point plays in recent memory.

1) On November 11th, 2016, Russell Westbrook of the Oklahoma City Thunder made a pull-up 3 pointer while being fouled by Andrew Wiggins of the Minnesota Timberwolves The shot put the Thunder up 103-99 with just under 2 minutes left in the game.

2) On December 23rd, 2016, Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers made a step-back 3 pointer while being fouled by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope of the Detroit Pistons The shot put the Cavaliers up 107-104 with just under a minute left in the game.

3) On January 27th, 2017, C.J. McCollum of the Portland Trail Blazers made a contested 3 pointer while being fouled by Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics The shot put the Trail Blazers up 99-98 with just under 2 minutes left in the game.

4) On February 15th, 2017, Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors made a catch and shoot 3 pointer while being fouled by Avery Bradley of the Boston Celtics The shot put Warriors up 114-113 with just over a minute left in regulation.

5) On March 1st, 2017, Demar Derozan of Toronto Raptors made a step-back 3 pointer while being fouled by Wesley Matthews of Dallas Mavericks The shot put Raptors up 123-122 with just over 8 seconds remaining in double overtime

The Record-Holders

In the NBA, a 4 point play occurs when a player scores a 3 point shot and is fouled by the opposing player. This results in the player receiving 1 free throw opportunity, worth 1 point, for a total of 4 points. While this is a relatively rare occurrence in NBA games there have been a handful of players who have managed to sinking multiple 4 point plays throughout their careers.

The record-holder for the most 4 point plays in an NBA Career is Stephen Jackson with 8 4 point plays. Other notable players include Paul Pierce and Vince Carter who are tied for second place with 7 4 point plays each. Kobe Bryant and Lebron James are tied for fourth place with 6 4 point plays each.

Despite the fact that sinking a 4 point play is considered to be somewhat of a feat, it should be noted that the overall percentage of successful 4 point plays is quite low. In the 2015-16 NBA season there were only 26 successful 4 point plays out of a possible 942 attempts. This means that the success rate for 4 point plays was only 2.8%.

The Most Memorable 4-Point Plays

A 4-point play is when a player scores a basket and is then fouled, and they make the free throw resulting from the foul. It’s not an easy feat, but over the years, there have been some truly memorable 4-point plays.

One of the most famous 4-point plays came in 1992, when Hubert Davis of the University of North Carolina hit a 3-pointer while being fouled by Kentucky’s Deron Feldhaus. The shot helped UNC come back from down 17 points to win the game 103-102 in overtime.

In 2006, Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers hit a game-winning 3-pointer while being fouled by Mike Miller of the Memphis Grizzlies The shot gave the Lakers a 99-98 victory.

In 2010, Amar’e Stoudemire of the New York Knicks hit a game-tying 3-pointer while being fouled by Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics The Knicks went on to win in overtime, 119-114.

And perhaps most famously, in 2016, Lebron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers made a crucial 3-pointer while being fouled by Andre Roberson of the Oklahoma City Thunder The shot helped force overtime, and the Cavs ultimately won 133-129.

The Most Controversial 4-Point Plays

In the NBA, a 4-point play is when a player is fouled while shooting a 3-point shot and they make the shot. The player then gets 3 points for the shot and an extra point for making the free throw This can be a very controversial call, as some people feel that the player should only get 3 points (the value of a 3-point shot), while others feel that the player deserves all 4 points.

Here is a list of some of the most controversial 4-point plays in NBA history

1. Kobe Bryant Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves 2007
2. Dwyane Wade Miami Heat vs. Milwaukee Bucks 2009
3. James Harden Houston Rockets vs. Sacramento Kings 2013
4. Carmelo Anthony New York Knicks vs. Charlotte Hornets 2014
5. Russell Westbrook Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Denver Nuggets 2016

The Future of the 4-Point Play

With the NBA recently implementing a rule change that will see the introduction of a 4-point line it’s inevitable that we will see more and more 4-point plays in the league. But just how often can we expect to see them?

In the 18-19 season there were just 11 4-point plays in the entire league. Of course, this was before the rule change, so it’s not a fair comparison. But it does give us an idea of how rare 4-point plays are.

In the 2019-20 season with the introduction of the 4-point line, we saw a significant increase in 4-point plays, with 86 of them being made across the league. This is still a relatively small number, but it’s a significant increase from the previous season.

So what can we expect to see in the future? It’s hard to say for sure, but with more and more players becoming comfortable with taking and making long-range shots, it’s likely that we will see even more 4-point plays being made in the NBA.

Tips for Shooting a 4-Point Play

Here are some tips from NBA players on how to shoot a 4-point play:

Dwyane Wade – “My best advice is to just be confident and relaxed when you’re shooting the ball. It’s a big shot, but you have to believe in yourself that you can make it.”

LeBron James – “You have to be patient. A lot of times, guys will rush the shot and they end up shooting an air ball or missing the shot altogether. So, you have to be patient, wait for the right moment and then let it rip.”

Kevin Durant – “My advice would be to stay calm and not think about the pressure. It’s just like any other shot, you have to believe in yourself that you can make it.”

Kobe Bryant – “Practice, practice, practice. You have to be confident in your ability to make the shot and the only way to do that is to practice it over and over again until it becomes second nature.”

The pros and cons of the 4-Point Play

With the recent increase in the number of 4-point plays in the NBA, there has been a lot of discussion about whether or not this is a good thing for the game. There are pros and cons to this situation, and it is important to consider both sides before coming to a conclusion.

The biggest advantage of the 4-point play is that it adds excitement to the game. This is especially true if the player who hits the shot is someone who is not known for their shooting ability. It also gives teams a chance to come back from a big deficit if they are able to hit a couple of 4-point shots in a row.

The downside of the 4-point play is that it can make the game less exciting for some people. This is because it takes away some of the suspense that comes with knowing that a 3-point shot is worth more than a 2-point shot. Additionally, some people feel like it encourages players to take more shots from further away, which can lead to more missed shots and overall lower shooting percentages.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the most 4 point plays in NBA history have been made by some of the greatest players of all time. The list includes players like Kobe Bryant Lebron James and more. These players have made a total of 28 4 point plays in their careers.