NBA 3-Point Contest 2026: How to watch, format, points, money balls, participants, past champions

NBA All-Star Weekend continues Saturday on NBC and Peacock with the State Farm 3-Point Contest.

The 3-Point Contest has been a cornerstone of the NBA’s All-Star Saturday Night since its 1986 debut, taking place before the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest.

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Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird won the first three editions of the 3-Point Contest, the last while famously wearing his warm-up jacket throughout the competition (which he cliched by holding his right index finger in the air as the shot sailed toward the hoop).

In 2022, Karl-Anthony Towns became the only center to win the 3-Point Contest. Power forward Kevin Love won the event in 2012.

How to watch 2026 AT&T Slam Dunk Contest: TV/live stream info for NBA’s All-Star Saturday

Everything you need to know about the 2026 AT&T Slam Dunk Contest as part of the NBA’s All-Star Saturday on NBC and Peacock.

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NBC and Peacock will have coverage of the Castrol Rising Stars Championship on Friday, the State Farm 3-Point Contest, the Kia Shooting Stars and the AT&T Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday and the Stripes vs. World All-Star Game on Sunday.

More information below on the State Farm 3-Point Contest, including how to watch:

Click here to sign up for Peacock!

How to watch the State Farm 3-Point Contest

• Where: Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California

Who is competing in the 2026 NBA 3-Point Contest?

This year’s eight-player field:

Who won the 2025 2026 NBA 3-Point Contest?

Tyler Herro won the event last year in San Francisco, joining James Jones, Daequan Cook, Jason Kapono and Glen Rice as the record fifth Miami Heat player to win the 3-Point Contest.

How does the 2026 NBA 3-Point Contest work?

Click here for the full format and rules for the 3-Point Contest, as provided by the NBA.

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Eight players will compete in a two-round, timed shooting competition. Some key points, per the NBA’s format explainer:

• Ball racks are positioned at five main shooting locations around the three-point arc. Each rack contains five balls.

• Four of the racks contain four official NBA game balls and one multicolored “money” ball.

• A made basket with an NBA game ball is worth one point; a made basket with the money ball is worth two points.

• For each of the four racks with both game balls and a money ball, the money ball can only be shot after the four NBA game balls are shot. If a player shoots a money ball out of sequence, the shot will be void and will not count.

• The fifth rack will be a special “all money ball” rack containing five multicolored “money” balls (meaning each made basket for a ball on this rack is worth two points). Each competitor will decide where this rack is placed (i.e., at which one of the five main shooting locations).

• A player may not start on or over the three-point line while shooting. A basket does not count if the line is violated.

• Two ball pedestals are positioned at “From the Logo” (positioned on either side of the traditional rack at the top of the three-point arc; equidistant between that rack and the traditional adjacent “wing” rack locations; and six feet behind the three-point line). Each ball pedestal holds one blue money ball, which is worth 3 points for a made basket.

• A player must begin his shooting motion with at least one foot in “From the Logo,” as designated by a floor decal.

• A player must exhaust the ball racks and pedestals in competition order before moving on to the next shooting location. If a player shoots a blue money ball out of sequence, the shot will be void and will not count. If a player skips a blue money and shoots one or more balls in the next rack, the blue money ball is eliminated and will not count if subsequently shot and made.

• Each competitor has 70 seconds (1:10) to shoot as many of the 27 balls as he can.

• The three players with the highest scores in the First Round advance to the Championship Round. The competition order for the Championship Round will be determined by the inverse order of First Round scores.

Who has won the most NBA 3-Point Contests?

Larry Bird and Craig Hodges are tied with a record three victories in the event. Among active players, Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard each have two victories.

NBA 3-Point Contest past winners

What other NBA events are on NBC and Peacock for All-Star Weekend?

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

How to watch the NBA on NBC and Peacock:

Peacock NBA Monday will stream up to three Monday night games each week throughout the regular season. Coast 2 Coast Tuesday presents doubleheaders on Tuesday nights throughout the regular season on NBC and Peacock. On most Tuesdays, an 8 p.m. ET game will be on NBC stations in the Eastern and Central time zones, and an 8 p.m. PT game on NBC stations in the Pacific and often Mountain time zones.

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Check local listings each week. Both games will stream live nationwide on Peacock. NBC Sports will launch Sunday Night Basketball across NBC and Peacock on Feb. 1, 2026. For a full schedule of the NBA on NBC and Peacock, click here.

How to sign up for Peacock:

Sign up here to watch all of our LIVE sports, sports shows, documentaries, classic matches, and more. You’ll also get tons of hit movies and TV shows, Originals, news, 24/7 channels, and current NBC and Bravo hits for whatever suits your mood.

NBA on NBC 2025-26 schedule:

Click here to see the full list of NBA games that will air on NBC and Peacock this season.

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What devices does Peacock support?

You can enjoy Peacock on a variety of devices. View the full list of supported devices here.