Larry Bird was the first player in the NBA to win the three-point contest thrice. He won the first three contests in event history from 1986 to 1988. During his third consecutive appearance in 1988, he walked into the arena and asked the other contestants who amongst them was coming second in the competition.

Larry Bird won the first three NBA Three-Point Contests The NBA put in the 3-point line in the 1979-80 season, or, as it is better known, Larry Bird’s rookie year. It wasn’t until the 1986 NBA All-Star Game that the league added the Three-Point Contest, then called the Long-Distance Shootout.

The NBA Three-Point Contest was introduced in 1986. I'm sorry, the Larry Bird Shooting Invitational was introduced in 1986. We can refer to the NBA All-Star Weekend competition's early days in Larry's honor because he dominated the first three.

Larry Bird Won the Three-Point Shooting Contest Win and Regain Confidence in the Shootout This is exactly what happened with Larry Bird in 1986. He had some great years in his first tenure with Boston, but a bad back (and heart surgery) slowed him down and cost him quite a few games and shots.

Back in 1986, Larry Bird entered the 3-point contest with a swagger hitherto unseen before him. The way he carried himself through the night, not even taking off his warmup jacket, really was something else. Bird ranks among the greatest trash talkers we’ve ever had in the NBA.