Dale Ellis

One of the NBA's first true three-point specialists — his 38-point game from the arc in a single game was unprecedented.

In a 1990 game against the Utah Jazz, Ellis sank nine three-pointers to set a single-game record at a time when most players still treated the shot as a desperation measure — a performance that anticipated by decades the transformation he helped pioneer and that Stephen Curry and his contemporaries would later complete.. Dallas Mavericks selected him ninth overall in the 1983 NBA Draft. His 17-season career produced 15.7 points per game and one All-Star appearance. He won the Most Improved Player award in 1987 and the Three-Point Contest in 1989. He was one of the NBA's first pure three-point specialists — consistently launching from range at a time when most players considered the three a desperation measure. He scored 9 three-pointers in a single game in 1990 — a record at the time. He shot 40.0% from three across his career when that was considered extraordinary. He played a then-record 69 minutes in a five-overtime game against Milwaukee in 1989 — a record that stood for years. His longevity — 17 seasons producing consistent double-figure scoring — reflects exceptional professionalism and physical maintenance. He helped normalise the three-point shot as a primary offensive tool, contributing to the transformation of the game that Stephen Curry and others would complete decades later. He represents a generation of pioneers whose statistical contributions helped create the modern game.

Pure shooter with exceptional three-point range

One of the NBA's premier three-point shooters of the late 1980s

• All-Star 1x
• Most Improved Player (1987)
• Three-Point Contest Champion (1989)