In NBA news - 3-pt shot being re-examined

League looking at plan to limit three-point shot

Wire Reports

The NBA is considering a plan to abolish the three-point shot until the end of games to increase shooting percentages and make the sport more aesthetically pleasing.

Steve Kerr, who made a record 45 percent of the three-pointers he attempted in his career, supports the elimination of the long-range shot.

"I kind of liked the three-pointer before every player on every team was a three-point shooter," Kerr, who won five NBA championships, said in a telephone interview. "It's being shot way too often these days, and it's hurting the game. I wouldn't mind seeing an experiment that gets rid of it."

The NBA might do just that. The league is considering banning three-pointers until there are five minutes left in the game in its development league, National Basketball Development League, this season. The NBDL season begins Nov. 19.

"We've talked about it," Stu Jackson, NBA senior vice president of basketball operations, said in a telephone interview. "We're wrestling with the idea."

Banning the three-point shot until late in the game might lead to a more up-tempo style and higher shooting percentages because players would be encouraged to take shots closer to the basket. It also would stop players on fast breaks from pulling up for a shot from the three-point line instead of going for layups.