Forty-six years ago today, the NBA witnessed a moment that would forever change the way basketball is played. On October 12, 1979, Boston Celtics guard Chris Ford etched his name into the history books by sinking the first official 3-point basket in NBA history. The shot came with 3:48 left in the first quarter of Boston’s season-opening 114–106 win over the Houston Rockets at the iconic Boston Garden.
While Ford’s long-range bucket marked the beginning of a new era, the game was also notable for another historic debut: the arrival of Celtics rookie Larry Bird. The highly anticipated debut of the Indiana State standout drew a packed house, eager to see the player who had already captured national attention. Bird didn’t disappoint, scoring 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting and adding 10 rebounds and 5 assists.
The 3-point line had been introduced to the NBA that season on a one-year trial basis, borrowed from the ABA, which had used it to add excitement and spacing to the game. Ford’s shot, a straightaway jumper, was the first successful attempt under the new rule, and it signaled the beginning of a tactical revolution that would eventually redefine offensive strategy across the league.
Though Larry Bird would go on to become one of the greatest players in NBA history, winning three MVPs and leading the Celtics to multiple championships, it was Ford who stole the spotlight that night. His historic shot not only gave Boston an early lead but also symbolized the dawn of a new dimension in basketball scoring.
Today, the 3-point shot is a cornerstone of modern basketball, with players like Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard building entire careers around their deep-range prowess. But it all began with one shot, by Chris Ford, in a packed Boston Garden, on a night when the NBA welcomed both a new rule and a new legend.
