<P> The three - point line was first tested at the collegiate level in a 1945 NCAA game between Columbia and Fordham but it was not kept as a rule . At the direction of Abe Saperstein, the American Basketball League became the first basketball league to institute the rule in 1961 . Its three - point line was a radius of 25 feet (7.62 m) from the baskets, except along the sides . The Eastern Professional Basketball League followed in its 1963--64 season . </P> <P> The three - point shot later became popularized by the American Basketball Association (ABA), introduced in its inaugural 1967--68 season . ABA commissioner George Mikan stated the three - pointer "would give the smaller player a chance to score and open up the defense to make the game more enjoyable for the fans ." During the 1970s, the ABA used the three - point shot, along with the slam dunk, as a marketing tool to compete with the National Basketball Association (NBA). </P> <P> In the 1979--80 season, after having tested it in the previous pre-season, the NBA adopted the three - point line despite the view of many that it was a gimmick . Chris Ford of the Boston Celtics is widely credited with making the first three - point shot in NBA history on October 12, 1979, a game more noted for the debut of Larry Bird (and two new head coaches). Rick Barry of the Houston Rockets, in his final season, also made one in the same game, and Kevin Grevey of the Washington Bullets made one that Friday night as well . </P> <P> The sport's international governing body, FIBA, introduced the three - point line in 1984, at 6.25 m (20 ft 6 in). </P>

When did the nba have a 3 point line