<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 after its introduction in the 1967--68 season . Then commissioner of the ABA 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 . Kevin Grevey of the Washington Bullets also made one on the same day . </P> <P> The sport's international governing body, FIBA, introduced the three - point line in 1984, at a distance of 6.25 m (20 ft 6 in). </P>

When did the nba get a 3 point line