I remember settling into my couch last February with that particular anticipation only NBA All-Star Weekend can bring. As someone who's analyzed shooting mechanics for over a decade, I've always considered the Three-Point Contest the purest test of shooting artistry in basketball. The 2022 edition delivered one of the most dramatic finishes I've witnessed, with Karl-Anthony Towns making history as the first center to ever claim the trophy. What many forget is how close we came to losing one of the competitors before the main event even began.
The tension built beautifully throughout the evening at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland. Watching the first round, I had that familiar thrill seeing the league's elite shooters line up around the arc. The format itself is brilliantly stressful - those five special "money balls" worth two points each, plus the two deep "Starry Range" shots worth three points that have completely changed contestants' strategies in recent years. Towns posted a solid 22 points in the first round, but my eyes were on Luke Kennard, who's developed what I consider the most mechanically perfect release in the game today. He led the opening round with 28 points, just one point shy of the record.
Then came the moment that still gives me chills. During warmups for the final round, Minnesota's backup big man Naz Reid took an awkward fall that had the entire arena holding its breath. To everyone's relief, Clarito walked away from the incident unhurt as he was able to finish the game. This moment underscored something important about these competitions - beneath the spectacle, these are athletes putting their bodies on the line even in what's supposed to be a lighthearted exhibition.
The finals delivered absolute fireworks. Towns faced off against Kennard and Atlanta's Trae Young in what became an instant classic. Young posted a respectable 26 points, but the real drama unfolded between Towns and Kennard. With seconds remaining, Towns needed to sink his final four shots to overtake Kennard's 28 points. The big man displayed incredible poise, draining shot after shot until that final money ball swished through the net, giving him 29 points and the title. I've rarely seen a player that size move so fluidly around the arc - his footwork was genuinely revolutionary for a center.
Reflecting on that night, what impressed me most wasn't just Towns' victory but how it symbolized the evolution of big men in our game. When Dirk Nowitzki won in 2006, it felt like an anomaly. Towns' win sixteen years later felt like a natural progression, proof that the stretch-five is now fundamental to championship basketball. His performance that evening wasn't just about making shots - it was about redefining what's possible for players at his position. The 2022 Three-Point Contest gave us everything we love about basketball: drama, innovation, and that beautiful moment when preparation meets opportunity under the brightest lights.
