“Ewing Is Unlikely For All-Star Game.” That was one headline atop Page 8 of Section 5 of the Feb. 9, 1986, edition of The New York Times.

It’s understandable that New York Knicks rookie All-Star center Patrick Ewing nursing a right knee injury would lead a notes column about that weekend’s premier event in the paper of record. (Spoiler alert: Ewing didn’t play in the Eastern Conference’s 139-132 win over the West in Dallas.)

But what may be most interesting, considering what the event has become, is that column’s third entry, one that appeared after a brief recap of Saturday night’s Old-Timers Game: the results of the first All-Star Weekend 3-point contest.

The Times used a brisk 141 words to describe the event and quote winner Larry Bird, who pocketed $10,000 as champ.

”I’m the king of the 3-point shooters,” Bird said. ”I always thought it, and now I have proven it. I’ve been pumped up for this for about a month. It was like a dare, because my teammates said I didn’t have a chance.”

Larry Legend? Not having a chance? In anything shooting-related? That seems improbable for the, at the time, back-to-back MVP and one of the best shooters in the game’s history.

But that goes to show how little people knew about the 3-point contest then. Created initially as a way to celebrate basketball, but also to lure once-reluctant sponsors to the NBA, the concept, after 39 contests, is and remains simple: Sink as many of the 25 (now 27) shots as you can in one minute (now 70 seconds). Most points (one point for an NBA game ball, two for a red, white and blue “money” ball and now, three for the recent “logo” ball) wins.

It’s about as pure as a contest can get. No judges, little judgment and a celebration of the unique skill that defines the game — shooting.

This year’s field features two former champs, Devin Booker and Damian Lillard, who was a surprise addition because of the torn Achilles that has kept him out this season. The field also includes sharpshooting rookie Kon Knueppel and first-timers Jamal Murray, Bobby Portis and Tyrese Maxey, along with Donovan Mitchell and Norman Powell.

This year, the 3-point contest is first on the All-Star Saturday night docket. Let’s see how The Athletic’s panel of David Aldridge, Mirin Fader, Jason Jones and Damon Sayles feels about that.

Aldridge: I have always argued that the 3-point contest should be the last event of All-Star Saturday, rather than the dunk contest. The dunk contest is always — always — subject to the quality of the dunkers in any given year.

(You want to terrify Adam Silver? Sneak up behind him, whisper “Birdman!” and run away.)

To be sure: Vince Carter and Dwight Howard and Blake Griffin and Mac McClung and Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon, among many, have risen to the occasion. But there is sooooo much down time between dunks, and so often, the energy leaks out of the building before the final round, when it’s obvious who’s going to win. The 3-point contest, in contrast … sure, Steph Curry’s won a couple, but Marco Belinelli and Joe Harris and James Jones have also won one.

Sayles: Until we see more marquee players, the dunk contest will just be another part of the night. The Shooting Stars contest seems to have taken over as the elite event, followed by the 3-point contest. Gone are the days of Carter putting on the greatest show we’d never seen, or the greatest game of “Can You Top This” between Zach LaVine and Aaron Gordon.

We saw a pretty good dunk battle between Mac McClung and Stephon Castle last year … but it’s hard to get excited about a group where the leading scorer this season is averaging roughly 6.5 points per game.

I don’t know if it’s helping or crippling the 3-point contest by putting it at the lead-off spot, but that first event has to set the tone for the energy of the arena. Saturday should be enough of a sample size to determine whether that’s the appropriate move for next year.

As for this year, the dunk contest, though still the marquee event, is in dire need of a star-studded addition. LeBron James, at 41 years old, would bring something to the table. Ja Morant, Anthony Edwards or Zion Williamson would boost this contest. Until then, it is what it is — another rotational piece filling Saturday’s All-Star weekend schedule.

In contrast, you have no idea who’s going to win the 3-point contest.

Fader: I agree. I also love the focus of the shooters. You can tell everyone takes it seriously. It gives me even more appreciation for the shot, because it can be really hard to perform in that environment. There are also so many variables. The different ball. Grabbing the ball from the rack. You’re in one spot. You have to be warmed up, in rhythm. You have to pace yourself, but you don’t want to go too slow or too fast. I love that it gets super competitive and everyone’s genuinely trying to win. And, you never know who is going to be extremely on — or extremely off. Maybe that’s my favorite part: It’s a wide-open shot, anybody’s game.

Aldridge: I just remember Ray Allen in D.C. in 2001, and how pure his jumper looked coming out of his hand. It was like God invented the contest so we could all watch Ray shoot a basketball behind the line and in the corners. The only other guy who shot the ball so absolutely perfect, to me, was Dale Ellis. When Dale got on a heater, the net wouldn’t move. It was like he dropped the ball straight down through the basket from a crane.

Jones: Until the stars, or at least rising stars, participate in the dunk contest, it will remain second to the 3-point contest. That’s not how I want it to be, but the biggest stars in the game shoot the 3 and shoot it well. Plus, the dunk contest has become about props and sitting through missed dunks. It’s a buzzkill most years. I don’t love the focus on the shooters; I’d rather see a great dunk contest. But I’m also realistic: The shooters are the stars.

Sayles: No basketball expert, multimillion-dollar analyst, Magic 8-Ball or Zoltar machine can truly predict who’s going to win the 3-point contest on Saturday. The field is as open as you’re going to get. What I love is Portis really could get hot and win. It’s not as far-fetched as some might assume. We’ll get to see Lillard back on the court, if only for a few minutes. With every Knueppel bucket, we forget more and more that he’s a rookie. And let’s not forget players like Booker and Murray. Saturday will be all about one thing: Who’s the most locked in?

When you talk about being locked in, we’ve had two three-peat champions: Larry Bird and Craig Hodges. Bird, as we’ve noted, won the first, then reeled off two more for a three-peat. How did Bird’s bravado set the tone for the contest’s competitive nature?

Fader: My favorite part about Bird being so hungry to win the contest is that he wasn’t even really into shooting 3s. Part of him even hated them. They were, in his eyes, not what made basketball basketball. 

Threes were OK to be used in certain situations, but he was never thrilled about them. There was almost something gimmicky about it, less pure. Talk about a different era. Makes it even more ironic that then, he was part of the inaugural contest and went into the locker room and, in typical Bird bravado, asked his competitors: “Who’s coming in second?”

I’m working on a biography of Bird, and I got to interview Hodges, who remembers Bird going up to each player in the locker room and saying something about each one. “You already shot yourself out in warmups,” Hodges recalled Bird saying to him. It was funny. But that’s Bird. It didn’t matter if it was a half-court competition or a competition to put on shoes or socks or anything; he always wanted to win everything. He had to win everything.

Also … how cool was it that he was in his warmup shirt? It would be really cool to see players of today do something throwback like that.

Aldridge: Larry came to not mind the 3. I interviewed him a few years ago, and he admitted maybe he was a little hard-headed, but knew that fans liked seeing the 3s. He was especially fond of Portland when Dame and C.J. McCollum had it rolling.

“The court don’t look as small as it used to,” he said. “They’re using the 3-point line so much, it looks like a bigger court.

“Remember when they used to talk about widening the lanes? But we didn’t. We brought in guys who could shoot the 3-ball. And you don’t hear the talk any more. But I do, I really like it. I think it’s only going to get better. Look at the last 10 years and the jump that we’ve made. What’s going to be (in) the next 10 years? I’m a fan of it, yeah.”

Jones: Bird was the perfect person to win the contest. His shooting style was easygoing. It didn’t even look like the contest was a challenge. Bird looked so nonchalant in winning, almost as if to say “Who added this to the weekend?”

The 3-point shot wasn’t nearly as big then as it was now, and Bird’s vibe was “I’ll shoot a bunch of these since you asked.” It’s not that Bird couldn’t make a lot of 3s, he just didn’t have to shoot a lot of them in his day.

Sayles: Let’s flash back. I mean, you’ve gotta love the confidence. Saying, “Who’s coming in second” to a group of sharpshooters like Hodges, Ellis and Trent Tucker — and then following through with the win in Dallas — was a flex. Saying it to the hometown choice, Ellis, a guard for the Dallas Mavericks, just added to it. Granted, Ellis wasn’t yet the marquee shooter he was when he was traded to the Seattle SuperSonics the following year, but Reunion Arena fans hoped he would walk away as champion.

Bird talked the talk and walked the walk — thus setting the path for his trail of dominance in the event. (Side note: Dallas fans did see a hometown hero win something that weekend: Atlanta Hawks guard Spud Webb, a Dallas native, won the slam dunk contest.)

Speaking of champs, Lillard(!), a two-time winner, is returning to the contest after an Achilles tear last April that caused him to sit out this season. If he wins, and that would be wild, he’d be the third three-time champ. Are you surprised he’s participating, and does he have a real shot?

Fader: Given everything that Dame has gone through with his Achilles injury, I’m really looking forward to seeing how he approaches this. Once the competitiveness comes out, the muscle memory kicks in. He’s gotta want to avenge his previous titles.

I think even just seeing him in a Portland uniform shooting will be special alone, no matter how he does. I expect it to be pretty emotional, honestly.

Aldridge: I can’t imagine Dame would have volunteered himself for this if he hasn’t gotten some shots up in the last few weeks. I do wonder about stamina if he gets into the final round, though.

Jones: This weekend should be fun, so why not let Dame shoot? It’ll be great to see him on the court, even if he’s just shooting 3s. It will make for a great moment for his peers and fans. Going from an Achilles injury to being waived by Milwaukee and returning to Portland, this already has made-for-TV vibes. He’ll be the sentimental favorite simply by showing up.

Sayles: If he can move with minimal issues, Dame’s a threat to win any 3-point competition. It doesn’t seem like health is a concern, nor will be muscle memory. I’m expecting him to get a big applause from the All-Star Weekend crowd. Can he hold back emotions? Can he maintain his composure, as Saturday will be his first NBA-esque action of the season? That will be the X-factor for his success or misfortune. Personally, I expect him to be a semifinalist, maybe even a finalist. I’d love to see him compete against Knueppel.

An interesting bit of trivia: Heat players have won this contest more than any other franchise, five. We have a Heat-ian (trademark to Shaq) in this contest: Powell. It’s his second time in the contest. What are the chances of his talents bringing another 3-point title back to South Beach?

Fader: I love that Norm is in this. He turned a difficult trade from the LA Clippers into the perfect situation in Miami, and he’s really thriving. His teammates love him. He’s been such a spark. And, he’s done the unthinkable: At his age, turning into an All-Star, it’s one of the best stories in the league. That’s not easy to do when you have more years behind you than you do in front of you.

He even talked about that when I was profiling him earlier this season. There is that little worry in the back of your mind: What if this doesn’t work out?! To see it not only work out, and him being able to shine on the highest stage, earn an All-Star nod and participate in this contest … that’s something special that maybe he didn’t even anticipate for his career. Might look for Powell to be the underdog and have a little extra motivation to show he belongs and win it.

Jones: Powell competing in the building that is home to the team he could have been an All-Star with last season is nice. The former UCLA standout also gets to compete not too far from where he played college basketball. That might give him a bit of a home-court advantage, even though he now plays in Miami.

Sayles: This will be his second time competing in the 3-point contest, but the story here definitely is that he’ll be competing in his first All-Star game the next day. Pretty cool story for a lunch-pail player who seems to be well respected around the NBA.

I’m rooting for him in both the All-Star Game and the 3-point contest; however, I’m not expecting much out of him shooting 3s against Knueppel, Murray or even Dame — who legitimately can pull off the feat of competing in this contest and winning a trophy (his third) without playing an NBA game this season.

Aldridge: He’s obviously comfortable shooting at Intuit. Why not?

As we noted in the intro, this will be the 40th edition. Scan your memories: Who is your favorite all-time 3-point shooter in this contest?

Fader: I know this seems like an odd choice, but I have to go with Peja Stojaković. Just automatic. Unreal. Every single time. I know it’s going in. This was hard for me to say as someone growing up in L.A. and watching the Lakers and Sacramento Kings go at it in the early 2000s, but you could not help but respect what a machine Peja was. Him drilling 3s was a core childhood memory.

Also, the fact that he has a son playing college hoops at Illinois (Andrej) — who also is a really good shooter — makes me feel really … old. (It’s fine.)

Jones: I’m going with Buddy Hield. I covered him when he played for Sacramento, and he was always saying or doing something to make me laugh or scratch my head. That’s why watching him win in 2020 was fun. I know how much it meant to him. He was playing about 90 minutes away from where Steph and Klay were lighting up the NBA from behind the 3-point line.

Buddy was good for putting up 3s, but doing it in Sacramento just didn’t matter nearly as much. I knew Buddy winning the contest would at least be good for some funny quotes. Buddy loved to shoot, even if it drove his teammates crazy at times, but in the contest, he didn’t have to worry about passing, which was perfect.

Sayles: It’s hard to go against Bird, but I always saw Ellis as the most dangerous player in a contest. He was nicknamed “The Silent Assassin” because of his quiet demeanor. I was young when he played, but I respected the fact that he could light up a team without saying a word throughout the game.

The literal me also wants to address the question properly. Allen Iverson is my all-time favorite shooter in the contest. He competed once, but he competed, in 2000. AI didn’t do well … at all. Still, he’s my favorite who has competed.

Aldridge: Hodge. Craig was shooting for a lot more than a trophy, if you get my meaning. I don’t think he minded getting blackballed from the league for his political views. Well, let me amend that — I think he understood it. He didn’t like it, but he understood it. But that kept him from continuing to be able to participate in the 3-point contest — save an ersatz appearance defending his three-peat in 1993 when he was an unsigned free agent — and I think he really loved doing that because he had a lot of pride in his abilities.

The format, take away a few tweaks (two logo balls, a whole rack of money balls), has stayed virtually the same for 40 years. What would you like to see more of?

Fader: I really hope the NBA brings back the NBA/WNBA 3-point shootout from 2024. Steph Curry and Sabrina Ionescu going at it was amazing. You always hear about comparisons between the two leagues boiling down to dunking and the differences in the men’s game being above the rim. But shooting is such a bridge for both leagues, and I’d love to see more 3-point battles in the future to emphasize the similarities the two games can have rather than focus on the differences.

Sayles: Totally agree with the NBA/WNBA challenge. Watching two of the best shooters on the planet, Curry and Ionescu, competing in 2024 was cool. The buildup was great, and the competition didn’t disappoint. Picture four of the best NBA shooters taking on four of the best WNBA shooters. It’s dealer’s choice in making the NBA shooters compete against each other on one side of a bracket to set up a final against the winner of the WNBA shooters on another side of the bracket, or having all eight shooters compete in a bracket, however the bracket is set up, where the best player simply wins.

Aldridge: Put me down for more NBA/WNBA competition, as well. There’s so many combinations that could be crazy fun. Paige Bueckers and Jalen Brunson. Caitlin Clark and Donovan Mitchell. Rhyne Howard and Tyrese Maxey. I’d also love to see recently retired shooters get back out there. (You don’t want the folks to be too long gone; see “NBA Old-Timers Games” and “ruptured Achilles.”) Like, why couldn’t we have Sue Bird go against Dirk Nowitzki, or Jamal Crawford.

Jones: The NBA/WNBA challenge is a good idea. I’m all for it, but I suppose I should be different. I’d like to take things to the extreme and have a contest featuring logo 3s. The first time I saw Kobe Bryant attempt one, I thought he was crazy. Now, that shot is a good one for some shooters.

The Big3, Ice Cube’s three-on-three league, has a 4-point shot. The 3-pointer now is like what a 15-footer was in my youth. It’s the shot you expect the best players to make. Maybe it’s the first to make five from the logo? I don’t know. But it could be a fun wrinkle.