Question: when did the nba add the three point line?
Answer: the 1979 -- 80 season, 1979 -- 80 season, 1979 -- 80

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 .