Kyle Korver

Kyle Korver
Kyle Korver
Born	March 17, 1981 (age 45); Paramount, California, U.S.
Occupation(s)	Former professional basketball player, basketball executive
Years active	2003–2019 (player)
Known for	NBA three-point shooting records, NBA All-Star (2015)

Kyle Elliot Korver (born March 17, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player and current executive, holding the position of assistant general manager for the Atlanta Hawks in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played collegiate basketball with the Creighton Bluejays and is widely recognized as one of the NBA’s most proficient three-point shooters.

Selected in the second round of the 2003 NBA draft by the New Jersey Nets, Korver was promptly traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. After spending four and a half seasons there, he was dealt to the Utah Jazz, where he established an NBA single-season record by shooting 53.6% from beyond the arc during the 2009–10 season. Korver then signed with the Chicago Bulls in 2010 before being traded to the Atlanta Hawks in 2012. His outstanding shooting earned him an NBA All-Star selection in 2015. In 2017, he joined the Cleveland Cavaliers, helping them reach consecutive Finals. Korver returned to Utah in 2018 and later signed with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2019.

Korver stands eighth on the all-time list for three-point field goals made and tenth for three-point shooting percentage. He uniquely leads the NBA in three-point shooting accuracy four times and holds franchise records for single-season three-point percentages with both the Hawks and Jazz. His .536 three-point percentage remains the highest ever recorded for a single season.

Early life

Born in Paramount, California, Korver is the eldest of four siblings. His parents, Kevin and Laine Korver, both former basketball players at Central College, raised him in a family deeply rooted in faith—his father serves as a pastor in Pella, Iowa, as did his grandfather in Paramount. Growing up near Los Angeles, Korver drew inspiration from the Los Angeles Lakers and legendary figures such as Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, which ignited his enthusiasm for basketball. In 1993, his family relocated to Iowa due to his father’s pastoral appointment. Korver graduated from Pella High School, where he and his brothers rank among the top scorers and rebounders in school history.

College career

Korver rapidly made his mark at Creighton. During his freshman season (1999–2000), he received MVC All-Bench, All-Freshman, and All-Newcomer accolades while averaging 8.8 points per game with notable proficiency in three-point and free-throw shooting.

In his sophomore year (2000–01), Korver led Creighton with an average of 14.6 points per game, set a school record by making 100 three-pointers, and earned second-team All-MVC honors.

As a junior (2001–02), he topped the team charts in scoring (15.1), rebounds (5.5), assists (3.3), and steals (1.6). His performance earned him MVC Player of the Year honors and an honorable mention as an All-American while leading Creighton to both MVC regular-season and tournament championships.

Korver repeated as MVC Player of the Year during his senior season (2002–03), joining an elite group that includes Larry Bird, and was named a consensus second-team All-American. He averaged 17.8 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game, also securing MVC tournament MVP honors once again.

By the end of his collegiate career, Korver held MVC records for career three-pointers made (371) and three-point shooting percentage (45.3%), ranking fourth on Creighton’s all-time scoring list with 1,801 points. He also set single-season records for most three-pointers made (129), highest three-point percentage (.480), and free-throw percentage (.908). His total of 371 career three-pointers ranks sixth all-time in NCAA history.

Korver earned a bachelor’s degree in visual communications and returned to Creighton in 2019 as the keynote speaker at its commencement ceremony.

Philadelphia 76ers (2003–2007)

Korver was chosen by the New Jersey Nets as the 51st overall pick in the 2003 NBA draft on June 26, 2003. Due to financial constraints and a lack of favorable selections, the Nets promptly transferred his draft rights to the 76ers for $125,000. This uncommon transaction became a significant element of Korver's story and later fueled his professional drive.

During his rookie season in 2003–04, Korver averaged 4.5 points and 1.5 rebounds across 74 games. The following year, he played all 82 games, starting in 57, and posted averages of 11.5 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. He broke the franchise record for three-pointers made (226) and attempted (558), leading the league in three-pointers made and ranking third in attempts.

Korver secured a six-year contract worth $25 million with Philadelphia on August 2, 2005. In the 2005–06 campaign, he averaged 11.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists over 82 games with 43 starts, shooting .430 from the field and .849 from the free-throw line. He placed fifth in the NBA for three-pointers made and was eleventh in shooting percentage from beyond the arc.

In his last complete season with the Sixers (2006–07), Korver appeared in 74 games but started only once, achieving a career-best scoring average of 14.4 points per game. He led the league in free throw accuracy and ranked ninth in three-point shooting percentage, further establishing himself as one of the top marksmen in the NBA.

Utah Jazz (2007–2010)

Korver was traded to the Utah Jazz on December 29, 2007, in exchange for Gordan Giriček and a future first-round draft selection. On February 6, 2008, he recorded a season-high of 27 points against the Denver Nuggets.

During the 2008–09 season, Korver participated in 78 games with two starts, averaging 9.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per contest. He achieved a season-best scoring output of 25 points on March 14, 2009, versus the Miami Heat.

Korver underwent surgery on October 28, 2009, to remove a bone spur from his left knee, which sidelined him for the initial 23 games of the 2009–10 season. After returning to action, he posted a season-high of 21 points against the Golden State Warriors on March 31, 2010. In total for that season’s 52 appearances, he averaged 7.2 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. Remarkably, Korver led the NBA with a .536 three-point shooting percentage (59 made out of 110 attempts), setting a new single-season record that surpassed Steve Kerr’s previous mark of .524 from the ’94–’95 season. His shooting efficiency notably increased after recovering fully post-All-Star break following wrist and knee surgeries.

Chicago Bulls (2010–2012)

Korver signed with the Chicago Bulls on July 13, 2010. On November 24 that year, he tallied a season-high of 24 points against the Phoenix Suns. Throughout the 2010–11 season, Korver played all 82 regular-season games coming off the bench and averaged 8.3 points, along with 1.8 rebounds and 1.5 assists in approximately 20 minutes per game. The Bulls topped the Eastern Conference with a record of 62–20 but were eliminated by the Miami Heat in the conference finals.

In the lockout-shortened season of 2011–12, Korver appeared in 65 games with seven starts and averaged 8.1 points, alongside contributions of 2.4 rebounds and 1.7 assists over nearly 23 minutes per game. On March 10, 2012, he scored a season-high of 26 points during a victory over his former team, the Utah Jazz, connecting on six out of eleven three-point attempts while also adding seven rebounds and six assists.

2012–13 season

Korver was acquired by the Atlanta Hawks on July 16, 2012, in exchange for cash considerations. Throughout the season, he posted averages of 10.9 points and 30.5 minutes per game, shooting .461 from the field, .457 from beyond the arc, and .859 from the free-throw line. He finished second in the league for three-point shooting percentage and ranked fourth in total three-pointers made with 189. Korver sustained a streak of hitting at least one three-pointer in each of his final 73 contests, which was the longest active streak and the fourth longest ever recorded in NBA history. His 189 made three-pointers represented the fourth highest single-season total in franchise records.

2013–14 season

On July 12, 2013, Korver committed to a four-year deal worth $24 million to remain with the Hawks. On December 6, 2013, he set a new NBA record by making a three-pointer in 90 consecutive games, overtaking Dana Barros' previous record. The streak extended to 127 games before concluding on March 5, 2014. That season, Korver led the NBA with a three-point shooting percentage of 47.2%, establishing a new franchise benchmark and surpassing Tyronn Lue's former record of 45.7%.

2014–15 season: All-Star selection

Korver climbed past Jason Richardson to rank 15th all-time in three-pointers made on December 15, 2014. Shortly after, on December 20, during a 104–97 victory over the Houston Rockets, he scored a team-high 22 points and set an Atlanta Hawks record by converting 49 consecutive free throws in that season. The streak extended to 50 before ending in the next game against the Dallas Mavericks. Korver earned his inaugural NBA All-Star nod as an Eastern Conference reserve on February 10, 2015, stepping in for the injured Dwyane Wade. At nearly 34 years old, he became the fourth oldest player to receive their first All-Star selection. On March 11, Korver surpassed Kobe Bryant to move into 12th place on the all-time list for three-pointers made.

Just four days later, he sustained a broken nose following an offensive foul against the Los Angeles Lakers, which halted his run of 51 straight games with a made three-pointer. After missing three contests due to injury, Korver returned on March 22 versus the San Antonio Spurs donning protective facial gear. Despite wearing a mask, he managed to sink four consecutive long-range shots—including three triples—in a span of just over a minute against the Milwaukee Bucks on March 31. For the third time in his career—and second year running—Korver led the league in three-point shooting percentage at an impressive 49.2%, setting a new single-season franchise record for Atlanta.

On April 29, 2015, Korver was honored with the Joe Dumars Trophy as recipient of the NBA Sportsmanship Award for the 2014–15 season. During that year’s playoffs, he suffered a right ankle sprain against the Cleveland Cavaliers on May 22 during the Eastern Conference Finals and was sidelined for the remainder of postseason play.

2015–16 season

On November 6, 2015, Korver delivered a flawless shooting performance with 22 points on an unblemished 8-for-8 field goal effort—including four three-pointers—helping lead Atlanta to their sixth consecutive victory with a 121–115 win over the New Orleans Pelicans. On December 26, he moved past Rashard Lewis to claim ninth place on the all-time list for three-pointers made during a triumph over the New York Knicks. However, late December saw Korver endure a significant slump from long range; over four games he converted only five of thirty-three shots overall and managed just two made triples out of twenty-seven attempts. These struggles extended into January as well, culminating in an unsuccessful six-attempt stretch from beyond the arc on January 31 against the Miami Heat. After appearing in forty-seven games that season, his shooting percentages stood at career lows since his rookie year—42% from the field and just 37% from three-point range.

2016–17 season

On December 16, 2016, Korver tallied a season-best 19 points, including six three-pointers, contributing to the Hawks' 125–121 triumph over the Toronto Raptors. This performance helped Atlanta achieve a balanced 13–13 record following a promising start. Later that month, on December 30, he surpassed this mark by scoring 22 points off the bench in a 105–98 victory against the Detroit Pistons. According to NBA.com, Korver concluded his tenure with the Hawks as the franchise leader in career three-point shooting percentage (.452), though Sports Reference credits this distinction to a different player depending on minimum criteria.

2016–17 season: First Finals appearance

Korver was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers on January 7, 2017, in exchange for Mike Dunleavy, Mo Williams, cash considerations, and a protected future first-round draft pick. This move reunited him with fellow 2003 draftee LeBron James. He made his Cavaliers debut three days later, recording two points and three rebounds in 17 minutes off the bench during a 100–92 defeat to the Utah Jazz. After a slow start with Cleveland, Korver delivered an 18-point performance off the bench on January 13, aiding a 120–108 win over the Sacramento Kings. On February 1, he scored 20 points, including four three-pointers, in a commanding 125–97 victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Korver set new personal records on February 8 by scoring 29 points on an efficient 10-of-12 shooting night and connecting on eight of nine attempts from beyond the arc in a 132–117 win over the Indiana Pacers. This achievement elevated him past Jason Kidd into seventh place on the NBA’s all-time three-pointers made list. One week later, he became only the seventh player in league history to surpass 2,000 career three-pointers, joining elite company such as Ray Allen and Reggie Miller. After missing eleven games due to a left foot injury, Korver returned on April 4 and contributed 11 points in just 12 minutes during a victory over the Orlando Magic. He played an important role in helping the Cavaliers reach the 2017 NBA Finals with a dominant 12–1 playoff run, though they ultimately fell to the Golden State Warriors in five games.

2017–18 season

Korver re-signed with Cleveland on July 12, 2017. On November 13, he scored 19 of his season-high 21 points in the fourth quarter, sparking a comeback win over the New York Knicks. On January 6, 2018, Korver tied Paul Pierce for fourth place on the all-time career three-pointers list with 2,143 made shots. Two days later, he surpassed Pierce by reaching 2,147 career three-pointers. On February 9, Korver posted a season-best 30 points against his former team, the Atlanta Hawks, marking his first thirty-point game since 2007 and setting an NBA record for the longest interval between such performances. The Cavaliers advanced to the 2018 NBA Finals, where they were swept by the Warriors in four games.

2018–19 season

Korver reached a career milestone on October 30, 2018, scoring enough points during a win over the Atlanta Hawks to surpass the 11,000-point mark.

Return to Utah (2018–2019)

Korver was traded back to the Utah Jazz on November 29, 2018, in exchange for Alec Burks and two future second-round draft picks. On January 12, 2019, he climbed to fourth place on the NBA’s all-time three-point scoring leaderboard by passing Jason Terry.

On July 6, 2019, Korver was acquired by the Memphis Grizzlies as part of a trade package for Mike Conley Jr. The following day saw him traded again to the Phoenix Suns, who subsequently waived him, making Korver an unrestricted free agent.

Milwaukee Bucks (2019–2020)

Korver agreed to a one-year contract with the Milwaukee Bucks on July 25, 2019. On March 8, 2020, increased playing time due to teammate injuries allowed him to achieve a season-best 23 points and match his season-high with five three-point shots during a 109–95 defeat against the Denver Nuggets. Later, on August 10, 2020, Korver added 19 points and grabbed 4 rebounds in just 22 minutes in a 114–108 loss to the Toronto Raptors.

Korver’s last NBA appearance came in Game 5 of the 2020 Eastern Conference Semifinals on September 8, 2020, where the Bucks fell 94–103 to the Miami Heat. He was on the court for six minutes and scored three points. For the 2020–21 season, Korver did not sign with any team, opting instead to prioritize family time without officially retiring.

Coaching career

In August 2021, Korver began his coaching journey by joining the Brooklyn Nets as a player development coach.

Executive career

Korver was named director of player affairs and development for the Atlanta Hawks on July 20, 2022. Subsequently, on January 16, 2023, he earned a promotion to assistant general manager of the Hawks.

Regular season

|- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Philadelphia | 74 || 0 || 11.9 || .352 || .391 || .792 || 1.5 || .5 || .3 || .1 || 4.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Philadelphia | 82 || 57 || 32.5 || .418 || .405 || .854 || 4.6 || 2.2 || 1.3 || .4 || 11.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Philadelphia | style="background:#cfecec;"| 82* || 43 || 31.3 || .430 || .420 || .849 || 3.3 || 2.0 || .8 || .3 || 11.5 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Philadelphia | 74 || 1 || 30.9 || .440 || .430 || bgcolor="CFECEC" | .914* || 3.5 || 1.4 || .8 || .3 || 14.4 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Philadelphia | 25 || 0 || 26.3 || .396 || .352 || .912 || 2.9 || 1.3 || .8 || .2 || 10.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Utah | 50 || 0 || 21.5 || .474 || .388 || .917 || 2.0 || 1.4 || .4 || .5 || 9.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| | style="text-align:left;"| Utah | 78 || 2 || 24.0 || .438 || .386 || .882 || 3.3 || 1.8 || .6|| .4||9.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"|

| style="text-align:left;" | Utah
|52||0||18.3|| .493|| bgcolor="EOCEF2" | .536||.796||2.1||1.7||.5||.2||7.2
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;" | Chicago
|82||0||20.1||.434||.415||.885||1.8||1.5||.4||.2||8.3
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;" | Chicago
|65||7||22.6||.432||.435||.833||2.4||1.7||.6||.2||8.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;" | Atlanta
|74||60||30.5||.461||.457||.859||4.0||2.0||.9||.5||10.9
|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;" | Atlanta
|71||71|||33.9|||.475|||bgcolor="CFECEC"| .472*||| .926|||4.0|||2.9|||1.0|||.3|||12.

0

|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;" | Atlanta
|75|||75|||32..2|||487|||bgcolor="CFECEC"|.492*|||898|||4..1|||2..6|||0..7|||.6|||12.

1

|-
| style="text-align:left;"|
| style="text-align:left;" | Atlanta
|80|||80|||30..0|||434|||398|||833|||3..3|||2..1|||0..8|||0..4|||9..2
|-

Playoffs

|- | style="text-align:left;"| 2005 | style="text-align:left;"| Philadelphia | 5 || 5 || 29.4 || .286 || .292 || 1.000 || 2.6 || 1.6 || .8 || .2 || 5.0 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2008 | style="text-align:left;"| Utah | 12 || 0 || 21.6 || .411 || .289 || .920 || 2.2 || .6 || .3 || .7 || 7.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2009 | style="text-align:left;"| Utah | 5 || 2 || 27.2 || .391 || .462 || .714 || 2.2 || 2.6 || .6 || .2 || 10.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2010 | style="text-align:left;"| Utah | 10 || 0 || 21.0 || .525 || .478 || .889 || 1.1 || 1.3 || .5 || .0 || 8.3 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2011 | style="text-align:left;"| Chicago | 16 || 0 || 17.4 || .388 || .423 || 1.000 || 1.2 || 1.1 || .5 || .2 || 6.6 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2012 | style="text-align:left;"| Chicago | 6 || 0 || 15.7 || .409 || .308 || .500 || 1.7 || 1.5 || .5 || .5 || 3.8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2013 | style="text-align:left;"| Atlanta | 6 || 2 || 29.5 || .388 || .353 || .917 || 3.3 || .7 || .3 || .7 || 10.2 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2014 | style="text-align:left;"| Atlanta | 7 || 7||35.1|| .455|| .426|| .917|| 5.3|| .7|| .6|| .3|| 13.4 |- | style="text-align:left;" | 2015

| style="text-align:left;" | Atlanta
|14|| 14|| 37.6|| .391|| .355|| .813|| 5.0|| 2.4|| 1.4|| 1.1||11.1
|-
| style="text-align:left;" | 2016
| style="text-align:left;" | Atlanta
|10||8||31.6||.467||.444||1.000||4.8||1.0||.9||.4||10.3
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |2017
|style="text-align:left;" |Cleveland
|18||0||18.1||.425||.391||1.000||1.7||.7||.4||.3||5.8
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |2018
|style="text-align:left;" |Cleveland
|22||11||23.0||.418||.413||.864||2.4||.9||.4||.4||8.3
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |2019
|style="text-align:left;" |Utah
|4||0||7.5||.375||.333||.667||1.3||0||0||0||2.5
|-
|style="text-align:left;" |2020
|style="text-align:left;" |Milwaukee
|10||0||11.9||.426||.405|||1.000|||0.8|||0.1|||0.3|||0.1|||6.2

|- class="sortbottom"

|style="text-align:center;" colspan= "2"| Career
|145|||49|||23,2|||417|||391|||895|||2,5|||1,0|||06|||04|||80

College

|- | style="text-align:left;"| 1999–2000 | style="text-align:left;"| Creighton |33||1||18.2||||475||||434||||895||||3,1||||1,0||||,6||||,2||||8,8 |- | style="text-align:left;"| 2000–01 NCAA Division I men's basketball season |(style=text-align-left)|2000–01 Creighton Bluejays men's basketball team |(32)||32||(29,4)||(.470)||(.452)||(.867)||(5,8)||(2,0)||(1,8)||(,4)||(14,6) |- |(style=text-align-left)|2001–02 NCAA Division I men's basketball season |(style=text-align-left)|2001–02 Creighton Bluejays men's basketball team |(29)||(28)||(31,6)||(.478)||(,.429)||(.890)||(5,5)||(3,3)||(1,6)||(,6)||(15,1) |- |(style=text-align-left)|2002–03 NCAA Division I men's basketball season |(style=text-align-left)|2002–03 Creighton Bluejays men's basketball team |(34)||(34)||(31,8)||(.468)||(.480)||(('.908'))||(('.64'))||(3,1)||(1,5)||(.7)||(17,8) |- class=sortbottom |(style=text-align:center)|Career |(128)||(95)||(27,7)||(.472)||(.453)||(.891)||(5,2)||(2,3)||(1,3)||(,.5)||(14,1)

NBA

Selected as an All-Star in the (2015) NBA All-Star Game
Recipient of the NBA Sportsmanship Award during the (2015) season
Four-time leader in NBA three-point field goal percentage (2010, 2014, 2015, 2017)
Led the league in free throw percentage in 2007
Top NBA player for three-point field goals made in 2005
Holds the NBA record for the highest three-point shooting accuracy in a single regular season (53.6% in 2010)
Owns the NBA record for most seasons leading in three-point shooting percentage (4)

Atlanta Hawks

Achieved single-season 3-point shooting accuracy of .492 (2014–15)
Career 3-point shooting percentage leader for the franchise (.452)

Utah Jazz

Set single-season 3-point shooting percentage record with .536 accuracy (2009–10)

NCAA

Missouri Valley Conference all-time leader in career three-pointers made (371)
Holds Missouri Valley Conference record for most three-pointers made in a single season (123) during 2003
Named Consensus Second Team All-American in 2003
Earned Honorable Mention All-American recognition from Associated Press in 2002
Twice awarded Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Year (2002, 2003)
Selected First Team All-Missouri Valley Conference in both 2002 and 2003
Chosen for Second Team All-Missouri Valley Conference in 2001
Twice honored as Missouri Valley Conference tournament MVP (2002, 2003)
Included on Missouri Valley Conference All-Tournament Team from 2001 through 2003
Named to Missouri Valley Conference All-Freshman and All-Bench Teams in 2000
MVP of Guardians Classic Omaha Regional and Tournament in 2003
Recipient of CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Player of the Year award in 2003
Selected to CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major All-America Team in both 2002 and 2003

Personal life

Korver has three brothers—Klayton, Kaleb, and Kirk (1990–2018)—each having competed at the NCAA Division I level. Klayton represented the Drake Bulldogs; Kaleb played for the Creighton Bluejays; Kirk was a member of the UMKC Kangaroos. Their mother Laine was a distinguished high school basketball athlete. Kevin Korver, their father, serves as a pastor based in Pella, Iowa, while their uncle Kris is a coach at Northwestern College. Additionally, Korver’s cousin Kari Korver competed with UCLA’s women’s basketball team.

On August 10, 2011, Korver wed Juliet Richardson. The couple has three children: daughter Kyra Elyse (born December 5, 2012), followed by sons Knox Elliot (born October 4, 2014) and Koen (born November 7, 2016).

He established the Kyle Korver Foundation to support various charitable initiatives, including coat distribution efforts and apparel ventures such as Seer Outfitters aimed at assisting disadvantaged youth. In 2013, he initiated the "Socktober Drive," designed to gather socks for homeless individuals in Atlanta. Korver has also taken part in NBA’s Basketball Without Borders programs held throughout Africa, China, Brazil, and India. He practices Christianity.

In March 2018, Korver temporarily stepped away from playing with the Cavaliers after his brother Kirk passed away due to multiple organ failure prior to undergoing a liver transplant.

External links