NBA shooting stars step back to make a great leap forward

But instead of continuing forward, the offensive player suddenly gathers his feet and steps backward to shoot, taking advantage of the extra space he has created.

Curry is one of the most prolific 3-point shooters in history, but he's also a wizard with his dribble. So whoever is defending him can never quite be sure which way he is going.

"Obviously you respect the athletic guys that can drive and use their first step and explosiveness and all that type of stuff," Curry said.

"It's a tough shot to make consistently, but the guys that do, it's obviously a shot and a look that you can always kind of count on to create space and knock it down."

There will be more than a few hoisted up during the All-Star festivities. But nobody shoots it more-or arguably better-than Harden.

His 151 step-back 3-pointers coming into this week represented 15 percent of the 1,006 makes thus far, according to the NBA's statistics.

Harden dribbles patiently until he sees an opening, then either drives for a layup or foul, or steps back for the 3, sometimes from a few steps beyond the arc.

A seven-time All-Star, league MVP and scoring champion last season, Harden has scored 30 or more points in 31 straight games, matching Wilt Chamberlain for the second-longest streak in NBA history. Averaging 36.5 points, he is poised to win another scoring title in a runaway.

He said he turned to the stepback 3 as a way to evolve with a game that has seen more than 2,500 step-back 3s taken already this season, after there were only 584 for all of 2014-15, according to NBAsavant.com.

"I mean, every single year you have to come back better than you were the year before, and for me I had a pretty good year last year. But you've got to come back better and come up with a new move or a new package to keep defenders on their heels," Harden said.

"So whether it's a step-back or a slide step, I just try to create separation to be able to get my shot off."

Harden has the green light in Houston, though that doesn't make it a good shot-at least not for everyone else.

There are times when Harden launches one where it looks like a horrible shot.