Michael Jordan once famously said in a Nike commercial that he'd missed 9,000 shots in his career, and that such failure was actually the reason he succeeded. His message: even the greatest players miss a lot of shots, and in order to become great, you need to keep shooting. This applies not only in life in general, but also if you're trying to become a great basketball shooter.
Step 1
Hit the gym daily and take as many shots as possible. The best shooters often take hundreds of shots daily, regardless of whether they had a great game the previous day, or couldn't hit the ocean from a boat. This serves a few purposes: it helps you maintain consistent mechanics and builds confidence. When you're practicing your shot on a daily basis, it will come naturally in game situations and you won't have to think a lot about form or aim; muscle memory will take over.
Step 2
Fine-tune your pre-shot form. Taking hundreds of shots daily is great, but practicing poor form won't do you much good. Square your feet with the basket and bend your knees a bit. Hold the ball chest high, with the fingers on your shooting-side hand pointed upward, almost directly at the ceiling, and your off-hand directly on that side of the ball for aiming. Keep your shooting-side elbow in close to your body and pointed at the basket. Train your eyes on the front, center or back of the rim --- whichever you find works best for you --- and elevate from the floor.
Step 3
Perfect your release. The NBA's best shooters have fine-tuned their release to the point that their shots look virtually identical, regardless of the location and situation of the shot. Release the ball at the top of your jump, from above your head, and flick your wrist for maximum backspin. The more backspin on your shot, the more likely it is to go in even if it makes contact with the rim.
Step 4
Work on your conditioning. Your legs are the foundation of your shot, but they're also the first thing to go when you become fatigued. This is why you see so many shots falling short late in basketball games --- the shooter is fatigued and isn't getting proper lift. Run sprints and jog for endurance. A couple of times per week, hit the weight room and do squats and leg presses to strengthen these vital muscles.
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