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Walter Davis, who starred in college at North Carolina, died on Thursday morning of natural causes, the Tar Heels announced in a press release. He was 69 years old.
Many of Davis’ top NBA accomplishments came while he was on the Phoenix Suns, who selected him fifth overall in 1977. He earned an All-Star nod, was named Second-Team All-NBA and won Rookie of the Year during his debut season in 1977-78. He followed that up with All-Star and Second-Team All-NBA honors in ’78-79.
The 6-foot-6 guard/forward made six All-Star teams in 11 seasons with Phoenix, and he remains the team’s all-time leading scorer. His No. 6 jersey was retired by the Suns.
Davis, who won a gold medal with the U.S. in 1976, averaged 18.9 points, 3.8 assists, 3.0 rebounds and 1.2 steals over the course of 15 years in the NBA, which included stints with the Nuggets and Trail Blazers at the end of his career (1,033 regular-season games, 27.9 minutes per night). He shot 51.1% from the field and 85.1% from the free throw line.
We at Hoops Rumors send our condolences to Davis’ friends and family, which includes his nephew, former NBA guard Hubert Davis, who is currently head coach of the Tar Heels.
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