CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Legendary North Carolina guard Walter Davis has died at the age of 69, the school announced on Thursday. He is the uncle of Carolina Basketball head coach Hubert Davis.
Walter Davis played at North Carolina from 1973-1977. He made two All-ACC teams, including a first-team appearance as a senior, and was drafted to the Phoenix Suns. Selected fifth overall in the draft, he is one of 18 Tar Heels to get selected in the top five. Davis was a four-year starter for head coach Dean Smith.
He quickly made a name for himself as a freshman when he made a 35-foot game-tying shot against Duke in 1974 to complete a 17-point comeback victory against the Blue Devils. Davis totaled a game-high 31 points in that thriller.
The Tar Heels won the ACC Tournament with Davis in 1977 and they also made it to the national championship game that season, finishing as the runner-up to Marquette. During that run, Davis scored 21 points against Kentucky in the Elite Eight while playing with a broken finger on his shooting hand.
“I think of all the ACC tournaments, how intense [they were],” Davis once told Inside Carolina in an interview reflecting on his UNC career. “We thought the regular season was intense, but they turned it up a notch in the tournament. And, I think of the Final Four against Marquette… If we had stayed healthy, I believe we could have won the championship that season.
“I suppose my most lasting memory isn’t really one game – being taught how to play basketball the right way from Dean Smith and all my teammates really helped my pro career and my life.”
Davis has the most career games with 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists in UNC history with four. He completed his career as a Tar Heel with 1,863 points, 670 rebounds and 409 assists.
He is 10th all-time in scoring in program history. His 106 double-digit scoring games only trail Phil Ford, Sam Perkins and Tyler Hansbrough. He is also tied for fourth on the single season steals list with 78.
“He was always capable of exploding but quietly so,” former teammate Ed Stahl told Inside Carolina in a previous interview. “He was fluid, smooth, unflappable. When he got into a groove, he was unstoppable.”
“From the first moment I saw Walter, I knew he was something special,” former teammate Ray Hite told Inside Carolina in a prior interview. “Nobody was ever better at getting open for short jumpers.”
Davis is a member of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame. He made the ACC’s 50th Anniversary team in 2002.
At the pro level, he won Rookie of the Year in 1978 and made six all-star teams. His No. 6 jersey is retired by the Phoenix Suns. He averaged 18.9 points and 3.8 assists per game in 15 NBA seasons.