Basketball great Walter Davis dies – dead at 69

Former North Carolina and Phoenix Suns star Walter Davis died Thursday, the school announced.

Davis died of natural causes at the age of 69 while visiting his family in Charlotte, the school said in a statement. The Phoenix Suns, for whom Davis played the bulk of his NBA career, also paid tribute.

We are heartbroken by the passing of Suns legend Walter Davis, the franchise’s all-time leading scorer and a member of our Ring of Honor.

‘Sweet D’ was one of the game’s best, a prolific scorer whose smooth playing style and ‘velvet touch’ endeared him to generations of our… pic.twitter.com/Ai9pmafJYt

— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) November 2, 2023

Davis starred for both North Carolina and the Suns. He was a two-time All-ACC selection for coach Dean Smith in 1976 and 1977, and also won Olympic gold with USA men’s basketball at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. He went on to become the No. 5 overall pick in the 1977 NBA Draft and spent the bulk of his career in Phoenix. He was a six-time All-Star and a two-time All-NBA selection, going on to become the franchise’s all-time leading scorer. His No. 6 was retired by the Suns in 1994.

Davis was also the uncle of current North Carolina basketball coach Hubert Davis. He retired with a career average of 18.9 points per game over 16 NBA seasons.