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CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Walter Davis, an all-star at the University of North Carolina and in the NBA, a member of the United States gold-medal winning Olympic basketball team in 1976 and uncle of UNC head coach Hubert Davis, passed away this morning of natural causes while visiting family in Charlotte, N.C.
Davis (69) was one of the best shooters in Carolina basketball history. A member of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, the Pineville, N.C., native was a two-time All-ACC honoree in 1976 and as a senior in 1977, when he led the Tar Heels to an ACC Tournament title and appearance in the NCAA championship game.
He scored 1,863 points, grabbed 670 rebounds and had 409 assists playing for head coach Dean Smith.
This season is the 50th anniversary of Davis’s 25-foot shot at the buzzer against Duke that capped an eight-point comeback in the final 17 seconds of regulation to send the game to overtime, where the Tar Heels won. It is one of the most iconic moments in college basketball and, even as a freshman, cemented his place in Carolina Basketball history.
Davis won NBA Rookie-of-the-Year honors with the Phoenix Suns in 1978. He was a five-time NBA All-Star and the Suns retired his No. 6.
Phil Ford:
“Walter and I knew each other for 50 years. We met when I was a senior in high school and I was coming up to Carolina as a recruit at football games. Walter, Tommy LaGarde and Mitch Kupchak were my hosts, and we just became great friends. When we were in school together he and I were best friends. He was the best man at my wedding, and I was the best man at his.
“Throughout the last 50 years, we’ve remained in contact with each other and were best friends to each other. He loved me and I loved him. He was a great, great, great guy that happened to be a great basketball player. I’ve always said he could have been selected MVP in the 1975 ACC Tournament just as much as I was.
“I am going to miss him dearly. I’m happy I got to see him a couple of weeks ago in Chapel Hill, but this is very hard. I would like to believe he’s in a better place right now but I’m going to dearly miss my friend. I don’t know anybody that says bad things about Walt. I’m getting calls from people all around the country – John Lucas, Scott May, Quinn Buckner, David Thompson. Everybody thought the world about Walt, just like all of us Carolina players and fans did.
“I’m blessed we were teammates and friends, and I thank God I had him in my life all these years.”
Former UNC head coach Roy Williams:
“This is a sad, sad day with the passing of Walter Davis, one of our all-time great basketball players and an even nicer person. Coach [Dean] Smith and Coach [Bill] Guthridge used to rave about how much fun it was to coach Walter. I got to watch him as a fan and loved getting to know him later. The big shot to end the ‘eight points in 17 seconds’ game against Duke will stay with us forever, as will many other fantastic moments. Walter is a truly great Tar Heel.”
