Walter Davis (basketball)
Personal information | |||||||||||||||
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Born | Pineville, North Carolina, U.S. | September 9, 1954||||||||||||||
Died | November 2, 2023 Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. | (aged 69)||||||||||||||
Listed height | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | ||||||||||||||
Listed weight | 193 lb (88 kg) | ||||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||||
High school | South Mecklenburg (Charlotte, North Carolina) | ||||||||||||||
College | North Carolina (1973–1977) | ||||||||||||||
NBA draft | 1977: 1st round, 5th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
Selected by the Phoenix Suns | |||||||||||||||
Playing career | 1977–1992 | ||||||||||||||
Position | Shooting guard / small forward | ||||||||||||||
Number | 6 | ||||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||||
1977–1988 | Phoenix Suns | ||||||||||||||
1988–1991 | Denver Nuggets | ||||||||||||||
1991 | Portland Trail Blazers | ||||||||||||||
1991–1992 | Denver Nuggets | ||||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
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Career NBA statistics | |||||||||||||||
Points | 19,521 (18.9 ppg) | ||||||||||||||
Rebounds | 3,053 (3.0 rpg) | ||||||||||||||
Assists | 3,878 (3.8 apg) | ||||||||||||||
Stats at NBA.com | |||||||||||||||
Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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Walter Pearl Davis (September 9, 1954 – November 2, 2023) was an American
High school and college career
Born in Pineville, North Carolina, Davis was the youngest of 13 children born between 1937 and 1954. His high school teams at South Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte won three state titles and lost only four games. After his senior year, he prepped at the Sanford School in Hockessin, Delaware, and made the Delaware All-State team in the 1972-73 season.
As a standout college player at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, he was selected to play on the USA men's basketball team coached by UNC's Dean Smith that won the gold medal at the 1976 Summer Olympics. In his freshman year, Davis hit a buzzer-beating jump shot against Duke at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime. At Chapel Hill, Davis was called "Sweet D" because of his seemingly effortless, smooth style of play and because of his strong defensive play.[2]
NBA career
The Suns selected Davis with the fifth pick of the
On February 25, 1983, Davis set an all-time NBA record when he successfully scored his first 34 points before finally missing a shot. He made his first 15 field goals and converted four straight free throws before missing a jumper with 55 seconds left in the game.
Over his career, Davis averaged 18.9 points, 3.8
Davis's later years with the Suns were marred by recurring back problems and an ugly drug scandal. In 1987, he was called on to testify on illegal drug use by other Suns players in exchange for immunity from prosecution. (He had twice entered rehabilitation clinics to deal with cocaine addiction.)[5]
Davis's decline mirrored the short decline of the Suns franchise, and at the expiration of his contract in 1988 at age 33, the team did not seriously attempt to re-sign him, offering a one-year contract at half his previous salary.
Davis signed a two-year, $1.35 million deal with the Denver Nuggets as an unrestricted free agent. He ended up playing for two years beyond this contract, and was included in a three-team trade in early 1991 that sent him to the Portland Trail Blazers for half a season. Davis finished 479 points shy of 20,000 points in a career.[6] In the summer of 1991, he returned to Denver to close out his playing career.
After basketball
Davis later served as a broadcaster for the Nuggets and as a scout for the Washington Wizards. As time passed, Davis and the Suns repaired their relationship. In 1994, his No. 6 was retired by the Suns, and in 2004 he was enshrined in the team's Ring of Honor.[7] On October 28, 2023, Davis was reintroduced and given a commemorative watch from new Suns owner Mat Ishbia to celebrate the revamped version of the Phoenix Suns Ring of Honor.
Davis was the uncle of UNC men's head coach Hubert Davis, who also played for UNC and in the NBA.
Davis died in
NBA career statistics
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Regular season
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1977–78 | Phoenix | 81 | – | 32.0 | .526 | – | .830 | 6.0 | 3.4 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 24.2 |
1978–79 | Phoenix | 79 | – | 30.8 | .561 | – | .831 | 4.7 | 4.3 | 1.9 | 0.3 | 23.6 |
1979–80 | Phoenix | 75 | – | 30.8 | .563 | .000 | .819 | 3.6 | 4.5 | 1.5 | 0.3 | 21.5 |
1980–81 | Phoenix | 78 | – | 28.0 | .539 | .412 | .836 | 2.6 | 3.9 | 1.2 | 0.2 | 18.0 |
1981–82 | Phoenix | 55 | 12 | 21.5 | .523 | .188 | .820 | 1.9 | 2.9 | 0.8 | 0.1 | 14.4 |
1982–83 | Phoenix | 80 | 79 | 31.1 | .516 | .304 | .818 | 2.5 | 5.0 | 1.5 | 0.2 | 19.0 |
1983–84 | Phoenix | 78 | 70 | 32.6 | .512 | .230 | .863 | 2.6 | 5.5 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 20.0 |
1984–85 | Phoenix | 23 | 9 | 24.8 | .450 | .300 | .877 | 1.5 | 4.3 | 0.8 | 0.0 | 15.0 |
1985–86 | Phoenix | 70 | 62 | 32.0 | .485 | .237 | .843 | 2.9 | 5.2 | 1.4 | 0.0 | 21.8 |
1986–87 | Phoenix | 79 | 79 | 33.5 | .514 | .259 | .862 | 3.1 | 4.6 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 23.6 |
1987–88 | Phoenix | 68 | 48 | 28.7 | .473 | .375 | .887 | 2.3 | 4.1 | 1.3 | 0.0 | 17.9 |
1988–89 | Denver | 81 | 0 | 22.9 | .498 | .290 | .879 | 1.9 | 2.3 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 15.6 |
1989–90 | Denver | 69 | 0 | 23.7 | .481 | .130 | .912 | 2.6 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 17.5 |
1990–91 | Denver | 39 | 13 | 26.8 | .474 | .303 | .915 | 3.2 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 0.1 | 18.7 |
1990–91 | Portland | 32 | 1 | 13.7 | .446 | .333 | .913 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 6.1 |
1991–92 | Denver | 46 | 0 | 16.1 | .459 | .313 | .872 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 0.6 | 0.0 | 9.9 |
Career | 1,033 | 373 | 27.9 | .511 | .272 | .851 | 3.0 | 3.8 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 18.9 | |
All-Star | 6 | 1 | 18.2 | .455 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 3.3 | 2.5 | 1.2 | 0.0 | 9.8 |
Playoffs
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1978
|
Phoenix
|
2 | – | 33.0 | .475 | – | .750 | 8.5 | 4.0 | 1.5 | 0.0 | 25.0 |
1979
|
Phoenix
|
15 | – | 32.7 | .520 | – | .813 | 4.6 | 5.3 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 22.1 |
1980
|
Phoenix
|
8 | – | 30.6 | .504 | .000 | .737 | 2.9 | 4.4 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 20.8 |
1981
|
Phoenix
|
7 | – | 28.4 | .481 | .000 | .588 | 2.7 | 3.1 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 16.0 |
1982
|
Phoenix
|
7 | – | 24.7 | .448 | .333 | .917 | 3.1 | 4.3 | 0.7 | 0.1 | 18.1 |
1983
|
Phoenix
|
3 | – | 37.7 | .435 | .500 | .810 | 5.0 | 4.3 | 2.0 | 1.7 | 26.0 |
1984
|
Phoenix
|
17 | – | 36.6 | .535 | .273 | .897 | 2.7 | 6.4 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 24.9 |
1989
|
Denver
|
3 | 0 | 31.3 | .517 | .000 | 1.000 | 1.7 | 1.3 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 25.7 |
1990
|
Denver
|
3 | 0 | 23.3 | .400 | .000 | 1.000 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 14.0 |
1991
|
Portland
|
13 | 0 | 8.5 | .396 | .000 | .833 | 1.2 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 3.3 |
Career | 78 | ? | 28.0 | .496 | .192 | .830 | 3.1 | 4.0 | 1.1 | 0.2 | 18.6 |
See also
- List of National Basketball Association franchise career scoring leaders
- List of National Basketball Association top rookie scoring averages
References
- ^ "Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announces 13 inductees for Class of 2024". NBA.com. April 6, 2024. Retrieved April 6, 2024.
- ^ Alexander, Chip (November 2, 2023). "Walter Davis, former UNC and NBA basketball star, dies". The News & Observer. Retrieved November 7, 2023.
- ^ USA Today. Davis sets record. February 28, 1983
- ^ 1983-84 Phoenix Suns Roster and Stats
- ^ Baker, Chris (April 21, 1987). "The NBA : Davis, Suns Will Have Tough Time Recovering". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 22, 2011.
- ^ "Davis Joins Nuggets". The New York Times. Associated Press. July 7, 1988.
- ^ "SUNS: Ring of Honor". Suns.com. August 26, 2007. Retrieved October 22, 2011.
- ^ "UNC Athletics Legendary Tar Heel Walter Davis Passes Away At Age 69". Go Heels. November 2, 2023. Retrieved November 3, 2023.
- ^ "The Naismith Basketball Hall Of Fame Adds Anfernee "Penny" Hardaway And Walter Davis To List Of Nominees For The Class Of 2024". Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. December 29, 2023. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
- ^ Munz, Jason (December 29, 2023). "Penny Hardaway a Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame nominee for first time". Memphis Commercial Appeal. Retrieved December 29, 2023.
- ^ "Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announces 13 inductees for Class of 2024". NBA.com. April 6, 2024. Retrieved April 6, 2024.