Walter Davis, who was the all-time leading scorer with the Phoenix Suns after starring at North Carolina, died on Thursday. He was 69.
Per his alma mater, Davis passed away of natural causes while visiting family in Charlotte, N.C.
Davis was a member of the Olympic gold medal-winning United States team in the 1976 Montreal Games. The shooting guard/small forward also was the uncle of current Tar Heels coach Hubert Davis.
Walter Davis averaged 15.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 119 games over four seasons with North Carolina.
He made an immediate impression after being selected by the Suns with the fifth overall pick of the 1977 NBA Draft. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1977-78 and spent 11 seasons with Phoenix, scoring 15,666 points.
“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,” the Suns posted on Twitter.
“‘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 fans. He will forever be a member of our Phoenix Suns family and community.
“Our thoughts remain with his family and friends during this difficult time.”
A six-time All-Star, Walter Davis averaged 18.9 points, 3.8 assists and 3.0 rebounds in 1,033 career games with the Suns, Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers. The Suns retired his No. 6 jersey in 1994.
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