After shining for North Carolina, where MJ also played, Davis was drafted 5th overall
One of the greatest players in Phoenix Suns history, Walter Davis, a former standout player at North Carolina, passed away naturally at the age of 69, the university and team announced on Thursday. After 15 seasons and six All-Star selections, the 6-foot-8 forward retired with 1,033 game averages of 18.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. He was also selected twice to the NBA second team.
When asked about the greatest player he had ever seen in his rookie season, 21-year-old Michael Jordan shocked the media by identifying Davis. Many thought that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, or Magic Johnson would have been the solution.
“To compete with? Walter Davis is a must,” Jordan remarked. “I played against Walter Davis in the summertime, and he’s been an outstanding basketball player.”
Following a stellar career at North Carolina, where Jordan also played, Davis was selected by the Suns with the fifth overall pick in 1977. He averaged 24.2 points per game and won Rookie of the Year, making an instant impression on the NBA.
Walter Davis struggled with drugs
Davis spent most of his career in Phoenix (11 seasons). Despite leaving the franchise on bad terms, his number “6” jersey would eventually be retired.
Davis checked himself into rehab clinics several times and in 1987 was called to testify about illegal drug use by other players on the team in exchange for receiving immunity.
Without missing a shot, Walter Davis scores 34 points.
When Davis scored 34 points in a Suns game against Seattle in February 1983, he broke the previous NBA record.
Davis made four consecutive free throws and his first fifteen field goals. After making six free throws and 15/16 from the field, he finished with 36 points. The final buzzer was 55 seconds away, and that was his only miss.
In addition, he played for three seasons with the Nuggets. Before moving back to Denver, where he retired in 1993, he briefly played for the Portland Trail Blazers. One of Davis’s greatest accomplishments was winning a gold medal with the American national team at the 1976 Montreal Games.
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