Walter Davis, the Phoenix Suns’ all-time leading scorer, died at age 69 on Thursday.
His alma mater North Carolina, where he rose to stardom, confirmed on its men’s basketball website that Davis’ passing from natural causes occurred while he visited family in Charlotte.
During his days at Carolina, the 6-foot-6 shooting guard was nicknamed “Sweet D” for his smooth, graceful shooting style and defensive intensity. He was also widely known as “The Greyhound
Phoenix selected Davis as the 1977 NBA draft’s fifth overall pick after he helped lead Team USA to the Olympic gold medal the previous year. He was added to the Suns’ Ring of Honor in 1994.
Just hours after the news of Davis’s death broke, former Suns owner Jerry Colangelo appeared on SiriusXM NBA Radio to reflect on the late great’s immediate impact on the team led by veteran-oriented coach John MacLeod, and Davis’ seamless transition to the league.
“It was easy in the sense that Walter did not have an ego,” Colangelo said. “He was just like a young kid who loved the game so much, he couldn’t wait to get out on the court.
“And so it was actually an easy transition for him coming from North Carolina and stepping on the court in the NBA with the Phoenix Suns and just taking off like a rocket. That’s really what took place with him.
Davis was named the 1978 NBA Rookie of the Year, was a six-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection during his 15-year pro career. He played his first 11 seasons with Phoenix, and led the team to eight straight playoff appearances from 1978 to 1985, including the 1984 Western conference finals.
Davis played his final four years with the Denver Nuggets and Portland Trail Blazers.
The later years of his tenure with Phoenix were marred by back injuries and the team’s 1987 drug scandal, in which he was called to testify in court about allegations of illegal drug use by some of his teammates in exchange for immunity from prosecution
Davis left Phoenix as an unrestricted free agent in 1988 and signed with Denver.
He finished his career atop Phoenix’s scoring list at 15,666 points, and his No. 6 was retired in the Suns Ring of Honor in 1994.
Davis didn’t attend last Saturday’s Ring of Honor ceremony during Phoenix’s home-opening win over the Utah Jazz.
In college, Davis was practically unstoppable as he led one of the top programs in the game. He helped the Tar Heels to the NCAA title game in 1977, where they lost to Marquette.
Former North Carolina assistant coach and head coach Roy Williams said Smith and assistant 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.”
Davis is 10th all-time in scoring in Tar Heels’ history. His 106 games with double-figure scoring are fourth all-time at North Carolina, trailing only Phil Ford, Sam Perkins and Tyler Hansbrough.
Ford said he and Davis were best friends almost from the time they met nearly 50 years ago. “He was the best man at my wedding and I was the best man at his,” Ford said in a statement.
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