Walter Davis, Phoenix Suns Ring of Honor inductee, dies at age 69

PHOENIX (3TV/CBS 5) - Five-time NBA All-Star and Phoenix Suns Ring of Honor inductee Walter Davis has died at the age of 69, the University of North Carolina first reported Thursday morning. UNC, his alma mater, says Davis passed away of natural causes earlier in the morning while visiting family in Charlotte, N.C.

Davis, a Pineville, N.C. native, was a two-time All-ACC honoree at UNC. During his senior year in 1977, Davis led the Tar Heels to an ACC Tournament title and an appearance in the NCAA championship game.

The Suns selected Davis with the fifth pick of the 1977 NBA Draft, and he went on to win NBA Rookie of the Year in 1978. Over his first 10 seasons, Davis averaged over 20 points per game six times during his first 10 seasons, and he went to the NBA All-Star Game six times. He’s also the Suns’ all-time leading scorer with 15,666 points.

Later in his career, Davis played four seasons with the Denver Nuggets before a brief stint with the Portland Trail Blazers. He returned to Denver in 1991 to close out his NBA career. Davis was inducted into the Phoenix Suns’ Ring of Honor in 2004 at the same time his number (6) was retired.

Davis’ nephew, Hubert Davis, is the current head coach of the UNC Tar Heels.

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.

‘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… pic.twitter.com/Ai9pmafJYt
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) November 2, 2023