Source: James Drake / Getty
Walter Davis, who played at North Carolina and served 15 seasons in the NBA, died on Thursday. He was 69.
Davis died of natural causes while visiting family in Charlotte, North Carolina, according to his alma school.
Davis was a member of the United States Olympic team that won gold in Montreal in 1976. Hubert Davis, the current Tar Heels coach, was also the uncle of the shooting guard/small forward.
—
Over the course of four seasons with North Carolina, Walter Davis averaged 15.7 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists in 119 games.
The Phoenix Suns drafted Davis with the fifth overall pick in the 1977 NBA draft. After spending 11 seasons with Phoenix, he was voted the 1977–1978 NBA Rookie of the Year.
With the Suns, Denver Nuggets, and Portland Trail Blazers across his 1,033 career games, six-time All-Star Davis averaged 18.9 points, 3.8 assists, and 3.0 rebounds. In 1994, the Suns retired his No. 6 jersey.
