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November 2, 2023 2:04 pm
Erroll Reese and Phil Ford on the breaking news of Walter’s passing and their relationship with him. Who was Walter to UNC? What was he like behind the scenes?
CHAPEL HILL – Walter Davis, an all-star at the University of North Carolina and in the NBA, a member of the United States gold-medal winning Olympic basketball team in 1976 and uncle of UNC head coach Hubert Davis, passed away this morning of natural causes while visiting family in Charlotte, N.C.
Davis (69) was one of the best shooters in Carolina basketball history. A member of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame, the Pineville, N.C., native was a two-time All-ACC honoree in 1976 and as a senior in 1977, when he led the Tar Heels to an ACC Tournament title and appearance in the NCAA championship game.
He scored 1,863 points, grabbed 670 rebounds and had 409 assists playing for head coach Dean Smith.
This season is the 50th anniversary of Davis’s 25-foot shot at the buzzer against Duke that capped an eight-point comeback in the final 17 seconds of regulation to send the game to overtime, where the Tar Heels won. It is one of the most iconic moments in college basketball and, even as a freshman, cemented his place in Carolina Basketball history.
Davis won NBA Rookie-of-the-Year honors with the Phoenix Suns in 1978. He was a five-time NBA All-Star and the Suns retired his No. 6.
STEVE KIRSCHNER
University of North Carolina
Senior Associate A.D. for Sports Information & Media Relations
