Walter Pearl Davis (born September 9, 1954) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player. He was a forward/guard for 15 years in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...

(NBA), spending the majority of his career with the

Phoenix Suns The Phoenix Suns are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference Pacific Division (NBA), P ...

. A six-time

NBA All-Star The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Originally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of a ...

, a two-time

All-NBA The All-NBA Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor bestowed on the best players in the league following every NBA season. The voting is conducted by a global panel of sportswriters and broadcasters. The team has been sele ...

Second Team member, and the

NBA Rookie of the Year The National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to the top rookie(s) of the regular season. Initiated following the 1952–53 NBA season, it confers the Eddie Gott ...

. Suns

retired Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload. Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...

his No. 6 jersey.

High school and college career

Born in

Pineville, North Carolina Pineville (; locally ) is a suburban town in the southernmost portion of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, United States, situated in the Waxhaws district between Charlotte and Fort Mill. History Pineville became known as a mule trading ce ...

, Davis was the youngest of 13 children born between 1937 and 1954. His high school teams at

South Mecklenburg High School South Mecklenburg High School is a public secondary school located in Charlotte, North Carolina. It is part of the Charlotte Mecklenburg School District. Locally it is known as "South Meck" (or simply just "South"). Its mascot is the Sabre and t ...

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

won three state titles and lost only four games.After his senior year,he prepped at the Sanford School, Hockessin, DE, and made the All-State team in the 1973-74 season. As a standout college player at the

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, the ...

, he was selected to play on the USA men's basketball team coached by UNC's

Dean Smith Dean Edwards Smith (February 28, 1931 – February 7, 2015) was an American men's college basketball head coach. Called a "coaching legend" by the Basketball Hall of Fame, he coached for 36 years at the University of North Carolina at Chapel ...

that won the gold medal at the

1976 Summer Olympics Events January * January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force. * January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea. * January 11 – The 1976 Phil ...

. In his freshman year, Davis hit a buzzer-beating jump shot against

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranke ...

at the end of regulation to send the game into overtime. At Chapel Hill, Davis was called "Sweet D" because of his seemingly effortless, smooth style of play and because of his strong defensive play.

NBA career

The Suns selected Davis with the fifth pick of the

1977 NBA draft The 1977 NBA draft was the 31st annual draft of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The draft was held on June 10, 1977, before the 1977–78 season. In this draft, 22 NBA teams took turns selecting amateur U.S. college basketball player ...

. He made an immediate impact, playing in 81 games and averaging 24.2 points per game in his first season, which would also be his career-high. He won the 1978 Rookie of the Year Award, and earned second team

honors. Over his first ten seasons, Davis averaged over 20 points per game six times, and earned trips to six All-Star Games. On February 25, 1983, Davis set an all-time NBA record when he successfully scored his first 34 points before finally missing a shot. He made his first 15 field goals and converted four straight free throws before missing a jumper with 55 seconds left in the game. Larry Costello formerly held the record, having made all of his attempts on his first 32 points for the

Syracuse Nationals The Philadelphia 76ers are an American basketball team currently playing in the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association (NBA). The 76ers are third in NBA history in wins and playoff appearances. 1946– ...

in 1961. Over his career, Davis averaged 18.9 points, 3.8 assists and 3.0

rebounds 'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...

per game. Davis was affectionately known as "The Greyhound" for his speedy style and sleek physical appearance. Suns broadcaster Al McCoy created many alternate nicknames for him, including "The Candyman", and "The Man with the Velvet Touch." Davis is the Suns' all-time leading scorer with 15,666 points. Davis's later years with the Suns were marred by recurring back problems and an ugly drug scandal. In 1987, he was called on to testify on illegal drug use by other Suns players in exchange for immunity from prosecution. (He had twice entered rehab clinics to deal with cocaine addiction.) Davis's decline mirrored the short decline of the Suns franchise, and at the expiration of his contract in

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Bicentenn ...

at age 33, the team did not seriously attempt to re-sign him, offering a 1-year contract at half his previous salary. Davis signed a two-year, $1.35 million deal with the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...

as an unrestricted free agent. He ended up playing for two years beyond this contract, and was included in a three-team trade in early 1991 that sent him to the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western C ...

for half a season. Davis finished 479 points shy of 20,000 points in a career. In the summer of 1991, he returned to Denver to close out his playing career.

After basketball

Davis later served as a broadcaster for the Nuggets, and has served as a scout for the

Washington Wizards The Washington Wizards are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Wizards compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The team plays ...

. As time passed, Davis and the Suns repaired their relationship. In 1994, his No. 6 was

by the Suns, and in 2004 he was enshrined in the team's

Ring of Honor Ring of Honor (ROH) is an American professional wrestling promotion based in Jacksonville, Florida. The promotion was founded by Rob Feinstein on February 23, 2002, and was operated by Cary Silkin from 2004 until 2011, when the promotion was s ...

. He is the uncle of UNC men's head coach

Hubert Davis Hubert Ira Davis Jr. (born May 17, 1970) is an American college basketball coach and former professional player who is the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels men's team. Before his coaching career, Davis played for North Carolina from 19 ...

, who also played for UNC and in the NBA.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Phoenix Phoenix most often refers to: * Phoenix (mythology), a legendary bird from ancient Greek folklore * Phoenix, Arizona, a city in the United States Phoenix may also refer to: Mythology Greek mythological figures * Phoenix (son of Amyntor), a ...

, 81 , , – , , 32.0 , , .526 , , – , , .830 , , 6.0 , , 3.4 , , 1.4 , , 0.2 , , 24.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 79 , , – , , 30.8 , , .561 , , – , , .831 , , 4.7 , , 4.3 , , 1.9 , , 0.3 , , 23.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 75 , , – , , 30.8 , , .563 , , .000 , , .819 , , 3.6 , , 4.5 , , 1.5 , , 0.3 , , 21.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 78 , , – , , 28.0 , , .539 , , .412 , , .836 , , 2.6 , , 3.9 , , 1.2 , , 0.2 , , 18.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 55 , , 12 , , 21.5 , , .523 , , .188 , , .820 , , 1.9 , , 2.9 , , 0.8 , , 0.1 , , 14.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 80 , , 79 , , 31.1 , , .516 , , .304 , , .818 , , 2.5 , , 5.0 , , 1.5 , , 0.2 , , 19.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 78 , , 70 , , 32.6 , , .512 , , .230 , , .863 , , 2.6 , , 5.5 , , 1.4 , , 0.2 , , 20.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 23 , , 9 , , 24.8 , , .450 , , .300 , , .877 , , 1.5 , , 4.3 , , 0.8 , , 0.0 , , 15.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 70 , , 62 , , 32.0 , , .485 , , .237 , , .843 , , 2.9 , , 5.2 , , 1.4 , , 0.0 , , 21.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 79 , , 79 , , 33.5 , , .514 , , .259 , , .862 , , 3.1 , , 4.6 , , 1.2 , , 0.1 , , 23.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 68 , , 48 , , 28.7 , , .473 , , .375 , , .887 , , 2.3 , , 4.1 , , 1.3 , , 0.0 , , 17.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Denver Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the United ...

, 81 , , 0 , , 22.9 , , .498 , , .290 , , .879 , , 1.9 , , 2.3 , , 0.9 , , 0.1 , , 15.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 69 , , 0 , , 23.7 , , .481 , , .130 , , .912 , , 2.6 , , 2.2 , , 0.9 , , 0.1 , , 17.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 39 , , 13 , , 26.8 , , .474 , , .303 , , .915 , , 3.2 , , 2.2 , , 1.6 , , 0.1 , , 18.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

, 32 , , 1 , , 13.7 , , .446 , , .333 , , .913 , , 1.8 , , 1.3 , , 0.6 , , 0.0 , , 6.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 46 , , 0 , , 16.1 , , .459 , , .313 , , .872 , , 1.5 , , 1.5 , , 0.6 , , 0.0 , , 9.9 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 1,033 , , 373 , , 27.9 , , .511 , , .272 , , .851 , , 3.0 , , 3.8 , , 1.2 , , 0.1 , , 18.9 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star , 6 , , 1 , , 18.2 , , .455 , , 1.000 , , 1.000 , , 3.3 , , 2.5 , , 1.2 , , 0.0 , , 9.8

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd government). * January 6 � ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 2, , –, , 33.0, , .475, , –, , .750, , 8.5, , 4.0, , 1.5, , 0.0, , 25.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1979 Events January * January 1 ** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the ''International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the ''Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the song ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 15, , –, , 32.7, , .520, , –, , .813, , 4.6, , 5.3, , 1.7, , 0.3, , 22.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – In ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 8, , –, , 30.6, , .504, , .000, , .737, , 2.9, , 4.4, , 0.5, , 0.1, , 20.8 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1981 Events January * January 1 ** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union. ** Palau becomes a self-governing territory. * January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major offensiv ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 7, , –, , 28.4, , .481, , .000, , .588, , 2.7, , 3.1, , 1.0, , 0.1, , 16.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1982 Events January * January 1 – In Malaysia and Singapore, clocks are adjusted to the same time zone, UTC+8 (GMT+8.00). * January 13 – Air Florida Flight 90 crashes shortly after takeoff into the 14th Street Bridge in Washington, D.C., U ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 7, , –, , 24.7, , .448, , .333, , .917, , 3.1, , 4.3, , 0.7, , 0.1, , 18.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1983 The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call. Events January * January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 3, , –, , 37.7, , .435, , .500, , .810, , 5.0, , 4.3, , 2.0, , 1.7, , 26.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1984 Events January * January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888. * January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeast A ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 17, , –, , 36.6, , .535, , .273, , .897, , 2.7, , 6.4, , 1.7, , 0.2, , 24.9 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 3, , 0, , 31.3, , .517, , .000, , 1.000, , 1.7, , 1.3, , 1.0, , 0.0, , 25.7 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1990 File:1990 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1990 FIFA World Cup is played in Italy; The Human Genome Project is launched; Voyager I takes the famous Pale Blue Dot image- speaking on the fragility of humanity on Earth, astrophysicist ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 3, , 0, , 23.3, , .400, , .000, , 1.000, , 3.0, , 2.0, , 0.3, , 0.0, , 14.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1991 File:1991 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Boris Yeltsin, elected as Russia's first president, waves the new flag of Russia after the 1991 Soviet coup d'état attempt, orchestrated by Soviet hardliners; Mount Pinatubo erupts in the Ph ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 13, , 0, , 8.5, , .396, , .000, , .833, , 1.2, , 0.5, , 0.3, , 0.0, , 3.3 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 78 , , ? , , 28.0 , , .496 , , .192 , , .830 , , 3.1 , , 4.0 , , 1.1 , , 0.2 , , 18.6

References

External links

Career Stats

{{DEFAULTSORT:Davis, Walter 1954 births Living people African-American basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players at the 1976 Summer Olympics Basketball players from Charlotte, North Carolina Denver Nuggets announcers Denver Nuggets players Medalists at the 1976 Summer Olympics National Basketball Association All-Stars National Basketball Association players with retired numbers North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball players Olympic gold medalists for the United States in basketball People from Pineville, North Carolina Phoenix Suns draft picks Phoenix Suns players Portland Trail Blazers players Shooting guards Small forwards United States men's national basketball team players 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American sportspeople

High school and college career

NBA career

After basketball

NBA career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

See also

References

External links