CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — A Tar Heel legend has died. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill Athletics said Walter Davis, who played for the Tar Heels in the 1970s under head coach Dean Smith, passed away Thursday morning from natural causes while visiting family in Charlotte. He was 69 years old.
One of the best shooters in Carolina hoops history, Davis put up more than 1,800 points during his college career. He grabbed 670 rebounds and had more than 400 assists.
Davis was also a member of the United States gold-medal-winning Olympic basketball team in 1976.
The Pineville, NC native was a member of the NC Sports Hall of Fame. He was also a two-time All-ACC honoree in 1976 and as a senior in 1977, when he helped lead Carolina to an ACC Tournament championship and appearance in the NCAA title game.
This college basketball season marks 50 years since Davis' 25-foot buzzer shot against Duke that capped an 8-point comeback in the final 17 seconds of the game, sending the game into overtime, where UNC won. It's one of the most iconic moments in college basketball and cemented Davis' legacy as a Tar Heel.
Davis received NBA Rookie of the Year honors with the Phoenix Suns in 1978. He was a 5-time NBA All-Star and the Suns retired his No. 6 jersey.
He was the uncle of current UNC Head Coach Hubert Davis.
MORE WAYS TO GET WFMY NEWS 2
Subscribe to our daily newsletter Let’s Get 2 It!
Download the WFMY News 2 APP from your Apple or Google Play store.
ADD THE WFMY+ APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: Add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for WFMY.
Amazon Fire TV: Search for WFMY to find the free app to add to your account. You can also add the app directly to your Fire TV through your Amazon account.
