Walter Davis

Walter Pearl Davis (September 9, 1954 – November 2, 2023) was an American professional basketball player who played forward and guard for fifteen years in the National Basketball Association. Born in Pineville, North Carolina, he was the youngest of thirteen children born between 1937 and 1954. At South Mecklenburg High School in Charlotte, his teams won three consecutive NCHSAA 4A state basketball titles in 1970, 1971, and 1972, losing only four games. After his senior year he prepped at the Sanford School in Hockessin, Delaware, and made the Delaware All-State team in the 1972–73 season. He went on to play college basketball with the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Davis spent the majority of his NBA career with the Phoenix Suns. He was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1978, was selected a six-time NBA All-Star, and earned All-NBA Second Team honors twice. His 15,666 points with the Suns rank second in franchise history. In 1994 the Suns retired his No. 6 jersey, and in 2004 he was enshrined in the team's Ring of Honor.

Davis died on November 2, 2023. In 2024 it was announced that he would be posthumously inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.