Phoenix Suns all-time leading scorer Walter Davis will be enshrined into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a member of the 2024 class.
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The 6x NBA All-Star.
The 1978 Rookie of the Year.
The Man with the Velvet Touch.Walter Davis will be enshrined in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame as a #24HoopClass inductee! pic.twitter.com/Wt52eHWCf9
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) April 6, 2024
Davis joins Vince Carter, Chauncey Billups, Michael Cooper, Seimone Augustus, Jerry West, Herb Simon, Doug Collins, Bo Ryan, Walter Davis, Charles Smith, Dick Barnett, Harley Redin and Michele Timms among the inductees into the Basketball Hall of Fame in August, as announced ahead of the Final Four this morning.
Remembering Davis’ career
Davis, who passed away at age 69 due to natural causes on Nov. 2, 2023, was the fifth overall pick of the Phoenix Suns in the 1977 NBA Draft. In his very first game against the Golden State Warriors, Davis scored 20 points, grabbed six rebounds, and had five steals. The former North Carolina Tar Heel shot 10-for-19 from the floor that night.
Davis built off of this to have one of the best rookie seasons of all-time. He averaged 24.2 points, six rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game while shooting 52% from the floor. This culminated into a Rookie of the Year award.
He would go on to play for the Phoenix Suns for 11 seasons averaging 20.5 points per game and shooting 52% from the floor. Davis’ silky smooth jump shot led to him being called, “The Man with the Velvet Touch”.
I put together Walter Davis scoring highlights from three different games.
Super efficient 6'6" SG/SF, with a deadly yet smooth offensive game. A great tough shot maker, who was also incredibly creative. His jump shot is one of my favorites in basketball history.
Career 77-92 pic.twitter.com/FW353Gs8C9
— Dee4Three (@Dee4Three84) August 2, 2020
In his 11 seasons with Phoenix, Davis would be selected to six All-Star teams and two All-NBA teams. He was a major part of some of the best teams in Suns’ history. The 1978-79 team made to the Western Conference fFnals and lost to the eventual NBA champion Seattle SuperSonics in seven games. The 1983-84 Suns also made it to the Western Conference finals and lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in six games.
Davis was extremely consistent during his career which led to him scoring 15,666 points while in a Suns’ uniform. He is still the all-time leader in points scored for the Phoenix Suns. After leaving the Suns, Davis would go to play for Denver Nuggets and Portland Trailblazers before retiring after 1991-92 season.
After his playing career Davis was a broadcaster for the Denver Nuggets and a scout for the Washington Wizards. In 1994 the Phoenix Suns retired his jersey and now Davis’ number hangs in the new Suns Ring of Honor at the Footprint Center.
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Brendan Mau is a senior writer covering the Phoenix Suns and more for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on X via @Brendan_Mau
