Walter Davis

American basketball player who won Olympic gold in 1976 and was a standout guard at University of North Carolina before a successful NBA career.

Walter Davis was born in Pineville, North Carolina in 1954. He attended the University of North Carolina under coach Dean Smith and won an Olympic gold medal with the USA at Montreal 1976 before his senior season. He was the ACC Player of the Year and a consensus All-American in 1977. He led North Carolina to the national championship game in 1977, losing to Marquette. He averaged 15.7 points per game across four seasons in Chapel Hill. His shooting stroke — one of the most fluid in college basketball — was developed across four years in Dean Smith's system. Phoenix Suns selected him fifth overall in the 1977 NBA Draft. His professional career produced six All-Star appearances and scoring averages consistently in the 20-point range. His UNC career was the foundation of a professional career that established him as one of the finest scorers of the late 1970s and early 1980s. He overcame cocaine addiction publicly in the mid-1980s, returning to productive basketball and later speaking about his recovery. His Olympic gold and his North Carolina career place him in the top tier of Tar Heel basketball history.

Davis was known for his smooth shooting stroke and exceptional scoring ability from anywhere on the court. He possessed excellent footwork and could create his own shot off the dribble or catch and shoot from long range. His calm demeanor and clutch performances in pressure situations made him a reliable go-to scorer for the Tar Heels.

Davis helped establish North Carolina as a consistent national championship contender and was instrumental in building the program's reputation for developing elite guards under Dean Smith.

• National Championship finalist (1977)
• All-American
• Olympic Gold Medal (1976)
• ACC Player of Year