Former UNC basketball standouts Walter Davis and Vince Carter were named finalists for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
As the NBA descends on Indianapolis for the annual All-Star Game and festivities this weekend, a few former players received some big news regarding the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame announced 14 finalists on Friday afternoon, players that have taken the next step in being part of the 2024 class. And among them were two former Tar Heels.
Both Vince Carter and the late Walter Davis were among the 14 finalists to take that next step. They were joined by North American committee finalists: Chauncey Billups, Michael Cooper, Bo Ryan, and Charles Smith. Women’s committee finalists: Seimone Augustus and Marian Washington. Veteran committee finalists: Dick Barnett and Harley Redin. International committee finalist: Michele Timms. And Contributors committee finalists: Doug Collins, Herb Simon, and Jerry West.
Carter spent four seasons at North Carolina before being drafted fifth overall in the 1998 NBA draft. He went on to make eight NBA All-Star games, was the 1998-99 Rookie of the Year and the winner of the 2000 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
He averaged 16.7 points per game (21.3 as a starter) in his career while being the only NBA player to ever play in four different decades.
For Davis, he was a standout at North Carolina, winning a gold medal with Team USA in 1976. He was the fifth overall pick by the Phoenix Suns and is the all-time leading scorer in Suns franchise history. He was a six-time NBA All-Star and won the 1978 Rookie of the Year.
The class will officially be announced on April 6 in Phoenix during the Final Four.
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Carter was one of two Tar Heels to be named a finalist, joining the late [autotag]Walter Davis[/autotag]. After the announcement rang out, so did the social media reactions, with hoop fans pouring in love.
Half-Man Half Amazing is known for his highlight dunks, redefining what Gravity had as one of the more memorable NBA careers. Carter even holds the NBA record for having the longest career, playing for 22 seasons.
In those 22 seasons, Carter appeared in 1,541 games, finishing with 25728 points (23rd all-time) and 2290 three-point field goals (9th all-time). Carter was an 8x All-Star, 2x All-NBA, and 1999 Rookie of the Year.
His remarkable career was never in doubt, retiring with a 94% chance of making the Hall of Fame. It’s always nice to see players receive their flowers, let’s take a look at how social media reacted to Carter being named a finalist for the 2024 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
Davis and Penny Hardaway were late additions, both first-time candidates. Davis joins Vince Carter as a Tar Heel candidate for the 2024 class.
Davis played at UNC from 1973 to 1977 and was an absolute bucket for the late Dean Smith. In those four years, Davis finished with 1,863 points and 670 rebounds. Davis’s 15.7 points, 5.6 rebounds per game average, landed him in the 1977 NBA draft, where he was selected 5th overall by the Phoenix Suns.
He would go on to have a lengthy NBA career, winning Rookie of the Year, six NBA All-Star selections, and All-NBA teams. Davis averaged 18.9 points, 3.8 assists, and 3.0 rebounds for his playing career.
Davis’s family ties with UNC run deep, being the uncle of current head coach / former player Hubert Davis. It would be a special moment for the Davis family if he is picked for the 2024 class.
The finalist for this honor will be announced during NBA All-Star weekend on Friday, February 16.
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We take a look at some of the best photos from UNC Basketball legend Walter Davis career.
The University of North Carolina announced the unfortunate passing of former guard Walter Davis on Thursday at age 69. Davis spent four seasons at North Carolina before going on to star with the Phoenix Suns.
He was a six-time NBA all-star with the Suns, the NBA rookie of the year and has his number retired by the franchise.
Davis is considered one of the best shooters of all time for the Tar Heels’ program and hit an iconic game-winning shot to beat Duke. He’s also the uncle of UNC head coach Hubert Davis.
We are heartbroken by the passing of Suns legend Walter Davis, the franchise’s all-time leading scorer and a member of our Ring of Honor. ‘Sweet D’ was one of the game’s best, a prolific scorer whose smooth playing style and ‘velvet touch’ endeared him to generations of our fans. He will forever be a member of our Phoenix Suns family and community. Our thoughts remain with his family and friends during this difficult time.
Phil Ford was among others who also released a statement to honor the legend.
Let’s take a look at some of the best photos from Davis’ career to honor his legacy.
UNC basketball legend Walter Davis has passed away at age 69 while visiting family.
The University of North Carolina released some sad news on Thursday as legendary basketball player Walter Davis passed away at the age of 69.
Davis is considered one of the best players in Tar Heels’ history earning two-time All-ACC honors in 1976 and 1977. Playing under Dean Smith, Davis scored 1,863 points, had 670 rebounds, and dished out 409 assists in his four seasons.
Following his career with the Tar Heels, Davis went on to win Rookie of the Year in the NBA with the Phoenix Suns and was a five-time All-Star. Davis was also a member of the United States gold-medal-winning team in 1976 while still in college.
Heartbreaking news from @UNC_Basketball, as all time great Walter Davis has passed away at the age of 69.
Made a signature shot in UNC history to tie the 8 points in 17 seconds comeback in 1974.
Thoughts to the Davis family, which of course includes Walter’s nephew, Hubert.
Davis is the uncle of current North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis.
The guard had one of the most memorable moments in the UNC-Duke rivalry, hitting a 25-foot game-winner against Duke in 1974 to complete a 17-point comeback.
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Five members of the 12-person induction class on Saturday night had connections to LSU.
It was a special night for LSU in Natchitoches, Louisiana, on Saturday.
In total, five LSU Tigers were inducted as part of the 2023 class into the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame. There was also a lot of non-LSU star power present as Eli Manning, Alana Beard, Ron Washington and Matt Forte were all also inducted.
The Tigers occupied nearly half of the 12-person induction class as the Louisana Sports Hall of Fame now sits at a membership of 480 men and women.
Here’s a rundown of each of the five people with LSU connections who were inducted into the HOF on Saturday night.
Five former LSU players/coaches were recently named as 2023 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Inductees.
[autotag]Paul Byrd[/autotag], [autotag]Walter Davis[/autotag], [autotag]Wendell Davis[/autotag], [autotag]Paul Mainieri[/autotag] and [autotag]M.L. Woodruff[/autotag] are all going to be rightfully inducted into the Hall.
The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame already includes 25 Pro Football Hall of Fame members, 18 Olympic medalists — including 11 gold medal winners — 12 members of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, seven of the NBA’s 50 Greatest Players, seven National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees, 42 College Football Hall of Fame members and nine National High School Hall of Fame enshrinees.
It also features jockeys with a combined 16 Triple Crown victories, six world boxing champions, nine Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinees, seven College Baseball Hall of Fame inductees, 10 College Basketball Hall of Fame members, four NBA Finals MVPs, four winners of major professional golf championships, five National Museum of (Thoroughbred) Racing and Hall of Fame inductees and two Super Bowl MVPs, per LSU.
Here’s a rundown of LSU’s additions and why each was chosen, according to the press release from the Tigers.
While we had to wait a bit for him to make his debut, New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson has already taken the league the storm.
While we had to wait a bit for him to make his debut, New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson has already taken the league by storm.
He is currently averaging 23.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game while shooting 57.3 percent from the field for the Pelicans. The only rookie who had ever put up 23 points and 7 rebounds per game while shooting 55 percent or better from the field, per Action Network, was Shaquille O’Neal.
When adjusting per second on the court, after the game against the Lakers, Williamson is now averaging 29.5 points per 36 minutes. For comparison, though a smaller sample size, Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic put up 23.7 points per 36 during his first NBA season last year.
In fact, while he has only played 13 games during the regular season for the Pelicans, that mark currently ranks as the best among any NBA rookie of all-time. To put his season into perspective, we’ve included some of the other top-scoring campaigns (per 36 minutes) in league history.
All statistics are pulled from Basketball-Reference and are accurate as of February 25, 2020.
WILT CHAMBERLAIN (1959-60): 29.2 points
(Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images)
The big man led the NBA in scoring each year for seven consecutive seasons… including his rookie year. Chamberlain was also an 11-time rebounding champion during his professional career.
JOEL EMBIID (2016-17): 28.7 points
(Photo by Brian Babineau /NBAE via Getty Images)
Embiid, who was drafted No. 3 overall in 2014, was not able to play during his first two professional seasons due to a myriad of injury concerns. While the big man only averaged 25.4 minutes over 31 games during his first active campaign, he still managed to make the All-Rookie team.
WALTER DAVIS (1977-78): 27.2 points
(Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
North Carolina star wing Walter Davis, who was selected No. 5 overall by the Phoenix Suns, was named the Rookie of the Year in 1978. He played a decade for the franchise and was named to six All-Star teams during his time with the team.
WALT BELLAMY (1961-62): 26.9 points
(Photo by NBA Photos Library/NBAE via Getty Images)
The big man was the starting center for the United States basketball team in the 1960 Olympics. The team went on to win gold and he was then picked No. 1 overall by the Chicago Packers. He was also named Rookie of the Year in 1962.
MICHAEL JORDAN (1984-85): 26.5 points
(Photo by Rick Stewart/Getty Images)
There are a million things to say about Michael Jordan but one of the first things worth mentioning is how dominant he was out of the gate. He put up 28.2 points per game, shooting 51.5 percent from the field. Jordan became the leading scorer in the NBA by his third season and was a 10-time scoring champion.
OSCAR ROBERTSON (1960-61): 25.7 points
(Photo by The Stevenson Collection/NBAE via Getty Images)
MVP and NBA champion Oscar Robertson was the first pick in the draft and then named Rookie of the Year for the Cincinnati Royals. He ranks Top 10 in career points per game, averaging 25.7 points over the course of his 14 seasons.
RICKY BARRY (1965-66): 24.8 points
(Photo by Dick Raphael/NBAE via Getty Images)
Rick Barry, who was the second pick in the 1965 draft for the San Francisco Warriors, was named Rookie of the Year. Then by the following year, he was the league’s leading scorer.
KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR (1969-70): 24.1 points
(Photo by NBA Photos/NBAE via Getty Images)
The big man, then Lew Alcindor, was the No. 1 overall pick and then won Rookie of the Year for the Milwaukee Bucks. The superstar led the league in scoring during his second and third professional seasons.
GEOFF PETRIE (1970-71): 24.1 points
(Photo by NBA Photo Library/NBAE via Getty Images)
Combo guard Geoff Petrie, who was selected at No. 8 overall by the Portland Trail Blazers, was named co-Rookie of the Year with Dave Cowens in 1971. It was one of just three times in league history that players shared the award.
DAVID ROBINSON (1989-90): 23.9 points
(Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
Two-time NBA champion and former MVP David Robinson is one of just five players (Ralph Sampson, Blake Griffin, Damian Lillard and Karl-Anthony Towns) to ever win NBA Rookie of the Year with a unanimous decision.
EARL MONROE (1967-68): 23.8 points
(Photo by Ken Regan/NBAE via Getty Images)
The longtime point guard was picked second overall by the Baltimore Bullets in 1967. He was a remarkable scorer even in the beginning, scoring 56 points against the Los Angeles Lakers. It was one of six games he put up at least 40 points during his first professional season, eventually winning Rookie of the Year.
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