If the initial break with the franchise felt jagged, Sweet D and the Suns smoothed it over. He faced demons in his personal life but fought hard to shake addiction there, too.ĭavis masked those bumps each time he stepped on the court, making the crowd go wide-eyed at that silken shot. He had faced elbow, knee and back injuries throughout his time in Phoenix. He moved from small forward to shooting guard and back again. In many ways, he made a habit out of bouncing back. Davis became a free agent and signed with the Denver Nuggets.ĭavis was known as "Greyhound" for his appearance, but also for the way he bounded up and down the court. With his contract up, the Suns were not particularly aggressive about re-signing him. The team had been shell-shocked and would garner just 28 wins. His output had dipped he was averaging just 17.9 points per game. But there was no statute of limitations on the fallout. A year later, Davis would play his last game with the franchise. He avoided jail, and his teammates avoided trial. If I'd known I was going to do that, I'd have probably gone to jail instead." "The last thing I wanted to do was get my teammates and friends indicted. I had to answer their questions," he told Sports Illustrated's Armen Keteyian in 1987. It begot a different nickname, one that Davis would probably like to smooth over: Waltergate. In 1987, Davis ended up testifying against teammates in exchange for immunity. The team as a whole found itself in the middle of a drug scandal that rocked the league. As he tried to steer his personal life back on track, his game was affected. In the 1980s, Davis was dealing with cocaine addiction, entering rehab twice. But life is messy, and Davis’ relationship with the Suns got rocky. "Sweet D" was a testament to his lock-down defense, but also his glossy movements that carried him across the court.Īll of his nicknames went back to that same smooth nature. Smith also coached Davis on the 1976 Olympic men's basketball team, which captured gold in Montreal. The Sweet D moniker started during his Chapel Hill days, where he played under coaching legend Dean Smith. In total, he received All-Star nods six times, all while playing in the Valley of the Sun. He was named an All-Star in each of his first four seasons, helping Phoenix return to the playoffs each of the next eight years. "Walter was one of the great shooters in NBA history." The Splash Brothers (Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, too.). "I don't remember a sweeter shot," former teammate and fellow Suns Ring of Honor member Alvan Adams told NBA.com. "Ray Allen's got a great shot. In his time in Phoenix, he averaged 20.5 points per contest while using hovering around 30 minutes a game. He also had a career shooting percentage of 51.1, despite attacking from the perimeter.Īt one point, Davis held the record for most total points scored without a miss, 34. After all, you don’t have the masses herald your velvet touch without a silky smooth jumper.Īt 6-feet-6 but a lean 193 pounds, his style of play was defined by his effortless elegance. It wasn’t just that the shots fell it was how pretty they looked along the way. Davis averaged 20 points or more six times in his 15-year career. He would never top those 24.2 points per game, but he came close. He did all this in front of record crowds the Suns averaged 11,464 fans at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.įor that, he was named the Rookie of the Year. Playing alongside Paul Westphal and Don Buse, Davis helped lead the team to 49 wins, 15 more than the previous season. I got out there at small forward and ran," Davis told ESPN in 2003.Īnd run he did. "They played exactly the same way that we did at North Carolina - fast-breaking, team basketball. He averaged 24.2 points in his rookie campaign, playing in every game but one. If the adjustment was tough, Davis certainly didn’t show it. A North Carolinian born and raised, Davis would then spend the next 11 years of his life in the desert. Davis was the fifth overall pick in the 1977 draft, with the Suns plucking him from the University of North Carolina. The points started falling fast and they started falling early. He’s the Suns’ all-time leading scorer, netting 15,666 points while suited up in purple and orange. His relationship with Phoenix was fractured at times, but his accolades are clear. Walter Davis was all of those things and much, much more. Let’s start with some of the nicknames because there were plenty. View Gallery: Phoenix Suns NBA All-Stars through the years
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