PHOENIX — Legendary Phoenix Suns player Walter Pearl Davis has passed away at age 69, the University of North Carolina announced on Thursday.
Davis reportedly died of natural causes while visiting family in Charlotte, North Carolina.
As a former player for the university, Davis spent most of his incredible 15-year career in the NBA with the Phoenix Suns. He was a six-time NBA All-Star, a two-time All-NBA Second Team member, and the 1978 NBA Rookie of the Year.
He was a member of the Olympic gold medal-winning U.S. team in the 1976 Montreal Games.
Davis played with the Phoenix Suns from 1977 to 1988 when he signed with the Denver Nuggets. Although his later years with the Suns were plagued by controversy and recurring back problems, he was enshrined in the team's Ring of Honor in 2004. The team retired his number 6 jersey in 1994.
Davis averaged 18.9 points, 3.8 assists, and 3.0 rebounds across 1,033 career games with the Suns, Denver Nuggets, and Portland Trail Blazers.
The Suns also took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to share their condolences after Davis' passing.
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