Two UNC basketball legends headline finalists for the Hall of Fame Class of 2024

On Friday, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame released the finalists for the Class of 2024.

The UNC basketball program is well-represented on the list, as two Tar Heel legends are one step closer to induction.

Both Vince Carter and Walter Davis are among the 14 finalists as we draw closer to the announcement of this year's class. The entire Class of 2024 will be unveiled during the NCAA Final Four in Phoenix, Arizona, on Saturday, April 6, in a nationally televised broadcast.

Carter, a Daytona Beach, Florida native, put together an outstanding 22-year career in the NBA that ranged over four different decades. Known as one of the best dunkers the sport has ever seen, the former Tar Heel was an eight-time All-Star and a two-time All-NBA selection.

With close to 26,000 career points to his name and a resume that not many can match, it's likely that Carter will soon hear his name called as a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Davis, who was the uncle of current North Carolina head coach Hubert Davis, played under legendary UNC Basketball coach Dean Smith from 1973-1977 while averaging 15.7 points per game. During his time as a Tar Heel, he earned second-team All-ACC honors in 1976 and first-team All-ACC honors in 1977.

Following being drafted in the first round with the fifth overall pick by Phoenix in 1977, he would go on to have a remarkable 15-year NBA career lasting through 1992, including being named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1978 and an NBA All-Star six times. His No. 6 jersey is retired by the Phoenix Suns.

How fitting would it be to hear both UNC basketball legends named to this respective Hall of Fame class, especially given that Davis played the majority of his NBA career in Phoenix. What would make it even better is if both are elected into the Class of 2024 along with the current UNC basketball squad still alive in hopes of bringing another national title to Chapel Hill.