Walter Davis to be inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame

Earlier in the week, Vince Carter was announced as a member of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2024.

Well, now make it TWO UNC basketball legends who will be part of this year's class, as it was announced on Saturday morning that Walter Davis will be honored posthumously as well.

Carter and Davis will become the 13th and 14th individuals who played or coached for the UNC basketball program to be elected to the Naismith Hall of Fame, as only Kansas (20) has had more inductees. They are the seventh and eighth former Tar Heels primarily elected as players, which is the most by any college program, while they become the 9th and 10th players who played their college careers under the direction of the legendary Dean Smith.

Davis is regarded as one of the best shooters ever to wear the Carolina Blue. The uncle of current head coach Hubert Davis, Walter Davis was a two-time All-ACC honoree. During his senior season in 1977, he played a pivotal role in leading the Tar Heels to an ACC Tournament Title and a national championship game appearance. He scored 1,863 points, grabbed 670 rebounds, and recorded 409 assists as a member of the UNC basketball program.

It didn’t take long for Davis to cement his legacy as a UNC basketball player, as arguably the biggest moment of his career came during his freshman season.

With 17 seconds remaining, Davis and the Tar Heels found themselves trailing rival Duke by eight. Davis knocked down a 25-foot shot at the buzzer that capped the eight-point comeback, as North Carolina forced overtime and eventually won the game. To this day, 50 years later, it is still one of the biggest moments in UNC basketball history.

After his time at North Carolina came to a close, Davis went on to play 11 of his 15 professional seasons with the Phoenix Suns, who retired his jersey No. 6. He remains the Suns' all-time leading scorer with 15,666 points. He finished his career with 19,521 points, as he was a six-time All-Star as well as the NBA Rookie of the Year in 1978.

Davis put together a special career, as he's rightfully deserving of this prestigious honor. It will be a special day on August 17 in Springfield, Massachusetts, as two of the greatest UNC basketball players ever will take their place among the best to ever play the sport of basketball.