Rejecting Michael Jordan?s Enticing Offer to Being Idolized ? Who Was Walter Davis to MJ?

NBA legend Davis Walter, who was a six-time All-Star during his 15-year NBA career, has passed away at the age of 69. His nephew, Hubert Davis, the head coach of the University of North Carolina, confirmed that he died of natural causes. It was later revealed that he was with his family in Charlotte when he passed away.

Davis has a deep connection with Charlotte. He went to college at UNC and was a standout player for the Tar Heels. That is where he met his wife, Cheryl, who was a cheerleader for the Tar Heels. The two had been married for 40 years.

Davis was the best player on the Tar Heels and even led the team to the 1977 NCAA championship game, where they eventually lost to Marquette. His game influenced one of the greatest players ever, Michael Jordan, to come and play for UNC.

The best player, according to rookie Michael Jordan

Michael Jordan put the league on notice in just his first season. He averaged 28.2 ppg as a rookie. Everywhere he went, Jordan was seen as the one to take down. Jordan lived up to all the expectations his agency and brand had for him.

During an interview in 1984, Michael Jordan was asked who he thought was the best player that he had gone up against. His answer was Walter Davis.

Walter Davis had been in the league for 8 seasons until then and was consistently averaging close to 20 ppg. Jordan revealed during the interview that out of every player that he played against in the summer, Davis was the best one.

MJ was a fan of Davis and his game so much that he once went off against his GM for not trading for Davis.

Davis rejected Michael Jordan

Back in 1988, Walter Davis was a free agent. Jordan had been in the NBA for four years but was never able to reach his ultimate goal of winning a championship. Although Davis was in the twilight of his career, Jordan knew that he would be a great addition to the team.

Davis averaged 17.9 points off the bench. According to the Chicago Tribune, Jordan really wanted Davis on the Chicago Bulls, so he kept calling him personally to make him come to Chicago. But Walter Davis decided to go to the Denver Nuggets instead.

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Davis was 8 years older than Jordan and was also an alum of North Carolina, just like Jordan. Even though he was idolized by Jordan, Walter rejected the offer of the great Michael Jordan.

Jordan idolized Walter Davis

Michael Jordan has confirmed that watching Walter Davis’s matches at UNC was one of the main reasons for him to join the team. He did what Davis was not able to accomplish and won an NCAA championship with UNC in 1982.

According to the Mirror, Jordan once beat Davis in a UNC summer match before Jordan was drafted by the Bulls. This is one of the reasons why he picked Davis as the best player, even though Davis only scored 14 points when he went up against rookie Michael Jordan on the Bulls in the NBA.

Jordan and Davis would always talk to each other after their games in the NBA and were always seen taking pictures together. Although the two seemed to have a great relationship, with Jordan showing a lot of respect to his UNC alum, Davis did not return the favor to Jordan.

Walter Davis, the Phoenix Suns legend

Davis played his first 11 seasons with the Phoenix Suns. He was drafted by the Suns with the fifth pick in the 1977 NBA draft. He was loved by the organization and played there until his contract expired in 1988.

During his time with the Suns, he averaged 20.5 ppg. He won the Rookie of the Year award in 1988, which was statistically the best season in his career. Davis then went on to become an All-Star six times during his time with the Suns. He is the all-time leading scorer for the Phoenix Suns.

In 1988, he left the team as an unrestricted free agent and signed with the Denver Nuggets. The Suns retired his jersey number ‘6’ in 1994.

Davis was loved by everyone

Following his retirement from basketball in 1992, Davis moved back to Charlotte with his wife. Davis grew up in North Carolina and was inducted into the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.

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He was a part of the Phoenix Suns Ring of Honor. The Phoenix Suns posted this on Twitter: “‘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.“

Long-time friend and fellow UNC legend Phil Ford revealed that he and Davis had been friends for five decades now. They both were the best man at each other’s weddings and shared a close relationship. Ford said, “He loved me, and I loved him. He was a great, great, great guy that happened to be a great basketball player“.