UNC legends Vince Carter, Walter Davis receive highest honor in basketball with Hall of Fame induction

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WNCN) – A pair of former North Carolina Tar Heels became immortalized into basketball history this weekend as new members of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Vince Carter and Walter Davis were among 13 inductees recognized on Sunday during an enshrinement ceremony at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts – considered the birthplace of basketball.

Carter and Davis mark the 13th and 14th Tar Heels to ever be honored at the Naismith Hall of Fame, along with Dean Smith, Roy Williams, Michael Jordan, James Worthy, Larry Brown, Frank McGuire, George Karl, Charlie Scott, Billy Cunningham, Bobby Jones, Bob McAdoo and Ben Carnavale. Only Kansas has more with 20 inductees.

They are the seventh and eighth former UNC standouts to be primarily elected as players – the most by any college program in the nation. Both are also the ninth and tenth inductees who played under Dean Smith. No other coach has more former players in the Hall of Fame.

Carter, who played three years for the Tar Heels, spent a record-breaking 22 seasons in the NBA, becoming an eight-time All-Star and two-time All-NBA selection. Among his other numerous accolades include winning Rookie of the Year and earning a gold medal at the 2000 Summer Olympics. He’s the only player in the history of basketball to play in the NBA across four different decades.

“I had a great support system. I had veterans and I was willing to ask questions,” Carter said Saturday at a news conference to discuss his induction Sunday into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “I was willing to ask questions because I wanted to learn.”

Widely known for his high-flying acrobatics as a dunker, Carter ended his professional career averaging 16.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists, while shooting 43.5% from the floor and 37.1% behind the three-point line.

“Vince is one of the most athletically gifted players we ever had at Carolina,” said Phil Ford, an assistant coach during Carter’s playing career at UNC. “He had length, size, could jump out of the gym and became a really good outside shooter, as well. When he came to UNC, he worked so hard on all parts of his game. He took coaching, and by the time he was a junior, he became our best defensive player and a complete player. He could have gone to any school in the country, but he chose to play for Coach Smith to become a complete player.”

During his time in Chapel Hill, he led the Tar Heels to a pair of Atlantic Coast Conference titles and Final Four appearances in 1997 and 1998. In his junior season, Carter racked up 15.6 points and 5.1 rebounds per game, which secured him a spot on the All-American team. Carter’s play resulted in him getting selected as the No. 5 pick in the 1998 NBA Draft.

The No. 15 jersey that Carter wore for UNC is now hanging in the rafters at the Dean E. Smith Center.

“He had that ‘awe’ effect,” said Ford. “There were times Ed (Cota) would throw a lob and I thought it was going to fly out of bounds, but Vince would go up and get it and lay it in or dunk it. So many times, I would just catch myself saying, ‘Wow, that was pretty impressive.'”

His dunks, whether in Slam Dunk contests, Olympics or just regular-season games, made Carter must-see TV early in his career. He relished remaining a productive player on many teams and many years later, when he was no longer quite the high flyer.

He thanked the fans who watched him for all the years, both the ones who cheered and the ones who booed.

“Man, it’s been an honor to fly in arenas for your entertainment,” Carter said.

Davis, the all-time leading scorer in Phoenix Suns’ history, put together an impressive career in his own right. He was a six-time NBA All-Star selection during his 15 years in the league. The Suns retired his No. 6 jersey in 1994.

Before the Suns chose Davis with the No. 5 pick in the 1977 NBA Draft, the Pineville native was considered one of the best shooters to ever suit up in the Carolina blue uniform.

In his four seasons, Davis recorded 1,863 points, 670 rebounds and 409 assists in his college career playing for head coach Dean Smith. He also spearheaded the Tar Heels to an ACC Tournament title and an NCAA championship game appearance during his senior year. Davis was also a member of the U.S. men’s basketball team that took home a gold medal at the 1976 Olympics.

“Walter’s one of the best friends I ever had,” said Ford, who shared a backcourt with Davis for three years at UNC. “I think about him and miss him every day. He loved Carolina and was one of the nicest guys you’d ever meet. When I got to UNC, he was a year ahead of me and took me under his wing. He was very underrated, both at Carolina and in the NBA. To play the three (small forward) at UNC, you have to be very skilled as a ballhandler, scorer, rebounder and defender. And he could do all those things. He’s one of the best three-men to ever play for the Tar Heels.”

“He and Coach (Bill) Guthridge worked on his shot every day after practice, to the point where he became one of the most consistent shooters and scorers in the NBA,” Ford added. “He was a confident shooter and one of the best NBA players shooting off screens. To be 6-foot-6 and that fast and be able to shoot like that, he was blessed to have a skill set most people just don’t have.”

“Walter going in the Naismith Hall of Fame means the world to me and to everyone who knew him and played with him,” he continued. “It’s long overdue but I am so happy he’s finally being recognized as a Hall of Famer.”

Davis, the uncle of current UNC men’s basketball coach Hubert Davis, died at the age of 69 in November 2023.

“My uncle Walter is the reason I started playing basketball and the reason I wanted to play here at North Carolina,” said Hubert Davis. “He’s the best player I’ve ever been around and seen, and I’m so happy he’s being recognized for what an unbelievable career he had. The only sad part is he’s not here anymore and passed away before he was inducted. This honor is well-deserved and I’m so happy for him. Uncle Walt was an even better person than he was a player, and if there was a Hall of Fame for people, he would be in that one too.”

Other members recognized as part of the 2024 induction class included the likes of Chauncey Billups, Michael Cooper, Dick Barnett, Seimone Augustus, Michele Timms, Bo Ryan, Charles Smith, Harley Redin, Jerry West, Doug Collins and Herb Simon.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report