By R.L. Bynum
Two North Carolina legends are in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2024.
Vince Carter and the late Walter Davis are part of the class that was announced on Saturday in Glendale, Ariz. The induction ceremony is on Aug. 17.
Joining them in the class are Chauncey Billups, Michael Cooper, Seimone Augustus, Jerry West, Herb Simon, Doug Collins, Bo Ryan, Charles Smith, Dick Barnett, Harley Redin and Michele Timms.
Their induction will give Carolina 14 players or coaches in the Hall of Fame. They will be the first Tar Heels inducted since George Karl was inducted as a coach in 2022.
Carolina’s 14 Naismith Hall of Famers are Carter, Davis, Ben Carnevale (elected in 1970), Frank McGuire (1977), Smith (1983), Billy Cunningham (1986), Bob McAdoo (2000), Larry Brown (2002), James Worthy (2003), Roy Williams (2007), Michael Jordan (2009), Charlie Scott (2018), Bobby Jones (2019) and Karl (2022).
“You play 22 years, there are a lot of moments that have happened that have been influential and close to my heart,” Carter said in an interview with ESPN.
Carter and Davis played for Hall of Fame coach Dean Smith, were Olympic gold medalists (Davis in 1976, Carter in 2000), NBA Rookies of the Year (Davis in 1978, Carter in 1999), combined for 14 NBA All-Star teams (eight for Carter, six for Davis) and four All-NBA selections (two apiece).
“When I got the call, I had to go outside just to make sure I got some fresh air just in case I needed some,” Carter said. “It’s just the journey in general. You play 22 years, [there are] a lot of moments that have happened that have been very influential and close to my heart.”
Carter led Carolina to two Final Fours, averaging 12.3 points and 4.5 rebounds in his three seasons from 1995 to 1998. As a junior, he averaged 15.6 points, 5.1 rebounds and nearly a block a game. He made the All-ACC first team twice and consensus All-America once.
“It’s just going through the process all these years,” Carter said. “You start from high school, and you have that dream of making it to the NBA. When you get to the NBA, you have the dream of winning the dunk contest or being in the dunk contest and playing as long as possible. And then after that, once you retire, you start to hear Hall of Fame, Hall of Fame. For me personally, I’m not sure, but it would be great to be considered. Not only was I considered, I got the opportunity to actually step through those doors.”
“Vince is one of the most athletically gifted players we ever had at Carolina,” says Phil Ford, an assistant coach on Smith’s staff during Carter’s playing career. “He had length, size, could jump out of the gym and became a really good outside shooter, as well.”
In the NBA, Carter scored 25,728 points, averaging 16.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.1 assists, and shooting 43.5% from the field and 37.1% on 3-pointers in 22 NBA seasons. He posted a career-high 27.6 points per game in 2000-01 and played an important role in reshaping and improving basketball in Canada during his six-plus seasons with Toronto.
“When he came to UNC, he worked so hard on all parts of his game,” Ford said. “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. He had that ‘awe’ effect. 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.’”
Davis, who passed away last year, authored the legendary 35-foot bank shot to cap UNC’s rally from eight points down in 17 seconds in the 1974 home overtime victory over Duke. In four seasons, he averaged 15.7 points, 5.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, made the All-ACC first team twice and the ACC all-tournament team three times.
“My uncle Walter is the reason I started playing basketball and the reason I wanted to play here at North Carolina,” UNC coach Hubert Davis said. “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.”
In his 15-season NBA career, spent mostly with the Phoenix Suns, Davis averaged 18.9 points. In his rookie season, he put up a career-high 24.2 points per game and finished fifth in MVP voting.
“Walter’s one of the best friends I ever had,” says Ford, a legendary Carolina point guard, former UNC teammate of Davis and College Basketball Hall of Famer. “I think about him and miss him every day.
“He loved Carolina and was one of the nicest guys you’d ever meet,” Ford said. “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. He was a confident shooter and one of the best NBA players shooting off screens. To be 6-6 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. It’s long overdue, but I am so happy he’s finally being recognized as a Hall of Famer.”
Tar Heels in Hall of Fame
Ben Carnevale: Coach, 1970
Frank McGuire: Coach, 1977
Dean Smith: Coach, 1983
Billy Cunningham: Player, 1986
Bob McAdoo: Player, 2000
Larry Brown: Coach, 2002
James Worthy: Player, 2003
Roy Williams: Coach, 2007
Michael Jordan: Player, 2009
Charlie Scott: Player, 2018
Bobby Jones: Player, 2019
George Karl: Coach, 2022
Vince Carter: Player, 2024
Walter Davis: Player, 2024
Photo via @HoopHall
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