Are Hubert Davis and Walter Davis related? Exploring links between the 2 UNC greats

Hubert Davis is having the season of his life as UNC Tar Heels men’s basketball coach. He led the Tar Heels to the ACC regular-season championship, but his team fell to rivals, NC State, in the final of the ACC tournament.

Named the ACC Coach of the Year, the former NBA star has secured a Sweet Sixteen matchup with Alabama. In light of his unfolding legacy at UNC, we explore the relationship between him and another UNC legend, Walter Davis.

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Are Hubert Davis and Walter Davis related?

Hubert Davis and Walter Davis are related. Hubert is the nephew of Walter, who played for the North Carolina Tar Heels from 1973 to 1977.

He earned the nickname “Sweet D” while playing for the Tar Heels, reflecting the way he plays in a smooth, seemingly effortless style. He was into the 1977 First-Team All-ACC, his last season with the Tar Heels.

Walter was part of the US basketball national team that won the Olympic Gold in Montreal in 1976. He was drafted in the 1977 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns with the fifth overall pick. He settled seamlessly into the NBA and ended his rookie season with a 24.2-point average in 81 games.

He was awarded the NBA Rookie of the Year and named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. Moroever, he was named to the All-NBA Second Team and was an NBA All-Star.

He has been named an NBA All-Star a total of six times in his career. Recognizing Walter’s impact on the team’s history, the Phoenix Suns retired his No. 6 jersey.

Eleven years after Walter left Chapel Hill, his nephew Hubert enrolled at UNC and carried on his enduring legacy as a Tar Heels hoops star.

Hubert helped the Tar Heels to their first Final Four finish since 1982 during his junior season. He also averaged 21.4 points per game in his senior season, leaving UNC after setting the school record for the career three-point percentage.

Hubert followed his uncle’s footsteps into the NBA, becoming the 20th overall pick of the 1992 draft by the New York Knicks. His NBA career saw him play for the Toronto Raptors, Dallas Mavericks, Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons. He had a stint as a broadcaster for ESPN following his retirement from the league.

Hubert lost his uncle Walter on Nov. 2, 2023, who breathed his last at the age of 69.

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