Vince Carter, Walter Davis among 14 finalists for Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame
Posted February 17, 2024 6:02 a.m. EST
North Carolina legends Vince Carter and the late Walter Davis are among 14 finalists for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, the hall announced Friday.
The finalists will then be put forward to the Honors Committee for consideration as members of the class of 2024. The new class is set to be announced on April 6 in Phoenix at the NCAA Men’s Final Four.
Other finalists include:
North American committee finalists
- Chauncey Billups
- Michael Cooper
- Bo Ryan
- Charles Smith
Women’s committee finalists
- Seimone Augustus
- Marian Washington
Veteran committee finalists
- Dick Barnett
- Harley Redin
International committee finalist
- Michele Timms
Contributors committee finalists
- Doug Collins
- Herb Simon
- Jerry West
Enshrinement weekend will begin on Aug. 16 at the Mohegan Sun with the tip-off celebration and awards gala. The enshrinement ceremony is set for Aug. 17 at Symphony Hall in Springfield, Massachusetts.
Remembering the late Walter Davis
Davis died on Nov. 2, 2023, of natural causes. The Pineville native was 69.
In 1974 as a freshman, Davis made one of the most famous shots in UNC history, a 25-foot shot as the buzzer against Duke to cap an eight-point comeback in the final 17 seconds of regulation and force overtime. UNC won in overtime.
Davis was a two-time All-ACC selection, including in 1977 when he led the Tar Heels to an ACC Tournament title and the NCAA Tournament title game. Davis is a member of the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.
In the NBA, Davis was the 1978 NBA Rookie of the Year with Phoenix, earned six All-Star appearances and had his No. 6 retired by the franchise.
Davis was also an Olympic gold medalist in 1976.
Remembering, ‘Vinsanity’
Carter was an eight-time NBA All-Star, 2000 Slam Dunk champion, 1999 Rookie of the Year and Olympic gold medalist in 2000 who retired in 2020. In 22 NBA seasons, Carter scored 25,728 points (16.7 points per game).
“Vinsanity” was known as one of the most prolific dunkers to ever play basketball. Among his most well-known dunks came when he jumped over 7’2” Frederic Weis at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Carter finished his career third in NBA history in games with 1,541 (behind Robert Parish and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar) and sixth in three-pointers (2,290).
As a college player for the Tar Heels, Carter was a first-team All-America selection in 1997-98. He helped lead Carolina to ACC championships and Final Four appearances in 1997 and 1998.