Another former Nugget elected to Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame

The men’s Final Four games were played on Saturday and along with it came the official announcement of the 2024 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame class. Some of the names had already leaked out, and we knew that Colorado and Nuggets legend Chauncey Billups was among the inductees.

But it turns out, he won’t be the only former Nuggets player to be inducted, as the late Walter Davis has also been elected for the prestigious honor posthumously.

The legend of Walter Davis

Davis had a 15-year NBA career, playing on the wing as a shooting guard and small forward. He was drafted with the fifth overall pick in the 1977 NBA draft by the Phoenix Suns, where he would play until 1988.

Davis was named an All-Star on six occasions, made two All-NBA teams, won the NBA’s Rookie of the Year Award in 1978, and eventually had his number 6 jersey retired by the Suns. When his contract expired with the Suns in 1988, Davis came to Denver via free agency.

Davis' Nuggets career

He played two seasons with the Nuggets before being traded to Portland, only to later re-sign and end his playing career back in Denver. In total, Davis played roughly three and a half seasons with the team, a total of 235 games where he mostly came off the bench.

But even in his later days and coming off the bench Davis was an impact player for the Nuggets. Over those four seasons, he averaged 15.6 points per game for Denver playing just over 22 minutes a night.

He helped the Nuggets reach the playoffs back-to-back seasons in 1989 and 1990, although the team was swept out of the first round both times. Still, it was a successful tenure for a player in the twilight of his career.

Davis’ fondest NBA memories and most of his accolades certainly came in Phoenix with the Suns, but his time with the Nuggets shouldn’t be forgotten and he had a lot more left in the tank than many assumed.

So congratulations to Watler on a great career and for this well-deserved recognition. No matter the context, it’s always great to see Nuggets legends being recognized, and there’s no greater recognition than induction into the Hall of Fame.