Before Devin Booker, before Steve Nash, before Kevin Johnson and Charles Barkley, there was Walter Davis. The Phoenix Suns have seen a litany of amazing players come through the organization, but only one sits atop the all-time scoring list. Playing 11 seasons in the Valley of the Sun, Walter Davis is that man.

The Greyhound, who possessed a jumper so beautiful that he was Michael Jordan’s favorite player as a youth, scored 15,666 points with the Suns. The UNC alum was a six-time All-Star, a Rookie of the Year, and selected to two All-NBA teams. What he meant to the Phoenix Suns was unquantifiable, as he ushered in the post-1976 NBA Finals Era Suns into sustained relevance.

And now he is headed into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

He is joining a quality class that includes Chauncey Billups, Vince Carter, Seimone Augustus, Bo Ryan, Michael Cooper, Charles Smith, Dick Barnett, Harley Redin, Michele Timms, Jerry West, and Herb Simon.

Walter Davis, at age 69, passed away this past November of natural causes. He did so following his number being honored as a part of the Suns’ unveiling of their new Riong of Honor during the team’s home opener.

Walter Davis joins Charles Barkley, Gail Goodrich, Connie Hawkins, Grant Hill, Dennis Johnson, Gus Johnson, Jason Kidd, Steve Nash, Shaquille O’Neal, Charlie Scott, and Paul Westphal as players who have donned the purple and orange who reside in the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Jerry Colangelo, Cotton Fitzsimmons, and Rick Welts, all who had ties to the Suns organization, are also in the Hall for their role in the game of basketball.

The Class of 2024 will be enshired during events on August 16 and 17 in Springfield, Massachusetts. Walter Davis will be there in spirit, looking down upon the ceremony as they celebrate the Man with the Velvet Touch and show highlights of the sweetest jump shot this league has ever seen.