Tar Heels legend Walter Davis used to play pickup games at the University of North Carolina to stay in shape during the offseason. Along with a couple of NBA vets, the All-Star shooting guard took on young Tar Heels players for practice, and one of them was Michael Jordan.
Decades later, Davis still had a vivid recollection of his first match-up with a young MJ, who was just an incoming freshman at UNC at the time. After witnessing Mike showcase his raw talent, Walt knew right then and there that Jordan had the potential to be a star.
Advertisement
“Michael stole the ball from someone, I tried to catch him, he dunked it,” Davis remembered on The Sports Shop with Reese and K-Mac in 2019. “He hadn’t even played his freshman year yet. I took the ball out [to inbound] and threw it into Phil [Ford] and running up the court, I said, ‘Phil, he might be pretty good!”
Walt used to be scared of Jordan
Since that pickup game, Davis had already anticipated Jordan’s rise to stardom. True to form, MJ gained national popularity after hitting the game-winning shot in the NCAA championship game against Georgetown in 1982.
Advertisement
Jordan then declared for the draft in 1984 and was selected by the Chicago Bulls as the third overall pick. In the pros, Walt got to play against Mike again. This time, “Greyhound” noticed that Jordan had gotten fiercer and more relentless than when they first matched up back at UNC.
In fact, Davis admitted that MJ was not only the toughest matchup of his career but also the scariest man he ever had to deal with on the court.
“Most difficult player? Scariest? It probably would be Michael Jordan,” Davis answered. “Because Michael had a gear nobody else had. And he pushed away friendship on the court. You know, he wants to win and he wants to embarrass you.”
Advertisement
Walt helped MJ develop his moves
Long before they played against each other, Davis was already Jordan’s No. 1 NBA idol. In fact, MJ admittedly patterned his game after “Greyhound.”
On the other hand, Davis was flattered and glad to have taken Jordan under his wing. Whenever he was at UNC, Walt would hone Mike’s game through competitive matches.
“It is humbling to hear him say that I was an influence on him growing up, that he was a fan of mine,” Davis once said of being admired by Jordan. “But that is one of the things about the game of basketball, the way it gets passed on from one group to the next and how each generation influences the next. I got tips from my brothers, their friends, so I tried to return the favor when I got back to Carolina. I showed Michael a couple of moves.”
Advertisement
Jordan’s admiration for Davis wasn’t just fleeting. Even when he was already the best player in the league, MJ would still hold Walt in high esteem. In fact, he even vouched for Davis and told the Bulls to trade Scottie Pippen for his idol. However, the deal did not push through.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Dec 7, 2025, where it first appeared in the College section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.