Moses Malone facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Moses Malone

Malone in 2005
Personal information
Born	(1955-03-23)March 23, 1955 Petersburg, Virginia, U.S.
Died	September 13, 2015(2015-09-13) (aged 60) Norfolk, Virginia, U.S.
High school	Petersburg (Petersburg, Virginia)
Listed height	6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
Listed weight	260 lb (118 kg)
Career information
NBA Draft	1974 / Round: 3
Selected by the Utah Stars
Pro career	1974–1995
Coaching career	2006–2009
Career history
As player:
1974–1975	Utah Stars
1975–1976	Spirits of St. Louis
1976	Buffalo Braves
1976–1982	Houston Rockets
1982–1986	Philadelphia 76ers
1986–1988	Washington Bullets
1988–1991	Atlanta Hawks
1991–1993	Milwaukee Bucks
1993–1994	Philadelphia 76ers
1994–1995	San Antonio Spurs
As coach:
2006–2009	Philadelphia 76ers (assistant)
Career highlights and awards
NBA champion (1983) NBA Finals MVP (1983) 3× NBA Most Valuable Player (1979, 1982, 1983) 12× NBA All-Star (1978–1989) ABA All-Star (1975) 4× All-NBA First Team (1979, 1982, 1983, 1985) 4× All-NBA Second Team (1980, 1981, 1984, 1987) NBA All-Defensive First Team (1983) NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1979) ABA All-Rookie Team (1975) 6× NBA rebounding leader (1979, 1981–1985) NBA anniversary team (50th, 75th) ABA All-Time Team No. 2 retired by Philadelphia 76ers No. 24 retired by Houston Rockets National high school player of the year (1974) First-team Parade All-American (1974) Fourth-team Parade All-American (1973)
Career ABA and NBA statistics
Points	29,580 (20.6 ppg)
Rebounds	17,834 (12.2 rpg)
Blocks	1,889 (1.3 bpg)

Moses Eugene Malone (born March 23, 1955 – died September 13, 2015) was an American professional basketball player. He played for many years in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA). His career lasted from 1974 to 1995.

Moses Malone was a powerful center on the court. He was named the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) three times. He was also chosen as an NBA All-Star 12 times. In 1983, Malone led the Philadelphia 76ers to an NBA championship. He won both the league MVP and the Finals MVP that year. He was added to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001. Many people think Moses Malone was one of the greatest basketball players ever.

Malone started his pro career right after high school. He was picked by the Utah Stars in the 1974 ABA draft. As a rookie, he was named an ABA All-Star. He played two seasons in the ABA before it joined with the NBA in 1976. In the NBA, he first played for the Buffalo Braves. Then he was traded to the Houston Rockets. He became a five-time All-Star with the Rockets.

Malone led the NBA in rebounding in 1979. He won his first league MVP award that year. He led the Rockets to the NBA Finals in 1981. He won his second MVP award in 1982. The next season, he was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers. He won MVP again and led the 76ers to the 1983 championship. He was an All-Star in all four seasons with Philadelphia. Later, he played for the Washington Bullets and the Atlanta Hawks. He earned his 12th All-Star selection with the Hawks. He also played for the Milwaukee Bucks and the San Antonio Spurs.

Malone was known as a very strong player. He led the NBA in rebounding six times. This included five seasons in a row from 1981 to 1985. People called him the "Chairman of the Boards" because he was so good at rebounding. He ended his career as the all-time leader in offensive rebounds. He led both the ABA and NBA in this area nine times. If you combine his ABA and NBA stats, Malone is ninth all-time in points. He is also third in total rebounds. He was named to the ABA All-Time Team. He was also on the NBA's 50th and 75th anniversary teams.

Early Life and High School Basketball

Moses Malone was born in Petersburg, Virginia. He grew up as an only child. His mother, Mary, raised him.

Malone went to Petersburg High School. He played basketball for their team, the Crimson Wave. In his last two years, his team did not lose a single game. They won 50 games in a row. They also won two Virginia state championships. Malone planned to play college basketball at the University of Maryland.

Starting His Pro Career: The ABA Years

Utah Stars (1974–1975)

The Utah Stars of the American Basketball Association (ABA) picked Moses Malone in their 1974 draft. Malone decided to become a professional player right away. He was the first player in modern basketball to go straight from high school to the pros. He started his career with Utah in the 1974–75 season. He signed a five-year contract for $1 million. Malone was 6 feet 10 inches tall. He weighed about 215 pounds back then. He started as a forward. Later, he gained more weight to play center. As a rookie, he was named an ABA All-Star. He also made the ABA All-Rookie team. In the 1975 ABA Playoffs, he played very well. He averaged 22.7 points and 17.5 rebounds per game.

Spirits of St. Louis (1975–1976)

The Utah Stars team stopped playing after 16 games in the 1975–76 season. Malone was then sold to another ABA team, the Spirits of St. Louis. This helped the Stars pay off their debts. He played for the Spirits for the rest of that season. The Spirits did not make the playoffs that year. In his two seasons in the ABA, Malone averaged 17.2 points and 12.9 rebounds per game.

Joining the NBA: A New Chapter

Buffalo Braves (1976) and Houston Rockets (1976–1982)

After the 1975–76 season, the ABA and NBA joined together. The Spirits of St. Louis did not join the NBA. Malone was first picked by the Portland Trail Blazers. But they traded him to the Buffalo Braves. He played only two games for Buffalo. Then, he was traded again to the Houston Rockets.

With the Rockets, Malone quickly became a star. He played forward at first. He led the NBA in offensive rebounds in his first year. He set a new record with 437 offensive rebounds. The Rockets made it to the Eastern Conference Finals. In his second NBA season, Malone was injured. But he still led the NBA in offensive rebounds. He also made his first NBA All-Star Game in 1978.

In the 1978–79 season, Malone became one of the best centers. He gained more weight and strength. He averaged 24.8 points and a league-leading 17.6 rebounds per game. He won his first MVP award. He set another record with 587 offensive rebounds in one season. He was chosen for the All-NBA First Team. He also started for the East in the 1979 All-Star Game. On February 9, he grabbed a career-high 37 rebounds.

Malone continued to play great for the Rockets. In the 1980–81 season, he led the league with 14.8 rebounds per game. He was an All-Star again. He scored 51 points in one game against the Golden State Warriors. That year, he led the Rockets to the 1981 NBA Finals. They lost to the Boston Celtics in six games.

In the 1981–82 season, Malone won his second MVP award. He averaged 31.1 points and 14.7 rebounds. He led the NBA in rebounds again. He also set a career-high with 53 points in a game. He broke his own record with 21 offensive rebounds in another game.

Philadelphia 76ers (1982–1986): Championship Glory

After the 1981–82 season, Malone joined the Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers had just lost in the NBA Finals. They needed a strong center. Malone signed a big contract with them. The Rockets traded him to the 76ers. With stars like Julius Erving and Maurice Cheeks, the 76ers became very strong.

Malone was named the league MVP for the second year in a row. He was the only NBA player to win MVP in two straight seasons with different teams. He led the league in rebounds for the third year in a row. He was an All-Star for the sixth time. The 76ers had an amazing playoff run. They lost only one game on their way to winning the championship. They swept the Los Angeles Lakers 4–0 in the 1983 NBA Finals. Malone was named the Finals MVP. He completely outplayed the Lakers' star center, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Before the playoffs, Malone famously predicted the 76ers would go "fo, fo, fo." This meant they would sweep every series (win 4-0). They almost did, losing only one game. This made his prediction even more famous. The 76ers' 12–1 playoff run was the most dominant in NBA history at that time.

In the 1983–84 season, Malone led the league in rebounding again. He played 71 games due to ankle injuries. He was still an All-Star. In the 1984–85 season, the 76ers drafted Charles Barkley. Malone helped Barkley get into better shape. Malone led the NBA in rebounding for a record fifth straight season. He was an All-Star for the eighth time. He scored his 15,000th NBA point. He also grabbed his 10,000th NBA rebound.

His 1985–86 season ended early due to an eye injury. The 76ers lost in the playoffs. Malone was an All-Star that year.

Later Career: Washington, Atlanta, Milwaukee, and San Antonio

After the 1985–86 season, Malone was traded to the Washington Bullets. He played very well there. He averaged 24.1 points and 11.3 rebounds. He made his 10th All-Star Game. He was the only player in the top 10 for both points and rebounds. He scored his 20,000th NBA point. He also scored 50 points in one game.

In 1988, Malone joined the Atlanta Hawks. He averaged 20.2 points and 11.8 rebounds. He became the only player to average 20 points and 10 rebounds for four different teams. He made his 12th and final All-Star Game. The next season, his streak of 11 straight seasons with 20 points and 10 rebounds ended. He still led the NBA in offensive rebounds.

In 1991, Malone signed with the Milwaukee Bucks. He started at center again. He averaged 15.6 points and 9.1 rebounds. He played in all 82 games. In 1992, he had back surgery and missed most of the season.

In 1993, Malone returned to the Philadelphia 76ers. He played as a backup and helped mentor rookie Shawn Bradley. He averaged 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds. In 1994, Malone signed with the San Antonio Spurs. He was a backup center for David Robinson. The 1994–95 NBA season was his last. He was the only active player left from the ABA. In his final game, he made a three-point shot from very far away at the buzzer!

Moses Malone's Playing Style

Moses Malone was 6 feet 10 inches tall and weighed 260 pounds. He was known for being "relentless" and a "force on the boards." This means he worked incredibly hard and was very strong when getting rebounds. He would often get his own missed shots back. People called him "Chairman of the Boards" because he was so good at rebounding. He was not known for passing the ball much. When an assistant coach told him to pass more, he said, "They ain't paying me to pass!"

He ended his career with the most offensive rebounds in ABA and NBA history combined. He led his league in offensive rebounds nine times. He also holds NBA records for most offensive rebounds in a career, a season, and a single game. Malone was a 13-time All-Star. He was chosen for All-NBA teams eight times. He ranks ninth all-time in points (29,580) and third in rebounds (17,834). He is one of only three players with over 28,000 points and 17,000 rebounds. He is also second all-time in free throws made. Malone is one of only eight players to win the NBA MVP award three or more times. He led the league in rebounds six times.

He was added to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001. The Houston Rockets retired his No. 24 jersey. The Philadelphia 76ers retired his No. 2 jersey in 2019. The 76ers also put up a statue of him.

Awards and Honors

• 1983 NBA champion
• 1983 NBA Finals MVP
• 3× NBA MVP
• 13× All-Star (1 ABA, 12 NBA)
• Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame (class of 2001)
• No. 2 retired by the Philadelphia 76ers
• No. 24 retired by the Houston Rockets
• NBA 50th Anniversary Team (1996)
• NBA 75th Anniversary Team (2021)

Personal Life

Moses Malone had two sons, Moses Eugene Jr. and Michael Malone. He also had another son, Micah Francois Malone.

Death

Moses Malone died in his sleep on September 13, 2015. He was 60 years old. He died from heart disease at a hotel in Norfolk, Virginia. He had been having problems with an irregular heartbeat.

See also