MALONE, MOSES

born March 23, 1955, Petersburg, Va., U.S. Malone (right) of the Philadelphia 76ers grabbing a rebound against the Chicago Bulls, 1985 in full Moses Eugene Malone African-American professional basketball player, a dominating centre and premier offensive rebounder. He led the National Basketball Association (NBA) Philadelphia 76ers to a championship in 1983. Malone, who led Petersburg High School to 50 consecutive victories and two state championships, was one of the most sought-after college basketball prospects in history. He chose to bypass college, however, and sign with the Utah Stars of the American Basketball Association (ABA) in 1974, thereby becoming the first player to enter professional basketball directly from high school. When the ABA dissolved in 1976, he signed with the NBA Houston Rockets. Quick and tenacious, Malone, who stood 6 feet 10 inches (2.08 m), was noted for his all-around play. An outstanding offensive rebounder with a scoring touch, he was named the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1979 and 1982. He signed with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1982 and the following year led the team to the championship, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers. Malone was named MVP of the championship series and of the league. For six of the seven seasons from 1978 to 1985, he led the NBA in rebounds. Malone was a member of eight NBA teams, including the Atlanta Hawks and San Antonio Spurs. During his 18 years in the league, he set records for most free throws made (8,531) and most offensive rebounds (6,731). He retired in 1994, having scored 27,409 points and collected 16,212 rebounds.