Moses Malone

Moses Eugene Malone Sr. (March 23, 1955 – September 13, 2015) was an American professional basketball player who competed in both the American Basketball Association and the National Basketball Association from 1974 through 1995. A center, he began his professional career directly out of high school after the Utah Stars selected him in the third round of the 1974 ABA draft. He was named an ABA All-Star as a rookie and played two seasons in the league before it merged with the NBA in 1976.

Malone entered the NBA with the Buffalo Braves, who traded him after two games to the Houston Rockets. Over six seasons in Houston he was a five-time All-Star, and after leading the league in rebounding in 1979 he was named NBA Most Valuable Player for the first time. He later led the Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA championship in 1983, winning both the league MVP and Finals MVP awards.

Across his career Malone was named NBA Most Valuable Player three times, was selected as a 12-time NBA All-Star, and earned eight All-NBA Team selections. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001, his first year of eligibility.