Moses Malone

Moses Malone: Malone's dominance in the ABA propelled him to greatness in the NBA. His fierce rebounding, scoring ability, and relentless work ethic earned him the nickname "Chairman of the Boards." Malone's impact extended beyond individual accolades, as he played a pivotal role in leading his teams to championships.

One of the game’s all-time great centers, Moses Malone was a relentless rebounder and effective scorer who made the jump from high school to a pro career that lasted 21 years. The third-leading rebounder and sixth-leading scorer in combined NBA/ABA history, he was honored in 1996-97 as a member of the NBA’s 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.

At the age of 19, when he was a lean and lanky 6-foot-10 manchild, Malone had no trouble making the jump from Petersburg (Va.) High School to the Utah Stars of the ABA. Playing forward until he filled out enough to take the pounding at center, Malone was an immediate success in the ABA, averaging over 18 points and 14 rebounds as a rookie.

After two seasons in the ABA he went on to become a dominant NBA player for well over a decade, leading the Houston Rockets to The Finals in 1981 and the Philadelphia 76ers to the 1983 NBA championship.

Malone retired following the 1994-95 season having scored 27,409 points and grabbed 16,212 rebounds in his 19-year NBA career. He made more free throws, 8,531 more at the time, than any other player in NBA history and also finished his career ranked second behind Wilt Chamberlain in free throws.