God told Moses to Move A Mountain.
Scripture tells us, God told Moses to ‘Part The Red Sea’ as the Jewish Nation fled captivity in Egypt. But did God ordain Moses Eugene Malone to move mountains in the game of basketball. Was his twenty year Hall of Fame career all ordained by God at the young age of 18. In any case, Moses moved the mountain and unblocked the legal and mental path for young phenom players to enter the professional leagues.
Malone was born in Petersburg, Virginia. He was an only child, raised primarily by his mother, Mary, who had dropped out of school after finishing the fifth grade. When Malone was two years old, Mary forced her husband to move out of their home due to his alcohol use. Malone’s father then moved to Texas.
Malone attended Petersburg High School, where he played basketball for the school’s Crimson Wave. The team went undefeated in his final two years, winning 50 games and back-to-back Virginia state championships. Malone signed a letter of intent to play college basketball for the University of Maryland under head coach Lefty Driesell.
However, Moses decided to move a mountain and become a professional basketball player and forego the college route.
Malone began his professional career at the age of eighteen, straight out of high school.
He was selected in the third round of the 1974 ABA draft by the Utah Stars. He was named an ABA All-Star as a rookie and played two seasons in the league until it merged with the NBA in 1976.
He landed in the NBA with the Buffalo Braves, who traded him after two games to the Houston Rockets. Malone became a five-time All-Star in six seasons with the Rockets. After leading the NBA in rebounding in 1979, he was named league MVP for the first time. He led the Rockets to the NBA Finals in 1981, and won his second MVP award in 1982.
Traded to Philadelphia the following season, he repeated as MVP and led the 76ers to the 1983 championship. In his first of two stints with Philadelphia, he was an All-Star in each of his four seasons. Following another trade, Malone was an All-Star in his only two seasons with the then Washington Bullet.
He signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Hawks, earning his 12th straight and final NBA All-Star selection in his first season. In his later years, he played with the Milwaukee Bucks before returning to the 76ers and completing his career with the San Antonio Spurs.
Malone was a tireless and physical player who led the NBA in rebounding six times, including a then-record five straight seasons (1981–1985).
Nicknamed the “Chairman of the Boards” for his rebounding prowess, he finished his career as the all-time leader in offensive rebounds after leading both the ABA and NBA in the category a combined nine times. Combining his ABA and NBA statistics, Malone ranks tenth all-time in career points (29,580) and third in total rebounds (17,834). He was named to the ABA All-Time Team along with the NBA’s 50th and 75th anniversary teams.
Other than details of a messy divorce to his first wife of 11 years, there are no financial or legal records of any misconduct regarding Moses.
He was an instant professional athlete taking care of himself on and off the court. Proven by a lucrative Hall of Fame career spanning two decades.
He did die unexpectedly and tragically young at the age sixty due to heart conditions.
