Moses Malone

• 1. Petersburg High School

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  Moses Eugene Malone Sr. was born on the 23rd of March 1955 in Petersburg, Virginia. He grew up as an only child raised primarily by his mother Mary. She 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. His 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. They won 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.

• 2. First Modern Pro Player

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  The Utah Stars of the American Basketball Association selected him in the third round of the 1974 ABA Draft. Malone decided to become a professional instead of going to college. He became the first player in modern professional basketball to enter directly from high school. He began his pro career with Utah in the 1974, 75 season after signing a five-year contract worth $1 million.

  At six feet nine inches tall and somewhat skinny at the time, Malone began playing forward until he bulked up enough to handle center duties. As a rookie he was named an ABA All-Star and earned ABA All-Rookie honors. In the 1975 ABA Playoffs Malone averaged 22.7 points and 17.5 rebounds per game during a first-round loss to the Denver Nuggets.

• 3. Rebounding Dominance

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  Malone led the NBA in rebounding six times including a then-record five straight seasons from 1981 through 1985. Nicknamed the Chairman of the Boards for his rebounding prowess he finished his career as the all-time leader in offensive rebounds. He led both the ABA and NBA in that category a combined nine times.

  Combining his ABA and NBA statistics Malone ranks tenth all-time in career points with 29,580 points. He also ranks third in total rebounds with 17,834 rebounds. He holds NBA records for the most offensive rebounds in a career with 6,731 and in a single season with 587. His record for most offensive rebounds in a game stands at 21.

• 4. Fo Fo Fo Championship

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  On the 2nd of September 1982 Malone signed an offer sheet of six years for $13.2 million with the Philadelphia 76ers. The Rockets franchise was sold and new owners decided his $2 million annual salary did not fit their plans. Houston matched the offer and agreed to trade Malone to the 76ers for Caldwell Jones and their first-round pick in the 1983 NBA draft on September 15.

  Before the playoffs began Malone predicted in Southern vernacular that Philadelphia would go fo fo fo envisioning a four-game sweep in each round. The New York Times called it an enduring quotation and unforgettable line. The Sixers lost only one playoff game en route to making Malone a world champion for the first time. They swept the Knicks in the first round and the Lakers in the finals. The inside of that year's championship ring was inscribed fo fi fo meaning four five four.

• 5. Multiple Franchises

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  Shortly after the 1985, 86 season Philadelphia traded Malone Terry Catledge and two first-round draft picks to the Washington Bullets in exchange for Jeff Ruland and Clifford T. Robinson. Malone bounced back from an injury-shortened campaign averaging 24.1 points and 11.3 rebounds. He scored his 20,000th NBA point on April 12 against the Detroit Pistons.

  Malone signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Hawks before the 1988, 89 season. During that season he averaged 20.2 points and 11.8 rebounds becoming the first player in professional history to average 20 points and 10 rebounds for four different teams. He reached double figures in points in 75 of his 81 games and recorded double figures in rebounds 55 times.

• 6. Final Years And Death

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  In 1994 Malone signed with the San Antonio Spurs where he was used as a backup center to David Robinson. The 1994, 95 NBA season was his last in the NBA. At that time he was the only remaining active former ABA player. During the final game of his career against the Charlotte Hornets he hit a buzzer-beating three-point shot from the opposing free throw line 60 feet away from the basket.

  Malone died in his sleep from heart disease at the age of 60 on the morning of the 13th of September 2015. He was found unresponsive in his room at a hotel in Norfolk Virginia when he did not appear for breakfast or answer his phone. He had been scheduled to play in a charity golf tournament that day. He had previously complained of an irregular heartbeat and was reported to have been wearing a heart monitor when he died.