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Game state source: whynba · Retrieved Oct 9, 5:36 pm EDTNBA legend. Named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team and inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Biography, honors and career statistics below.
Moses Malone
Career at a glance
Moses Malone played 21 professional regular seasons (2 in the ABA, 19 in the NBA) between 1974 and 1995, appearing in 1,455 games and averaging 20.3 points, 12.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. He played for 9 teams: Utah (ABA) (1974–75, 83 games), St. Louis (ABA) (1975–76, 43 games), Buffalo (1976–77, 2 games), Houston (1976–82, 464 games), Philadelphia (5 seasons between 1982 and 1994, 357 games), Washington (1986–88, 152 games), Atlanta (1988–91, 244 games), Milwaukee (1991–93, 93 games), San Antonio (1994–95, 17 games). His best scoring season was 1981–82 with Houston: 31.1 points per game over 81 games.
He rebounded best in 1978–79 at 17.6 per game. The season table marks him as the league leader in rebounding 6 times. Championship season: 1982–83 (Philadelphia).
In the playoffs he appeared in 13 postseason runs (100 games, 22.1 points per game). Multiplying each season’s games by its scoring average gives roughly 29,600 regular-season points (an estimate from per-game figures, not an official total). Among the 404 players with at least 200 NBA games profiled on whynba, Malone ranks No. 15 in rebounds per game.
whynba analysis of the season-by-season statistics below (Wikipedia revision, CC BY-SA 4.0). Totals are estimates from per-game averages.
About Moses Malone
Moses Eugene Malone Sr. (March 23, 1955 – September 13, 2015) was an American professional basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association (ABA) and the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1974 through 1995. A center, he was named the NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) three times, was a 12-time NBA All-Star and an eight-time All-NBA Team selection. Malone led the Philadelphia 76ers to an NBA championship in 1983, winning both the league and Finals MVP. He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2001. Malone is widely regarded as one of the greatest centers and players of all time.
Malone began his professional career out of high school after 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 Bullets (today's Wizards). 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.
- Born
- March 23, 1955 Petersburg, Virginia, U.S.
- Listed height
- 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)
- Listed weight
- 260 lb (118 kg)
- Position
- Center
- High school
- Petersburg (Petersburg, Virginia)
- Playing career
- 1974–1995
Career highlights and awards
- NBA champion (1983)
- NBA Finals MVP (1983)
- 3× NBA Most Valuable Player (1979, 1982, 1983)
- 12× NBA All-Star (1978–1989)
- ABA All-Star (1975)
- 4× All-NBA First Team (1979, 1982, 1983, 1985)
- 4× All-NBA Second Team (1980, 1981, 1984, 1987)
- NBA All-Defensive First Team (1983)
- NBA All-Defensive Second Team (1979)
- ABA All-Rookie Team (1975)
- 6× NBA rebounding leader (1979, 1981–1985)
- NBA anniversary team (50th, 75th)
- ABA All-Time Team
- No. 2 retired by Philadelphia 76ers
- No. 24 retired by Houston Rockets
- National high school player of the year[which?] (1974)
- First-team Parade All-American (1974)
- Fourth-team Parade All-American (1973)
Career statistics
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1974–75 | Utah (ABA) | 83 | — | 38.6 | .571 | .000 | .635 | 14.6 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 18.8 |
| 1975–76 | St. Louis (ABA) | 43 | — | 27.2 | .512 | .000 | .612 | 9.6 | 1.3 | .6 | .7 | 14.3 |
| 1976–77 | Buffalo | 2 | — | 3.0 | — | — | — | .5 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
| 1976–77 | Houston | 80 | — | 31.3 | .480 | — | .693 | 13.4 | 1.1 | .8 | 2.3 | 13.5 |
| 1977–78 | Houston | 59 | — | 35.7 | .499 | — | .718 | 15.0 | .5 | .8 | 1.3 | 19.4 |
| 1978–79 | Houston | 82* | — | 41.3* | .540 | — | .739 | 17.6* | 1.8 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 24.8 |
| 1979–80 | Houston | 82* | — | 38.3 | .502 | .000 | .719 | 14.5 | 1.8 | 1.0 | 1.3 | 25.8 |
| 1980–81 | Houston | 80 | — | 40.6 | .522 | .333 | .757 | 14.8* | 1.8 | 1.0 | 1.9 | 27.8 |
| 1981–82 | Houston | 81 | 81 | 42.0* | .519 | .000 | .762 | 14.7* | 1.8 | .9 | 1.5 | 31.1 |
| 1982–83† | Philadelphia | 78 | 78 | 37.5 | .501 | .000 | .761 | 15.3* | 1.3 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 24.5 |
| 1983–84 | Philadelphia | 71 | 71 | 36.8 | .483 | .000 | .750 | 13.4* | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 22.7 |
| 1984–85 | Philadelphia | 79 | 79 | 37.4 | .469 | .000 | .815 | 13.1* | 1.6 | .8 | 1.6 | 24.6 |
| 1985–86 | Philadelphia | 74 | 74 | 36.6 | .458 | .000 | .787 | 11.8 | 1.2 | .9 | 1.0 | 23.8 |
| 1986–87 | Washington | 73 | 70 | 34.1 | .454 | .000 | .824 | 11.3 | 1.6 | .8 | 1.3 | 24.1 |
| 1987–88 | Washington | 79 | 78 | 34.1 | .487 | .286 | .788 | 11.2 | 1.4 | .7 | .9 | 20.3 |
| 1988–89 | Atlanta | 81 | 80 | 35.5 | .491 | .000 | .789 | 11.8 | 1.4 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 20.2 |
| 1989–90 | Atlanta | 81 | 81 | 33.8 | .480 | .111 | .781 | 10.0 | 1.6 | .6 | 1.0 | 18.9 |
| 1990–91 | Atlanta | 82* | 15 | 23.3 | .468 | .000 | .831 | 8.1 | .8 | .4 | .9 | 10.6 |
| 1991–92 | Milwaukee | 82 | 77 | 30.6 | .474 | .375 | .786 | 9.1 | 1.1 | .9 | .8 | 15.6 |
| 1992–93 | Milwaukee | 11 | 0 | 9.5 | .310 | — | .774 | 4.2 | .6 | .1 | .7 | 4.5 |
| 1993–94 | Philadelphia | 55 | 0 | 11.2 | .440 | .000 | .769 | 4.1 | .6 | .2 | .3 | 5.3 |
| 1994–95 | San Antonio | 17 | 0 | 8.8 | .371 | .500 | .688 | 2.7 | .4 | .1 | .2 | 2.9 |
| Career | 1,455 | 784 | 34.0 | .495 | .096 | .760 | 12.3 | 1.3 | .8 | 1.3 | 20.3 | |
| All-Star | 12 | 8 | 24.3 | .455 | — | .583 | 9.8 | 1.3 | .8 | .6 | 11.2 |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Utah (ABA) | 6 | — | 39.2 | .638 | — | .667 | 17.5 | 1.5 | .0 | 1.5 | 22.7 |
| 1977 | Houston | 12 | — | 43.2 | .500 | — | .692 | 16.9 | .6 | 1.1 | 1.8 | 18.8 |
| 1979 | Houston | 2 | — | 39.0 | .528 | — | .722 | 20.5 | 1.0 | .5 | 4.0 | 24.5 |
| 1980 | Houston | 7 | — | 39.3 | .536 | .000 | .767 | 13.9 | 1.0 | .6 | 2.3 | 25.9 |
| 1981 | Houston | 21 | — | 45.5 | .479 | .000 | .712 | 14.5 | 1.7 | .6 | 1.6 | 26.8 |
| 1982 | Houston | 3 | — | 45.3 | .433 | — | .933 | 17.0 | 3.3 | .7 | .7 | 24.0 |
| 1983† | Philadelphia | 13 | — | 40.3 | .536 | .000 | .717 | 15.8 | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.9 | 26.0 |
| 1984 | Philadelphia | 5 | — | 42.4 | .458 | — | .969 | 13.8 | 1.4 | .6 | 2.2 | 21.4 |
| 1985 | Philadelphia | 13 | 13 | 38.8 | .425 | .000 | .796 | 10.6 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 20.2 |
| 1987 | Washington | 3 | 3 | 38.0 | .447 | — | .952 | 12.7 | 1.7 | .0 | 1.0 | 20.7 |
| 1988 | Washington | 5 | 5 | 39.6 | .462 | .000 | .825 | 11.2 | 1.4 | .6 | .8 | 18.6 |
| 1989 | Atlanta | 5 | 5 | 39.4 | .500 | 1.000 | .784 | 12.0 | 1.8 | 1.4 | .8 | 21.0 |
| 1991 | Atlanta | 5 | 0 | 16.8 | .200 | — | .929 | 6.2 | .6 | .4 | .2 | 4.2 |
| Career | 100 | 26 | 40.3 | .487 | .143 | .756 | 14.0 | 1.5 | .8 | 1.6 | 22.1 |
Per-game averages. † won an ABA or NBA championship · * led the league · ‡ league record (as marked).
Profile observation date unavailable.
- Height
- 6′ 10″
- Weight
- 260 lb
- Position
- Center
- Jersey
- Not listed
- Country
- USA
- School / last affiliation
- Not listed
- Draft year
- Not listed
- Draft pick
- Undrafted / not listed
Height, Weight, Position, Country: blank in the NBA.com profile, filled from the Wikipedia infobox credited in the About section above.
Roster observations
These dates show when our saved NBA directory observations listed this player with a team. They are not signing, trade or contract dates, and this is not a complete career history.
No roster observations are stored for this player. Historical profile details above do not establish a current team assignment.
Profile source
Biographical fields reflect the saved official profile at the check time shown above. Team assignments use the dated directory evidence in Roster observations. Offseason rosters and jersey numbers can change.
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