RIP Moses Malone

[Big Circus]

Bad few weeks for straight-to-the-NBA guys.

Three-time NBA MVP Moses Malone dies at age 60

 

[Steak Snabler]

And early 80s Sixers.

 

[MisterCreosote]

Aw, man. This sucks. I was 7 when that team won the title - Doc was my hero but Moses carried that team. He turned a perennial playoff loser into perhaps the most dominant single season playoff team of all time. "Fo, fo, fo" is one of the greatest sports quotes ever, too. Elegant in its simplicity.

RIP, Moses.

Oh, and **** Harold Katz one last time for that debacle of a trade.

 

[cyclingwriter2]

Maurice Cheeks is slipping with his lights on.

But seriously, RIP to an all time great.

 

[X-Hack]

First Dawkins. Now Malone. Bill Willoughby should be looking over his shoulder.

 

[TigerVols]

My 10th grade English teacher taught him in 10th grade as well, and she always insisted that he was a smart kid.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

Great player, RIP

 

[old_tony]

I got to cover him, and there was a lot more to Moses than people think or realize. He could appear gruff if you didn't know him or he you, but I really appreciated the chance to get to know him more than the average fan could. He was actually a funny and insightful guy. But I think he liked the image as a man of few words. RIP, Moses.

 

[LongTimeListener]

My 10th grade English teacher taught him in 10th grade as well, and she always insisted that he was a smart kid.

He (and a handful of others) beat the college cabal 20 years before anyone else even tried it. Sounds pretty smart to me.

 

[SpeedTchr]

Damn. Used to see him quite frequently where I worked, and he was always friendly and funny.

 

[Steak Snabler]

Great anecdote from John Lucas:

 

[mpcincal]

Sad to hear. I grew up a big Lakers fan in the 80s, but I always liked and respected Moses.

Nice anecdote by John Lucas. I remember reading in Terry Pluto's ABA book about Malone's recruitment and decision to go pro. While he was still in high school, it was generally accepted that Lefty Driesell had him wrapped up for Maryland if he played college ball. One guy in the book quoted a college coach talking about making a trip to Malone's hometown to talk to him although he knew he had no chance, but he had to go just to show the boosters and fanbase he was at least making an effort.

 

[clintrichardson]

odd to see that a future three-time MVP was traded by the Blazers and then the Braves before he found a home in Houston. allegedly the trade to Houston happened in part because Buffalo had two feuding owners, one who liked Moses and one who didn't. The one who didn't like him traded Moses when the one who liked him was out of town.

 

[LongTimeListener]

The fact that he played until 1995 is staggering.

 

[MisterCreosote]

The fact that he played until 1995 is staggering.

"Played" is a strong word.

His career was, for all intents and purposes, over after his back injury in 1991.

 

[LongTimeListener]

He logged 149 minutes on an NBA court in the year he turned 40.

I know it's common for big guys to hang around forever, but for a guy with that playing style and those minutes beginning at age 19, that is pretty remarkable.

 

[Liut]

odd to see that a future three-time MVP was traded by the Blazers and then the Braves before he found a home in Houston. allegedly the trade to Houston happened in part because Buffalo had two feuding owners, one who liked Moses and one who didn't. The one who didn't like him traded Moses when the one who liked him was out of town.

I've long been fascinated by the circumstances you put forth in this post. Any chance John Y. Brown was the owner that didn't like Malone? As in the John Y. Brown who later nearly drove Red Auerbach out of his mind and to the Knicks?

Among my ABA Topps cards is Malone with the Utah Stars. RIP, Moses.

 

[MisterCreosote]

He logged 149 minutes on an NBA court in the year he turned 40.

I know it's common for big guys to hang around forever, but for a guy with that playing style and those minutes beginning at age 19, that is pretty remarkable.

Sustaining 8 minutes per game for one-fifth of an NBA season isn't that remarkable. Robert Parish at 40 played more than 25 minutes per game for almost an entire season.

What WAS remarkable is that the last shot of Malone's career was an 80-foot three-pointer.

 

[forever_town]

I only remember watching him from my first season following the NBA, which was 1987-88. That was his last year as a Washington Bullet.

It wasn't until later that I began to get a grasp of his career before I began to follow sports.

R.I.P.

 

[old_tony]

Anyone who only saw the last half of his career would be stunned to see stuff from his early career. Instead of the big, bulky guy he became, he was a thin and wiry guy who could jump. And it wasn't that he was a high jumper so much as a quick jumper. He could go up, come down and go back up again before most guys were going up the first time. (OK, that might be an exaggeration, but you get the idea.)