ATLANTA — Three-time NBA MVP and Pro Basketball Hall of Famer Moses Malone has died Sunday at the age of 60, according to ESPN.
Malone, named one of the NBA's 50 greatest players, was the Finals MVP as he led the Philadelphia 76ers to the 1983 championship.
The 6-foot-10 center, nicknamed the "Chairman of the Boards," averaged a double-double while playing for eight teams over 20 NBA seasons and led the league in rebounding six times. The 12-time All-Star averaged 20.6 points per game and 12.2 rebounds over his career.
His 16,212 rebounds still rank fifth on the NBA's all-time list, while his 27,409 career points rank eighth.
Malone was the first player to go pro right out of high school, signing with the Utah Stars of the American Basketball Association (ABA) in 1974. He played the following season for the Spirits of St. Louis before moving to the Buffalo Braves after the ABA-NBA merger in 1976.
He also played for the Houston Rockets, 76ers (twice), Washington Bullets, Atlanta Hawks and the San Antonio Spurs, with whom he finished his career during the 1994-95 season.
His No. 24 was retired by the Rockets, with whom he won the MVP in 1979 and 1982. He won his third MVP with the 76ers in 1983.
He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.
Hawks Legend Dominique Wilkins released the following statement regarding the passing of Moses Malone:
"I am extremely saddened to hear of Moses' passing this morning. This is extremely tough for me. I am completely in shock and words can't express the pain and loss I am feeling right now. We had a mutual respect when we played against each other and I was fortunate enough to have called him a teammate and close friend. Even before we played together, he was one of the first greats who truly mentored me and showed me how to be a professional. I never saw anyone work harder than Moses and away from basketball, he was just as kind and thoughtful. The entire Hawks organization sends its condolences to his family and friends."
WSBTV
