Moses Malone

After two years in the ABA, Malone became a force to be reckoned with in the NBA for over ten years. He led the Houston Rockets to the NBA finals in 1981 and was key to the Philadelphia 76ers 1983 NBA Championship victory.

By the time he retired, following the 1994-95 season, Malone had produced an awe-inspiring NBA stat sheet, having scored 27,409 points and grabbed 16,212 rebounds. He ranks first in NBA history from the free throw line with 8,531 points and second behind Wilt Chamberlain in free throws attempts with 11,090. Malone's dominance in the paint is evidenced by his standing as one of the league's preeminent rebounders. He ranks as the all-time leader in offensive rebounds with 6,731 and second behind Robert Parish in defensive rebounds with 9,481.

When his two years in the ABA are added the picture is even more decisive. During his 21 years in professional basketball, Malone racked up 29,580 points, fourth in the all-time list after Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain and Julius Erving, and ranks as the third all-time greatest rebounder in history behind Chamberlain and Bill Russell at 17,834. He leads the all-time list in free throws made with 9,018 and free throws attempted with 11,864.

Not quite as big as the league's other renowned centers, Malone made the most of his quickness and strength. Besides dominating the boards, leading the league in rebounds six times in a seven year span, Malone drew upon a treasure trove of crafty moves to score or get to the free throw line, averaging more than 20 points per game for 11 years. What's more, he did all this with finesse, playing 1,207 consecutive games without fouling out, the NBA record.

Malone was not given to analyzing strategy for the media's sake. Quiet around reporters and cameras, he chose to use his deep understanding of the game for what mattered most: winning.