Moses Malone Put the Rockets on the Map and Paved the Way for Hakeem Olajuwon

Even before Malone stepped on the court as a professional basketball player, he was already proving to be a dominant player. Knepper spoke about a time Malone competed against an NBA player while still in high school.

"I mean, one, for example, is he played Dave Bing one-on-one. Dave Bing was an All-NBA player at the time when Moses was in high school, and Moses beat him one-on-one."

Malone dominated during his time at Peterburg High School in Virginia. Malone helped lead the team to back-to-back championships in his sophomore and junior seasons, which garnered him national attention as one of the best players in the country. Initially, Malone signed a letter of intent to play for legendary coach Lefty Driesell at the University of Maryland, but the ABA came calling.

Most NBA fans may not know of the ABA and its history, but Knepper explains that at the time, the ABA was at the forefront of many of the trends and innovations that you see in the NBA today.

"A lot of the innovations that they introduced became part of the NBA. They had the 3-point line long before the NBA did. The ABA introduced the slam dunk contest that the NBA later adopted."

Malone spent his first few years of his professional career in the ABA before the merger and was eventually traded to the Rockets. As mentioned earlier, before Malone, the Rockets had only made the playoffs once. Malone not only helped the Rockets get back to the playoffs, but he also led the Rockets to their first-ever NBA Finals in 1981.

That Rockets team surprised everyone as they went into the playoffs with a below .500 record in the regular season. Despite losing in six games in the finals to the Boston Celtics, Malone had brought the Rockets to the national media and the fans' attention.

Despite the disappointment of losing in the first round the following season, Malone cemented himself as the best player in the league that year, winning the first of his three MVP awards and setting a single-game offensive rebounding mark of 21 offensive rebounds in a win over the Seattle Supersonics.

That was Malone last season with the Rockets, as he would become a restricted free agent that summer, and incoming Rockets owner Charlie Patterson didn't want to pay Malone a $12 million contract. Malone would go on to win his first ring with the Philadelphia 76ers, dominating the Los Angeles Lakers' great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the 1983 finals.

Malone would spend a few more seasons with the 76ers before bouncing around the league and retiring after playing one season in San Antonio for the Spurs.

Moses Malone helped shaped Hakeem Olajuwon's career

Throughout his long and incredible career, Malone was a trailblazer in the game of basketball. From becoming the first ever player to go straight from high school to the pros to becoming the best rebounder of all time, Malone has influenced countless basketball players.

The player he influenced the most is Rockets great Hakeem Olajuwon. Olajuwon was beginning his basketball career and hadn't yet become the player we all know today. Knepper talks about how Malone helped Olajuwon become the all-time great player that NBA fans know and love.

"And as far as Akeem, you know, a lot of it was just Moses just kinda showing Akeem respect by going at him, by not just treating him like anyone else. Early on, he beat the hell out of Akeem."

Knepper also talked about how the lessons didn't stop once the open runs at Fonde Rec Center ended.

"After games, Moses would pull him aside, and he would teach him a little move or he would give him a little word of encouragement."

Knepper said that even off the court, Malone would do things for Olajuwon to help him as he tried to settle into a game he had just started playing and learning his way in a country that he had just arrived in a few years earlier.

"He showed up at Fondy with a whole bunch of custom-made suits and shirts and pants for Akeem, just, you know, out of kindness."

Before practicing and playing against Malone, Olajuwon spent most of his time on the bench in his rookie season. After those grueling sessions, Fondy and Olajuwon would become two of the best players in college basketball and eventually one of the greatest players in NBA history.

Conclusion

Moses Malone isn't a household name like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, or Bill Russell when it comes to big men from the 1970s and 1980s. He is often forgotten when the list of the best all-time players is mentioned. He wasn't a loud or flashy player, but he showed that there were different ways to become a superstar, as Paul Knepper pointed out.

"I think, I think he created a template of how a superstar could be. You know, you had kind of the loud, you know, attention-seeking superstar like the Charles Barkley type.

"But, Moses also showed you could be a superstar. You could be a great player. Be humble. Not call attention to yourself on the court or off the court."

Moses Malone showed that hard work, determination, and the willingness to help the people coming after you can change not only your life but everyone around you, and that is why he should never be forgotten.

Make sure to check out Moses Malone: The Life of a Basketball Prophet by Paul Knepper, which will be out Nov. 1, available for preorder now to purchase on Amazon.