Claim: Moses Malone won an MVP award in basketball in 1982.

Moses Eugene Malone -LRB- March 23 , 1955 -- September 13 , 2015 -RRB- was an American basketball player who played in both the American Basketball Association -LRB- ABA -RRB- and the National Basketball Association -LRB- NBA -RRB- from 1974 through 1995 . The center was named the NBA Most Valuable Player -LRB- MVP -RRB- three times and was a 12-time NBA All-Star and an eight-time All-NBA selection . Malone won his only NBA championship in 1983 , when he was both the league and Finals MVP with the Philadelphia 76ers . He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility in 2001 .   Malone began his pro 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 . Malone was traded to Philadelphia the following season , when he repeated as MVP and led the 76ers to a championship in his first year . 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 Washington Bullets -LRB- known later as the Wizards -RRB- . He signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Hawks , earning his 12th straight and final 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 led the NBA in rebounding six times , including a then-record five straight seasons -LRB- 1981 -- 1985 -RRB- . 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 . Malone was nicknamed `` Chairman of the Boards '' for his rebounding prowess . Combining his ABA and NBA statistics , he ranks seventh all-time in career points -LRB- 29,580 -RRB- and third in total rebounds -LRB- 17,834 -RRB- . He was named to both the ABA All-Time Team and the NBA 's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team .