Moses Malone, a basketball legend, amassed a net worth of $5 million over a distinguished career spanning professional leagues from 1974 to 1995. He was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2001 and passed away in 2015 at the age of 60.
Moses Malone was a professional basketball player whose net worth reached $5 million. His career unfolded in both the ABA and NBA between 1974 and 1995. Widely celebrated as one of the all-time greats, Malone earned three NBA MVP titles, topped the league in rebounds six times, and seized the 1983 NBA championship. In 2001, his first year eligible, he was honored with induction into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Tragically, Malone died on September 13, 2015, at age 60 due to a suspected heart attack. Over his playing years, Malone accumulated $13.9 million in salary earnings, with his peak single-season pay arriving during the 1990 season while playing for the Atlanta Hawks. Born on March 23, 1955, in Petersburg, Virginia, Malone was primarily raised by his mother after his father was removed from the household for alcohol abuse when Malone was two. As a teenager, he attended Petersburg High School, starring on the Crimson Wave basketball team. During his final two high school seasons, he guided his squad to back-to-back undefeated campaigns and Virginia state titles. He earned the title of National High School Player of the Year in 1974. Though he signed a letter of intent to play college basketball at the University of Maryland, Malone ultimately chose to turn professional instead. The Utah Stars selected Malone in the third round of the 1974 ABA draft, marking him as the first modern-era player drafted directly from high school. He made an immediate impact, earning ABA All-Star and All-Rookie honors in his inaugural season. His second year took a downturn after a leg injury sidelined him for the remainder of the campaign, coinciding with the Stars folding 16 games in. Malone was then sold to the Spirits of St. Louis, where he finished the 1975-76 season. Across his first two pro seasons, he posted averages of 17.2 points and 12.9 rebounds per contest. After the 1975-76 season, the ABA merged with the NBA, yet the Spirits of St. Louis were excluded from the transition. As a result, the Portland Trail Blazers drafted him, but immediately traded Malone to the Buffalo Braves before the 1976-77 campaign began. He managed just two games with the Braves before being dealt again. Malone’s career flourished with the Houston Rockets. In his debut season, he shattered NBA benchmarks with 437 regular-season rebounds and 15 playoff rebounds. Despite missing significant action in 1977-78, he led the league with 380 rebounds and earned his first NBA All-Star berth. His breakthrough peaked in 1978-79, when he set a new record with 587 rebounds and achieved a career-best field-goal percentage of .540, earning NBA MVP honors. The following season saw a dip in productivity, though he still steered the Rockets to the Conference Semifinals. During the 1980-81 campaign, Malone topped the NBA with 14.8 rebounds per game and propelled the Rockets to the NBA Finals. Though he delivered strong numbers—22.3 points and 15.7 rebounds per game across six Finals contests—the Rockets fell short against the Boston Celtics. He remained with Houston for one more season in 1981-82, capping his tenure impressively by averaging a career-high 31.1 points per game and again leading the league in rebounds. This performance earned him his second NBA MVP award. The Rockets returned to the playoffs but were ousted by the Seattle SuperSonics in the opening round. In 1983-84, Malone continued his dominance, leading the league in rebounds despite missing 15 games due to ankle injuries. He secured a record fifth straight rebound title in 1984-85, a year in which he also reached 15,000 career rebounds and 15,000 points. The Sixers advanced to the Conference Finals, where they were stopped by the Celtics. During his final season with Philadelphia in 1985-86, he averaged 23.8 points and 11.8 rebounds in 74 appearances before a March orbital fracture ended his year prematurely. Malone was dealt to the Washington Bullets in 1986. In his first season with the club, he averaged 24.1 points and 11.3 rebounds, also becoming the 20,000th point scorer in NBA history. The Bullets reached the 1987 playoffs but were swept in the first round by the Detroit Pistons; they faced the same fate against Detroit in the opening round of the 1988 postseason as well. Prior to the 1988-89 season, Malone agreed to a three-year contract with the Atlanta Hawks. That year, he posted averages of 20.2 points and 11.8 rebounds, earning his 12th and final All-Star selection. In the postseason, the Hawks were eliminated in the first round by the Milwaukee Bucks. The team struggled through the 1989-90 season, finishing 41-41 and missing the playoffs. In 1990-91, Malone became the NBA’s all-time leader in free throws made with 7,695, while also reaching 25,000 career points and 15,000 rebounds. The Hawks advanced to the 1991 playoffs but were bounced in the first round by the Pistons—his final postseason appearance. In 1991, Malone joined the Milwaukee Bucks as a free agent on a two-year deal. Despite his efforts, the Bucks managed only a 31-51 record in 1991-92, tying for last in the Central Division. He missed most of the 1992-93 season after surgery for a herniated disc, and the Bucks finished last in their division once more. Malone had two sons, Moses Jr. and Michael, with his wife Alfreda. The couple divorced in 1992 after Alfreda filed suit alleging cruelty and infidelity and obtained a restraining order against him. In early 1993, Malone was arrested in Galveston, Texas, on charges of stalking his ex-wife, trespassing on her property, and making death threats. Later in life, he was in a relationship with Leah Nash, with whom he had a son named Micah. On September 13, 2015, Malone died from complications related to heart disease at a Norfolk, Virginia hotel. Scheduled to participate in a charity golf tournament that day, he was found unresponsive in his room and was reportedly wearing a heart monitor at the time. © 2026 Celebrity Net Worth / All Rights Reserved