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From High School to the ABA: Moses Malone's Grassroots Legend

超级管理员

NBA

10 views07/07/2026, 06:15 ET

Moses Malone skipped college and went straight from high school to the ABA, then into the NBA, becoming one of the first "high school players" in scouting history, grinding from grassroots to three-time MVP.

Moses Malone's road to basketball was different from the start. Born in Virginia in 1955, he was already a nationally watched center prospect in high school. Unlike most prodigies of his era, Moses did not follow the usual path to college; in 1974 he signed straight out of high school with the ABA's Utah Stars — becoming one of the first "prep-to-pro" high school players in American professional basketball history.

The ABA's fast pace and free style gave Moses room to adapt to pro-level physicality. After one season, the ABA merged with the NBA, and he was absorbed into the NBA's Buffalo Braves (soon traded), moving through several teams before truly breaking out with the Houston Rockets. He won his first Regular Season MVP in 1979 and another in 1982, establishing himself as a top center.

From high school to the pros, Moses had no blue-blood pedigree; everything came from day-after-day grinding. His footwork, hook shot, and rebound instincts were built point by point in gyms and playgrounds. After joining the 76ers in 1982, that ABA-to-NBA resume finally paid off in 1983 — a championship plus Finals MVP.

Moses's grassroots trajectory also changed how the league viewed "high school players." After him, more young talents began trying to skip college and chase the dream, and Moses Malone was the earliest pioneer and proof of that path.