"People are paying big dollars. They deserve a show every night" - Moses Malone vowed to always play hard in 1982 originally appeared on Basketball Network .
Moses Malone was a hard-working player who gave his all each time he took the court. His work ethic was unlike any other, and that rewarded Moses with accolades and big paychecks.
For the 6-foot-10 big man, playing hard was a must. He owed it to the fans who shell out hard-earned money to watch quality games. Hence, Malone made sure that they got their money's worth.
"I just made up my mind I was going to play harder," said Malone in 1982 when he was still with the Houston Rockets . "Everybody is working harder. People are playing big dollars. They deserve a show every night."
In the 1981-82 season, Malone backed up those words. He averaged his career best in points at 31.1 points per game. Aside from that, Moses was also a monster off the boards, hauling down 14.7 rebounds per contest in the regular season.
With that performance, it was hardly surprising that he won his second Most Valuable Player award, having first won the award in 1979.
Despite those huge numbers, Malone made it a point to get better. Although he admitted seeing improvements to his game, Big Mo felt he still had more to learn.
"'I feel I'm making more shots, getting stronger, getting older and getting wiser," the two-time MVP said. "There are lots of things you can learn from this game."
With Malone leading the way, the Rockets finished the regular season with a 46-36 record. This was enough for Houston to advance to the playoffs as the sixth seed. Unfortunately, the Seattle Supersonics eliminated them in the first round, 2-1.
Coming off a good performance in the 1981-82 season, Malone proved he deserved the big money he was getting from the Rockets . However, all that changed when the franchise was sold, and new owners felt his salary was not in their plans.
Moses signed an offer sheet with the Philadelphia 76ers , a pact worth $13.2 million spread over six years. Houston matched it but traded Malone to the Sixers anyway.
The decision was costly for the Rockets, dealing away one of the dominant centers in that era. However, Houston's loss was Philadelphia 's gain. Malone was joining a talented team that included Julius Erving, easily making the 76ers one of the top teams for the 1982-83 season.
Adding another superstar in Malone raised questions about whether he could co-exist with Erving. Moses made it clear that he joined Philly to win and not to steal the spotlight from Dr. J.
"I come here not declaring myself a superstar player," Malone said via the NYT. "I'm a hard-working player. Doc's a great player, and he wants to win like I do. That makes it easy for us to play together. I didn't come here to cause trouble and lose games."
With Malone hitting it off well with Erving, the Sixers finished the regular season with the best overall record (65-17) and the top seed in the Eastern Conference. With Philly rolling, Moses boldly predicted that they would sweep teams pitted against them in the playoffs.
Looking at the results of the 1983 playoffs, Malone's declaration almost came true. That was until the Milwaukee Bucks defeated them in Game 5 of the EC Finals, 100-94.
However, that loss hardly mattered. The Sixers got back on track and never lost again up to the finals. They swept the Los Angeles Lakers for the championship, the third title for the Sixers in franchise history.
The coming of Malone was undoubtedly the key to the 76ers winning the 1983 championship. Sixers coach Billy Cunningham and Erving admitted Big Mo provided that big lift , the missing piece for Philly after years of disappointment.
For Moses, it was the first and only championship of his NBA career. He could have won more, but there were factors beyond his control. Regardless, Malone had already established himself as one of the best undersized big men at that point, which is why he earned his spot among the NBA greats.
Related: "Nobody works harder" - Kings coach implored his players to follow Moses Malone's example
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 15, 2025, where it first appeared.
