Moses Malone has a unique place in ACC history. A native of Petersburg, Virginia, Malone was intensely recruited in high school, and ultimately chose Maryland. He would have enrolled in 1974.
However, Malone, who grew up in grinding poverty, opted to sign with the Utah Stars of the ABA.
If he had signed with Maryland, given the tendencies of the era, he probably would have stayed for at least three years. That would have meant he would have had teammates like Mo Howard, Brad Davis, Steve Sheppard,
Albert King, and, most of all, John Lucas.
Lucas was a superb point guard, and Malone would have been a huge weapon for him to work with.
Consider this: in 1975, UCLA’s John Wooden won his last championship. In 1976, Indiana’s Bob Knight won his first. In 1977, it was Al McGuire and Marquette, and in 1978, it was Kentucky.
That Indiana squad was undefeated for a reason: it was a phenomenal team. But the others?
They were beatable. It’s not inconceivable that Maryland would have won two or more national championships with Malone. He might also have played on the 1976 Olympic team.
This video looks at his greatness, what made him so extraordinary, and why today he is so often overlooked.
But make no mistake: Malone could go toe-to-toe with anyone.
Sadly, Malone died in 2015 of heart disease. He was just 60.
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