Sixers, NBA Greats Remember Moses Malone
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Former 76ers center Moses Malone has died at the age of 60 of an apparent heart attack.
He's remembered as a towering talent who was also deeply humble. At his Basketball Hall of Fame enshrinement, Malone said he owed a debt to his teammates, past and present, on and off the court:
"To me, they're the players that made me what I am, 'cause without them, Mister Malone would not be here."
Philadelphia basketball icon Sonny Hill tells KYW Newsradio that was classic Moses Malone:
"That was a big part of who he was, in terms of recognizing that on the long journey he had, that there were so many people that were there, to support him, and to help him to become who he eventually became, one of the great basketball players of all time."
Hill says Malone's small-town Virginia values were instrumental to his mastery on the hardwood:
"When you think about Moses Malone, you think about a guy that you can depend on, from the opening of the game until the end of the game, just because he was relentless, and he was a hard worker. One of the hardest working players ever in the NBA."
PHOTOS: Remembering Moses Malone
Malone and Julius Erving led the Sixers to a title in 1983. Dr. J says Malone got them over the hump:
"Moses coming to the fray after six years, we had been knocked out of the finals three times, we were the second best team in the world, so he was the catalyst."
Other legends of the game shared their thoughts via Twitter.
Sixers fan also shared their thoughts with CBS 3:
"It's kind of sad to hear that, with him passing two weeks after Darryl Dawkins passed away, so it's a tragic loss for those two individuals."
"When someone passes away that young it's really untimely, especially somebody who really lifted this city up. He transformed the 76ers franchise the way Pete Rose transformed the Phillies."
Hill adds he even refers to Malone as "the James Brown of basketball."
KYW Newsradio's Molly Daly contributed to this story...
