Moses Malone

Malone was one of only two players in basketball history to jump directly from high school to professional basketball before Kevin Garnett popularized the path in 1995 — a decision considered extraordinarily risky at the time.

His fo-fi-fo playoff prediction before the 1983 season remains one of the most famous in basketball history — the 76ers lost just one playoff game en route to the championship.

Malone holds the NBA record for career offensive rebounds — his rebounding dominance was the result of extraordinary positioning and anticipation rather than pure athleticism.

He passed away on September 13, 2015, at age 60, and is remembered as one of the greatest interior players and rebounders in the history of professional basketball.