Malone died in his sleep at a hotel in Virginia where he was set to play in a golf tournament, former teammate Calvin Murphy told Fox 26 in Houston.
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Malone went straight to the ABA from high school in 1974 and starred in the startup league before becoming a legend when the ABA and NBA merged. He became a monster on the boards in Houston, leading the league with 17.6 rebounds per game in 1979 as he won his first MVP award. The team confirmed the loss of the Rocket legend on Twitter.
But Malone’s greatest achievement might have come in helping lead the 76ers to the 1983 NBA title during a season in which he won his second consecutive league MVP honor and third overall as the team went 12-1 in the playoffs.
The 76ers released a statement shortly after news of Malone’s death broke.
The big man remained in the league for more than a decade after that, ending his career with a brief run as a backup to David Robinson in San Antonio in 1994-95 as a 39-year-old.
For his career, Malone averaged 20.3 points and 12.3 rebounds in 1,455 professional games between the ABA and NBA.
He is the second iconic player of his era to die in recent weeks; Darryl Dawkins passed away Aug. 27 at age 58.
