MOSES: THE MAN ON TOP OF THE NBA MOUNTAIN

January 22, 1980

He comes to town as the fans' choice as the best center in the Eastern Conference of the NBA. But then the fans this year only confirmed what most people around the league knew last season, when Moses Malone of the Houston Rockets was voted the most valuable player.

In a sense, his success is a story right out of Horatio Alger. The dream of every high school kid in America, it seems, is toone day play in the NBA. Malone, now 24, not only made that dream come true but in doing so became the finest rebounder and one of the strongest centers in the game.

And yet, in many ways he seems much like the 18-year-old who signed directly out of Petersburg (Va.) High School.

"I'm not going to take any credit or tell you that coaching is what has made him one of the stars of our league," says rookie coach Del Harris, who has been working with Malone for the last five years, primarily as a Rocket assistant. "If you want to give credit to anybody, give it to Moses, because most of what he has become has been done on his own.

"What he has is not something you can necessarily teach. He's an instinctive player, maybe the best instinctive player in this league. I've tried to help him along the way wherever I could. But he's learned things mostly on his own. The key is that he is like a basketball fanatic. He understands."

This is the same Moses Malone who in 1974 joined the Utah Stars of the old ABA and became one of the early stars of that league with his raw strength inside. He is a muscle player, 235 pounds of nasty. He once played for the very free Spirits of St. Louis, an ABA team that once had such diverse personalities as Maurice Lucas, Marvin Barnes and Don Chaney. Somehow, Malone emerged from all of this, and the shock of baptism when he was drafted into the NBA, to become as solid a citizen as you'll find.

"I'm sure there are players with better stats than Moses," says Harris. "But I don't think there was a player in the entire NBA who was as effective a player or did more to help his club win than Moses. Effectiveness. That's what he got his MVP for a year ago. And he's doing pretty much the same this year."

Malone has achieved much greater success than was predicted for him when he graduated from high school almost six years ago. That he choose a pro career over a college education was a subject of controversy at the time, and still is today whenever he is compared with the 76ers' Darryl Dawkins, who signed out of high school one year later.

"But Moses likes to play the game," says veteran guard Calvin Murphy. "And he has the natural talent and ability to play the game well. Not everybody who plays at a college can come into the NBA and do that. In fact, a lot of guys whom you thought would be good pro players have flopped. Moses has the skills, and does it naturally. If he ever puts the head' part of his game together, he will be simply awesome."

Malone, who will be leading the Rockets against the Celtics tonight (7:30 p.m., WBZ) is up to his old tricks lately, which is one of the reasons Houston has won six of its last eight games. In 47 games this season, he has averaged 15.7 rebounds, including 371 on the offensive boards, tops in the league in both categories. He has come a long way from his early days in the NBA. Malone was selected by Portland - a club that already had Bill Walton - in the ABA dispersal draft of 1976, and was shuffled to Buffalo that year before the ink was dry on his contract. The Braves then "gave" Malone away to Houston for a draft choice and a cup of coffee.

There he was reunited with Tom Nissalke, now with Utah, and Harris. Nissalke had coached Malone in the ABA and didn't hesitate to build around a 20-year-old, who led the Rockets to a playoff berth in 1976-77. The rest, as they say, is a bit of very pleasant history.

"I don't know the kid all that well," said Celtic coach Bill Fitch. "But just to accomplish what he has done tells me a lot about what kind of person he is. He obviously has been a person who has listened to the advice of his elders. And he seems to be a person who cares about people. The rest is easy, for he is a marvelous player who has learned how to use his skills very well. He makes Houston a great club."

Malone himself prefers to deal with the present rather than the past. It is true he is a super fan, often dropping in on college games in Houston just to see how the new kids on the block are doing. He is a fan. But he is also a player, and with him the game always seems to come first.

"I know other guys have gotten more attention than me because of the success of their teams," says Malone. "But I've never really paid much attention to things like that, because there are a lot of very good players in the league besides myself.

"Basketball is a team game and the main thing is still to win as a team. The individual honors will come if your team is winning. That's what has happened in Darryl's case. But he's a fine player, too. People around the league know who I am, and the very fact that they come to me now means they know what I'm about. I know Houston is a town where football gets a lot of attention. But I'm not going to worry about that, either. I can enjoy Houston for whatever is happening there."

Rudy Tomjanovich, the veteran Houston forward, says Malone's growth has been unbelievable.

"Some players improve from year to year," he said. "With Moses, it is like week to week. He used to make a lot of turnovers and his basketball sense wasn't what it is today. He's not making those kind of turnovers much now. He has a better understanding of his game and what we're trying to do.

"A big adjustment for him was not so much on the court, but to the pro lifestyle. It's a big social thing for a guy who comes into the game at age 18. When you make money at an early age, there are a lot of temptations. But I think he's handled the situation and himself very well. It's a great tribute to him."

Harris said it is more than a tribute. It is a lasting testimonial that life does not have to be as complicated as people make it out to be. Malone's financial problems are handled by his Washington attorney, Lee Fentress (Malone signed a three-year contract last year). Mostly, he just plays basketball.