San Antonio Spurs: 15 players you may have forgot played in San Antonio

No. 13: Moses Malone (1994-95)

Before the era of the “Boardman getting paid,” San Antonio’s No. 2 jersey belonged to the “Chairman of the Boards,” arguably the game’s most respected offensive rebounder.

Moses Malone entered the NBA through uncharted waters, as one of the NBA’s few prep-to-pro success stories in 1975. What would follow — 13 All-Star appearances, three Most Valuable Player awards, and a “fo-fo-fo” demolition of the league in 1982-83 — became the stuff of legends.

By 1994-95, Malone no longer had the verve and vigor to chase down rebounds the way he did when he led the league in offensive rebounds in every season from 1976-77 to 1982-83. But at the very least, he provided us with a Tier I “What if that frontcourt was in its prime?” San Antonio Spurs team that featured David Robinson in his peak, and fellow All-Stars Dennis Rodman and Terry Cummings.

Malone’s swan song in San Antonio lasted just 149 minutes. But, it wasn’t without flair or dramatics. The final shot of his Hall of Fame career — a one-handed wind-up bomb from 80-feet away — gave him the first 3-pointer of his career. Talk about leaving nothing in the chamber.

That January game against Charlotte at the Alamodome was the last we’d see of the then 40-year-old Malone. He later suffered a ruptured tendon in his right leg.

By then, Malone had made a bit of a habit out of brief cameos that were awkward to look at in hindsight. After the glory in Philadelphia ended in 1986, Malone spent the back-half of his 30s on four different teams.

By the time the San Antonio Spurs had their chance with Malone, he was the fourth most prolific scorer to ever play basketball, a testament to his longevity. If only ink hit paper a decade or so earlier.