European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 02, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 26 the stars and stripes wednesday August 2, 1978 Aba millionaire Moses a one stuns Cage expert with successful jump to pro magi by Jeff Gordon us i writer Wiesbaden Germany sol five years ago a 19-year-old High school Stu Dent in Petersberg . Was the most wanted basketball player in the country. Two Hundred colleges did everything they could to get him. Legal or illegal and pro scouts just drooled. Coaches everywhere wanted to use 6-Lfl, 215-Pound Moses Malone to deliver them to the promised land the Mcaa title. But after deciding to attend University of Maryland he surprisingly signed a $3.3-million contract with the Utah stars of the american basketball association. The pressures of big Money the Lone pro schedule Long hours of travelling and the new environment bothered Malone but he has weathered the storm for a successful 24, Moses plays for the National basketball association s Houston rockets and is one of the hottest properties in Bas quiet but personable Malone was at Wiesbaden shopping Center tuesday on a Waverly cafes promotional tour. New Lite after turning pro Malone said it s been different the past four years. It s Nice. I love the Aba and i love playing basketball Malone said after his Rookie season that the travelling and living out of a suitcase was the most difficult change. But Malone seems to have adjusted Well. I feel i got used to the flying. I really enjoy it now he said. On the Road Malone does t try to paint the towns red. I Don t mess around. I get a Good meal to stay going and i rest a Barnes like Malone ran into sudden millions in pro Ball. Barnes could t handle it. He has a notorious life style which has run him out of Money out of shape and into trouble. Reggie Harding who came to the pros out of High school in the mid 1960s, sets a More poignant example. Harding could never adjust to the pro life he could never mature and leave his old neighbourhood. Harding had a Flash of Success in the Aba then drifted into crime drugs and the streets. He was too Nice to have ene Mies but he died in a Pool of blood in his old neighbourhood the victim of murder. Moses Malone on the other hand seems to handled Success Well. He likes to keep a relaxed Pace and a Low profile. In the off season he said he instructs three or four basketball Camps but Basi Cally just takes it easy. I like to rest. I Don t do too much watch a lot of to. I get enough travelling during the season. Too Malone was the first Man drafted out of High school by a pro basketball team under the Modem draft. A year later Darryl Dawkins and Bill Willoughby. Two promis ing big men were drafted from the prep writers said the High school players would t make it big in the pro game because they lacked the experience and maturity needed. And Dawkins and Willoughby have yet to make it said the same things about me. But i never had any Malone said. He Tore up the Aba in his Rookie season scoring Over is Points a game and finishing among the leaders in yield goal percent age blocked shots and has not been a flashy scorer in his past three seasons but experts say he is the quickest big Man Ever to play the game and perhaps the finest offensive rebounded the summer Malone says he likes to study. He brought accounting and business books on his trip to Europe and has been Reading in his spare time. You can t play All your life. Your legs Are going to go out on you he said. I Don t want to wait 10 or is years to by recruiters Malone refuses to talk about the times when hundreds of coaches tried to woe him every just want to forget All about he former High school coach pro Hayes told a reporter there were some schools that offered him everything. Cash and everything else you could think of. Some schools even offered me a coaching Job if i delivered Roberts offered to heal Malone s ailing Mother if he would play Tor his University. Lefty Driesell of Maryland literally camped out on Malone s front Lawn. Clemson representatives reportedly gave Malone s Uncle thousands of dollars of bribe Money which made the Mcaa Ner Wisenant an assistant coach at new Mexico spent three months in a Petersberg Motel trying to land Malone. He told a reporter Moses would come by and talk about girls basketball cars any thing just to get away from everyone Malone had the misfortune of playing for the Utah stars a team which folded after the 1974-75 season. He was sent to St. Nininger named Cage coach at North Dakota state. Fargo. N. D. Up North Dakota state has announced the appointment of Irv Inniger or. As the new head coach of the Bison basketball team. Inniger 33, has been head coach at Augsburg College in Minneapolis for the past five years. Louis but after the team folded when the Aba and Aba Portland of the Aba drafted him in the dispersal draft but they already had an All Star Center and an All Star Power for Ward so Moses had nowhere to play he was shipped to Buffalo where he played a few games then was unloaded to Houston where he has settled Malone who disliked All the travel of pro Ball the Content shifting must have been trying. He refused to discuss that period offering Only a wince when All the trades were s original pro contract expires in two years and he is unsure of his future. He said he discuss his situation with his lawyer and take the Best offer. You have to play where you Are most near the hoop Malone s Forte is the offensive rebound. He finished second in the Aba in the re bounding race last season and experts have said Malone is the Best offensive re Bounder in its history in terms of pure ability. He also has been called the Quick est big Man Ever in the Aba. But it was a big step up from dominating High school kids to mixing it up with taller and stronger was t too much height in High school. Basically. I had Roget used to the Heights of the with the addition of the four Aba teams play has gotten tougher he said. Malone said he Battles 225-245-Pound for wards and centers and the key to Success racing Roundup. Continued rom Page 25 fresh Start and everyone in the team is determined that the arrows organization will continue. Fortunately we have been working for some weeks on a new car and we re now working Flat out to have two completely new cars ready for the austrian grand prix on aug. 13." the arrows team is sponsored by the German War Steiner brewery with ital Ian Ricardo Patrese and Germany s Rolf Stemmelen contracted As Drivers. Meanwhile Shadow Boss Don Nichols said the decision totally vindicates me and the Loyal Shadow where to go this weekend two races this weekend the Zond Voort trophy race in Holland and an International event at Mainz Fin then army Airfield in Germany. Sunday s race at Zand Voort is for touring cars. Its. Sports cars. Super vees. Vees and formula Fords. At Mainz Fin then us races Are on sunday s program one a formula Ford Golden Don trophy race with american driven Barney Barnes Kelly Carder Steve Kara Worth and Craig Higgins among the 45 or m entrants. Touring can. Formula vees Golf gals and races for historical can Are also on the program. Practice for All categories goes All Day saturday with sunday program begin inc at . Looking ahead briefly the austrian grand prix will be staged on the Osler Weichring at Zel Tweg. Between Knittelfelde and Judenberg in Central Austria on aug. 13 while the automobile club von deutschland avd will hold its annual event for historical cars on the curb urging that same weekend. A highlight of the curb urging program will be a Salute to Ferrari marking the famous italian Marque s 30th year in racing. More next week on both events but if you re a Veteran car Buff be certain to make the curb urging on aug 12-13, and take your camera is you have to get to the you can t just try to muscle i the his Rookie season he Toul or there is a lot of Contact in the it took awhile to get used to it. 0 big things i had to learn was thai to push Back. You can t let these a and shove or they la push you a Iback to the he said i Learned the myself As a youngster shoo Ball and when he made the big pros basically i just help edit the Aba Contact has recent years and writers fett uni reached the boiling Point when Inous fistfights broke out last Al Tomjanovich Malone s teammate face caved in in the most serious my Malone indicated the intense players Start shoving thing then tempers flare. Should Iees Call a tighter game you Don t want a Sissy sport tuesday but he added the i should Call what they should Call Malone will Likely be moved l full time Center on the rockets Noli. With the addition of Long Range Sher Rick Barry. He and Rudy t shooters. They will take the the is i really Don t have any Goat future. If you have goals and nothem you Stop. 1 just want to Mues Malone Gio. Ill Pound Basket Ball Star for Ibe Houston Rocke i a. Pears like a giant to Roger Hudwell land of the giants i Eft and Phinney Bane a visit to cafes shopping Center la 1baden. Sip Boubel
