25 Most Dynamic Duos in NBA History

#16 Moses Malone and Julius Erving (Philadelphia 76ers)

Moses Malone and Julius Erving (Image courtesy: si.com)

Julius Erving had spent the better part of a decade in Philly where each and every year he faced heartbreak. He lost in Conference Finals three times and twice in the NBA finals. He was desperate at the time and in 1982 he and his team found their missing piece.

Moses Malone was just coming off an MVP season in Houston and was a free-agent. The 76ers wasted no time in getting the deal done. This proved to be the turning point in both Malone and Erving's career.

Their first season together saw them win the 1983 NBA championship in convincing fashion by sweeping the Lakers in the final. On the whole, they went 12-1 in the playoffs. Their dominant season prompted Malone to predict the famous "fo-fo-fo" indicating four games taken to complete every series in the playoffs.

They were upset in the first round of the playoffs by the Nets in the following season, but they did manage to reach the Eastern Conference Finals in 1985 before losing to a resurgent Boston Celtics led by Larry Bird.

In his time with the 76ers, Malone also became the first and so far the only player to win the MVP in consecutive seasons with two different teams. He also won his fifth consecutive rebounding title which was a record at the time. He was traded to Washington in 1986.