Doc Rivers on Moses Malone: ‘The NBA lost a giant ... and I lost a friend’

Clippers Coach Doc Rivers said he remembers the late Moses Malone as “a teammate, a friend and a mentor.”

Malone, a three-time NBA MVP, died Sunday in Norfolk, Va., at the age of 60.

In a statement Sunday, Rivers, who played with Malone on the Atlanta Hawks from 1988-91, said he was “saddened by the news of the passing of Moses. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.”

“For me,” Rivers said, “Moses was a teammate, a friend and a mentor. He taught me what it took to be a ‘true pro.’ The NBA lost a giant today and I lost a friend. Moses Malone -- there was truly no one like him.”

Malone, the first player to enter the NBA straight out of high school, averaged a double-double -- with 20.6 points per game and 12.2 rebounds -- while playing for eight teams over 20 NBA seasons. The 6-foot-10 center led the league in rebounding six times.

Malone was found dead in a hotel in Norfolk after he didn’t show up for a celebrity golf tournament that he was scheduled to attend, according to police. There was no sign of foul play, authorities said.