The inventor of the NBA’s most unstoppable move is in bad shape.
NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was hospitalized after falling at a concert in Los Angeles.
Abdul-Jabbar’s representative Deborah Morales told TMZ the accident occurred on Friday night when he fell and shattered his hip.
He was quickly rushed to UCLA Hospital with Morales stating the Hall of Famer was “deeply appreciative” of the help he received.
“Last night, while attending a concert, Kareem had an accidental fall and broke his hip. He will have surgery today,” Morales told People.
“We are all deeply appreciative of all the support for Kareem, especially from the Los Angeles Fire Department who assisted Kareem on site, and the amazing medical team and doctors at UCLA Hospital who are taking great care of Kareem now.”
It is currently unknown what concert he was attending.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has been hospitalized after falling and breaking his hip, per TMZ.
Wishing him a swift recovery. 🙏🏼🙏🏼 pic.twitter.com/7MdJ6KhbBJ
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) December 16, 2023
In 2020, the former Lakers center penned an article for WebMD where he wrote about healthcare and black Americans and revealed he previously had prostate cancer.
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“Being Black means I’m more likely to suffer from diabetes, heart problems, obesity, cancer, and a shorter life in general,” Abdul-Jabbar wrote.
“Yup, tall people and Black people have shorter life expectancies. So far, in keeping with these statistical risks, I’ve had prostate cancer, leukemia, and heart bypass surgery.”
“I’ve been fortunate because my celebrity has brought me enough financial security to receive excellent medical attention,” Abdul-Jabbar added.
“No one wants an NBA legend dying on their watch. Imagine the Yelp reviews,” the basketball legend joked.
Abdul-Jabbar started his career at UCLA where he won three national titles, according to the New York Post.
Through college (and during his earliest rise to basketball dominance in high school) Abdul-Jabbar went by his birth name of Ferdinand “Lew” Lewis Alcindor Jr., and he dominated college basketball in ways seldom seen before in the 1960s.
He later went on to play 20 seasons in the NBA with the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks. After leading the Bucks to the franchise’s first championship in 1971, Alcindor would take a Muslim name in Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame added that “Abdul-Jabbar is a six-time NBA Champion, six-time NBA Most Valuable Player, two-time NBA Finals MVP, 19-time NBA All-Star, and second on the league’s all-time scoring list.”
(Abdul-Jabbar was the NBA’s all-time leading scorer for decades, until Lakers star LeBron James broke the record in February of this year.)
Abdul-Jabbar wasn’t just known for his lengthy list of titles and awards. The 7-foot-2 NBA legend is also credited with inventing the “sky hook” — a shot that took every advantage of the lanky legend’s tall frame, and was virtually unblockable.
