Report: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar hospitalized with broken hip after fall at concert
NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has been hospitalized after a fall at a concert, according to TMZ. He suffered a broken hip, per his representative.
Abdul-Jabbar was attending a concert in Los Angeles when he fell, and he was quickly transported to the hospital. His condition had not been released at the time of publication, but his representative said he is “deeply appreciative” of the response from the Los Angeles Fire Department and the “amazing medical team and doctors at UCLA Hospital who are taking great care of (him),” TMZ reported.
Abdul-Jabbar’s business partner Deborah Morales later released a statement on the situation and confirmed he will undergo surgery on Saturday.
“Last night while attending a concert, Kareem had an accidental fall and broke his hip,” the statement read. “He will have surgery today. 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.”
Abdul-Jabbar is considered one of the greatest college and pro basketball players of all-time. After a decorated career at UCLA — when he went by the name Lew Alcindor — Abdul-Jabbar became one of the NBA’s 75 greatest players during his career with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers.
UCLA won three NCAA Tournament championships with Abdul-Jabbar, and the NCAA actually banned dunking while he was in college. After his three years with the Bruins, the Bucks selected him with the No. 1 overall pick in 1969. He helped Milwaukee win its first title in 1971 and won three MVP awards with the franchise, and he added even more to his resume after the Bucks traded him to the Lakers in 1975.
Los Angeles won five titles and Abdul-Jabbar won three more MVPs with the Lakers. His “Sky Hook” move became one of the most iconic shots in NBA history as he made 19 All-Star games and became the league’s all-time leading scorer in 1984. He held that spot until last season when LeBron James broke his record.
Abdul-Jabbar was in attendance for that moment, and he reflected on James’ career during a postgame interview on TNT.
“LeBron’s career is one of someone who planned to dominate this game,” Abdul-Jabbar said, via ESPN’s Dave McMenamin and Ohm Youngmisuk. “And it’s gone for almost 20 years now. You have to give him credit for just the way he played and for the way he’s lasted and dominated. He has that indefinable essence that they call leadership.”
Away from the court, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar also became a well-known activist. He famously boycotted the 1968 Summer Olympics as a protest, and he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by former President Barack Obama in 2016. He also dealt with his share of health issues over the years, including a battle with leukemia, which he beat in 2011.