Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has been hospitalized following an "accidental fall" that resulted in a broken hip.
TMZ Sports reports the 76-year-old Los Angeles Lakers legend was transported to UCLA Hospital Friday night after he fell and broke his hip while attending a concert in L.A. According to Abdul-Jabbar's longtime business partner Deborah Morales, the retired NBA champion is scheduled to undergo surgery on Saturday.
“Last night, while attending a concert, Kareem had an accidental fall and broke his hip. He will have surgery today," Morales told People magazine.
Morales added, "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."
The news arrives three years after Kareem revealed he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer and beaten the disease.
"I’ve been fortunate because my celebrity has brought me enough financial security to receive excellent medical attention," Abdul-Jabbar wrote in an essay published in Dec. 2020 on WebMD. "But while I’m grateful for my advantages, I’m acutely aware that many others in the Black community do not have the same options and that it is my responsibility to join with those fighting to change that. Because Black lives are at risk. Serious risk."
Drafted out of UCLA in 1969, Kareem played 20 seasons in the NBA, winning six championships (one with the Bucks in 1971 and five more with the Lakers in the 1980s), two Finals MVPs (1971, 1985), and six NBA MVPs (1971, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1977, 1980).
