Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Hospitalized After Breaking His Hip At A Concert
Basketball great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has undergone surgery for a broken hip.
The 76-year-old was hospitalized Friday after an accident at an event in the Los Angeles area.
Deborah Morales, Abdul-Jabbar’s longtime business partner, updated fans in a post on X, formerly Twitter, on Saturday, writing on the famed athlete’s account: “Last night while attending a concert, Kareem had an accidental fall and broke his hip. He will have surgery today.”
In the statement, Morales also wrote that everyone was “deeply appreciative of all the support for Kareem,” and thanked the Los Angeles Fire Department for assisting him “on site.” She also expressed gratitude for “the amazing medical team and doctors at UCLA Hospital who are taking great care of Kareem now.”
Further details about the concert were not disclosed.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar attends a game between the Cleveland Browns and the Los Angeles Rams in December 2023. He was hospitalized over the weekend after falling and breaking his hip.
In February, Abdul-Jabbar shared with People magazine that he had been diagnosed with atrial fibrillation after “having irregular heartbeat, shortness of breath and had no energy or stamina” for years. According to the American Heart Association, other symptoms can include chest pain and light-headedness.
The legendary athlete was drafted into the NBA by the Milwaukee Bucks in 1969 and won his first championship with the team in 1971. He played with the Bucks until 1975 when he went to the Los Angeles Lakers.
As part of the Lakers’ legendary “Showtime” era of the 1980s, the UCLA alum snagged five championship rings. He retired from the sport in 1989 at the age of 42.
From 1984 to 2023, Abdul-Jabbar held the NBA career scoring record with 38,387 points. He was surpassed by LeBron James in February following a game between the Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder, where James scored 38 points and brought his career total up to 38,390.
