NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has been hospitalized after falling at a concert and suffering a broken hip, according to a statement by his long-time business partner Deborah Morales on Saturday.
Abdul-Jabbar, 76, was a six-time NBA champion and six-time Most Valuable Player in his 20 league seasons.
He was set for surgery later Saturday to repair the injury, Morales said in a statement.
“Last night while attending a concert, Kareem had an accidental fall and broke his hip. He will have surgery today,” Morales said.
“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 statement did not say what concert Abdul-Jabbar was attending when he fell.
The iconic 7-foot-2 (2.18m) superstar center made his NBA debut with the Milwaukee Bucks in 1969 and in 1971 led the Bucks to their first NBA crown.
Abdul-Jabbar was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 1975 and together with playmaker Magic Johnson combined for a “Showtime” era to bring the Lakers five titles in the 1980s before retiring in 1989.
The 19-time NBA All-Star big man, known for his trademark “Skyhook” shot, broke the NBA all-time scoring record in 1984 and held the NBA career points mark until it was broken by the newest Lakers star, LeBron James, earlier this year.
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