NBA Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is recovering after undergoing surgery for a broken hip. His procedure was completed with "no complications," and he is expected to be in recovery for three months, his business partner and spokeswoman, Deborah Morales, told The Associated Press on Monday.
Abdul-Jabbar was in Los Angeles to see The Manhattan Transfer's last public concert and read a letter to the legendary group from Vice President Kamala Harris, when he suffered an unfortunate fall and broke his hip.
"I'd like to say I fell while trying to save a child from plunging over a balcony, but I just tripped," Abdul-Jabbar wrote in his latest Substack article. "Hard for me to accept that a once world-class athlete just stumbled. But age is the great equalizer and humbles us all. Now, I'm a world-class patient in a bed convalescing from a hip replacement like 450,000 other Americans every year."
In his dispatch, Abdul-Jabbar shared the letter from Harris, which he was never able to read, as well as his own thoughts and well-wishes for The Manhattan Transfer, which read, in part:
"Goodbye, my friends. I'm sorry I was not able to join you onstage to read the letter and tell the audience how much your music has meant to me. I hope this makes up for it in some small way. On the plus side, my fall hit all the newspapers so I made your final show even more memorable."
Abdul-Jabbar received a number of messages of support, including one from long-time teammate, Magic Johnson.
"I'm wishing my Showtime teammate Kareem Abdul-Jabbar a speedy recovery after falling and breaking his hip! Praying for the Captain!" Johnson wrote on Twitter.
This is the latest in what's been a series of health issues that Abdul-Jabbar has dealt with over the years, which also includes leukemia, prostate cancer and heart bypass surgery.
Abdul-Jabbar had one of the most decorated NBA careers in league history, winning six championships and six league MVP awards to go along with 19 All-Star Game selections. He has the most MVPs in NBA history, and is tied with current Lakers star LeBron James for the All-Star record.
His illustrious resume extends off the court as well, where he has been just as impactful, if not more so. Abdul-Jabbar has been a prominent activist and author throughout his life, using his platform to speak on and advance a variety of issues, ranging from equality for Black people in America to the need for college athletes to be compensated.
The No. 1 overall pick in the 1969 NBA Draft, Abdul-Jabbar spent 20 seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Lakers. His iconic No. 33 is retired by both teams.
During the Bucks' win over the Houston Rockets on Sunday, Giannis Antetokounmpo passed Abdul-Jabbar to become the franchise's all-time leading rebounder with 7,165.
"It's a big compliment. Nobody can ever take this away from you," Antetokounmpo said. "I don't think anybody assumed ... That a kid from Greece, a skinny kid from Greece that was drafted, supposed to play in the G League, would be in a position to break Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record."
