Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was hospitalized in Los Angeles on Friday night after breaking his hip while attending a concert, his representative has confirmed.
Deborah Morales, Abdul-Jabbar’s rep, said in a statement on social media that the injury resulted from a fall.
“Last night, while attending a concert, Kareem had an accidental fall and broke his hip,” she said. “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.”
TMZ was the first to report the news.
The 7-foot-2 Jabbar, is a Hall of Famer who won six NBA titles, five of them as a member of the LA Lakers. Since his retirement in 1989, he has become known for his work as an activist and writer. He also has had his share of health issues, including a bout with prostate cancer, leukemia and heart bypass surgery.
It was not immediately known the concert Abdul-Jabbar was attending, or the venue where it was held.
Earlier this year, Abdul-Jabbar was in attendance when the Lakers’ LeBron James surpassed his all-time NBA scoring record.
He has written 15 books, among them Coach Wooden and Me: Our 50-Year Friendship On and Off the Court, and Becoming Kareem: Growing Up On and Off the Court. President Obama awarded Abdul-Jabbar the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016.
During his playing days, the UCLA grad gained additional fame in the classic spoof Airplane! He portrayed flight crew member Roger Murdock, who memorably pushes back on a kid’s suggestion that he doesn’t play hard enough. (Murcock, in a surreal touch, is later carted out of the cockpit clad in the actor’s signature No. 33 Lakers uniform.)
