NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar breaks hip in fall at concert: Rep

NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar breaks hip in fall at concert: Rep

Abdul-Jabbar, 76, will undergo surgery on Saturday, his rep said.

ByMeredith Deliso

December 16, 2023, 4:40 PM

NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar broke his hip in a fall while attending a concert and will need surgery, his representative said.

Abdul-Jabbar, 76, was attending the undisclosed event Friday night in Los Angeles when he “had an accidental fall and broke his hip,” his representative, Deborah Morales, said in a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.

In this Dec. 3, 2023, file photo, former NBA player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is shown during a game between the Cleveland Browns and the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.Ric Tapia/Getty Images, FILE

The Hall of Famer is being treated at a Los Angeles hospital and will undergo surgery on Saturday, 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,” Morales said.

The 7-foot-2 center helped lead the Lakers to five NBA championships and is the NBA's only six-time MVP. He had the most career points in NBA history until LeBron James broke his record in February.

He announced in 2009 that he had been living with chronic myeloid leukemia, a blood cancer.

In 2020 he also revealed his battle with prostate cancer more than a decade after his diagnosis.