NBA Legend Hospitalized, Undergoes Emergency Surgery

NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has been hospitalized after suffering a broken hip when he fell at a concert in Los Angeles, his representative Deborah Morales told multiple outlets.

Abdul-Jabbar, 76, was taken to the hospital Friday night after falling at the undisclosed event and had to be rushed to undergo surgery Saturday, according to Morales.

As with any surgical procedure, there are some risks. But during and after a hip replacement, those risks include:

• Bleeding
• Infection
• Leg length discrepancy
• Injury to nearby nerves
• Fracture
• Continued pain or stiffness
• Dislocation

One of the most common serious medical complications related to joint replacement surgery is blood clots. But, because of his age and history of health issues, Kareem’s doctors will be keeping an eye out for Deep vein thrombosis (DVT), which refers to a blood clot in the leg and is called a deep vein thrombosis. A sudden increase in leg swelling along with calf tenderness may be the first sign of a blood clot in the leg.

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Kareem has had his fair share of health issues over the years. In 2020, Abdul-Jabbar revealed that he had prostate cancer. In 2009, he said he was diagnosed the previous year with chronic myeloid leukemia, a cancer of the blood.

Most recently in February 2023, 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;

• Extreme fatigue
• An irregular heartbeat
• Heart palpitations
• A feeling of butterflies or a fish flopping in your chest
• Dizziness or lightheadedness
• Fainting (syncope)
• Shortness of breath (dyspnea)
• Chest pain (angina)

Atrial fibrillation (AFib) is an irregular and often very rapid heart rhythm. An irregular heart rhythm is called an arrhythmia. AFib can lead to blood clots in the heart. The condition also increases the risk of stroke, heart failure and other heart-related complications

After surgery, some of the things Kareem’s doctors will likely tell him not to do:

• Don’t cross your legs at the knees for at least 6 to 8 weeks.
• Don’t bring your knee up higher than your hip.
• Don’t lean forward while sitting or as you sit down.
• Don’t try to pick up something on the floor while you are sitting.
• Don’t turn your feet excessively inward or outward when you bend down.

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.

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As part of the Lakers’ legendary “Showtime” era of the 1980s, the UCLA alum has five championship rings. He retired from the sport in 1989 at the age of 42.

The Lakers superstar and six-time NBA MVP has added to his stellar basketball career as a writer, activist and humanitarian who has spoken on a number of social justice causes. He is the author of more than a dozen books and was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2016 by former President Obama.

Abdul-Jabbar writes about sports, politics and culture on his Substack newsletter and has written a number of opinion pieces in other publications, including The Times.