Kareem Abdul-Jabbar underwent quadruple coronary bypass surgery Thursday at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. Doctors expect the Basketball Hall of Famer and NBA's all-time leading scorer to make a full recovery.
"At this time, Abdul-Jabbar would like to thank his surgical team and the medical staff at UCLA, his alma mater, for the excellent care he has received. He is looking forward to getting back to his normal activities soon," read a UCLA hospital statement sent to TIME, for which Abdul-Jabbar serves as a columnist. "He asks that you keep him in your thoughts and, most importantly, cherish and live each day to its fullest."
Coincidentally, Thursday was also Abdul-Jabbar's 68th birthday. His former Los Angeles Lakers teammate, Magic Johnson, and many others took to Twitter today to wish the six-time NBA champion a speedy recovery.
Wishing a speedy recovery to my big brother, great friend & "The Captain" @kaj33 from quadruple coronary bypass surgery. Get well soon!
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) April 17, 2015
Keeping Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (@kaj33) in our thoughts #GetWellSoon pic.twitter.com/YIljm6tTAr — HuffPost Live (@HuffPostLive) April 17, 2015
PRAYERS FOR KAREEM ABDUL-JABBAR https://t.co/zU24bdsNQz — THE NEWS JUNKIE DAIL (@marciaalane1) April 17, 2015
Get Well Soon ... Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Undergoes Quadruple Coronary Bypass Surgery https://t.co/bWxMpxdiNS via @eurweb
— Ina3121 (@Ina3121) April 17, 2015
May the author of the Sky Hook — one of the greatest players to ever step foot on NBA hardwood — return to full health soon.
Be sure to follow T-Lounge on Twitter and visit our Facebook page.
