LOS ANGELES -- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar underwent quadruple coronary bypass surgery this week at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, the world-renowned hospital associated with the school where the now 68-year-old played college hoops before becoming the NBA's all-time leading scorer.
The operation took place Thursday, UCLA said in a statement, after Abdul-Jabbar was admitted earlier this week with cardiovascular disease.
The chief of cardiac surgery at UCLA, Dr. Richard Shemin, performed the procedure, describing it as a success and predicting a full recovery.
UCLA health officials said Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had requested they release the following statement:
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. He asks that you keep him in your thoughts and, most importantly, cherish and live each day to its fullest.
For those wanting to send well wishes, he thanks you in advance and asks that you support those in your own community who may be suffering from various health issues.
Abdul-Jabbar played for the UCLA Bruins from 1966 to 1969 when he still went by his given name Lew Alcindor. UCLA won three consecutive national titles, and Abdul-Jabbar won the NCAA tournament MVP honors a record three years in a row.
After six seasons in Milwaukee, he joined the Los Angeles Lakers, adopting the Muslim name Kareem Abdul-Jabbar after his first NBA championship in 1971. With his undefendable "sky hook" and an uncanny grace for a 7'2" man, Abdul-Jabbar scored 38,387 points in his career -- 1,459 points more than Karl Malone, who is second.
