Enlarge image

Photo: RYAN LIM / AFP

Former professional basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has been hospitalized and undergone surgery after falling at a concert in Los Angeles. The 76-year-old broke his hip in the accident, his longtime business partner Deborah Morales said on Saturday.

"We are all very grateful for the support Kareem received, especially from the Los Angeles Fire Department who helped Kareem on the scene, and from the great medical team and doctors at UCLA Hospital," the statement said.

Abdul-Jabbar is an NBA legend. For many years, he held the status of the best point scorer in league history – only in February he had to relinquish this title to LeBron James. Abdul-Jabbar played 20 seasons in the NBA and won the championship in the North American professional league six times.

In recent years, he has had several health problems. In 2009, he announced that he had contracted a rare form of leukemia. In 2015, he underwent a quadruple bypass during heart surgery as a result of an illness.

ZOB/SID