Kareem Abdul-Jabbar undergoes quadruple coronary bypass surgery

In an announcement that caught many concerned basketball fans off-guard, UCLA Health announced at the request of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, that the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and member of the Basketball Hall of Fame underwent quadruple coronary bypass surgery on April 16.

Abdul-Jabbar was admitted to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center this week with cardiovascular disease.

The operation was performed by Dr. Richard Shemin, UCLA’s chief of cardiac surgery.  Shemin said the surgery was successful and he expects Abdul-Jabbar to make a full recovery.

The announcement concluded with the following statement from The Captain:

"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."

By Staff of the DailySportsHerald.com and news services