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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Undergoes Emergency Quadruple Coronary Bypass Surgery [VIDEO]

Christian Datoc Senior White House Correspondent
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NBA hall-of-famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has undergone quadruple coronary bypass surgery at UCLA’s Ronald Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Abdul-Jabbar had been admitted for “cardiovascular disease” earlier this week, and UCLA released this statement, following the completion of the surgery:

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was admitted to Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center this week with cardiovascular disease, and he underwent quadruple coronary bypass surgery on April 16. 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.

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.

Kareem played his college ball at UCLA before the being drafted first-overall in 1969. He is best remembered for scoring the most points in NBA history, publicly converting to Islam in 1971 and starring in the 1980-film, “Airplane.” (RELATED: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: “Why I Converted To Islam”)

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