Dr. Richard Shemin, who performed the operation on Thursday,
said Abdul-Jabbar was expected to make a full recovery.
Abdul-Jabbar, who marked his 68th birthday on Thursday, was
diagnosed with cardiovascular disease earlier in the week.
The 7-foot-2 New York native was one of the most potent
offensive players in the game.
He won 71 consecutive basketball games on his Power Memorial
high school team in New York City, and won three consecutive
national collegiate championships and was a three-time NCAA
Tournament most valuable player with UCLA.
Abdul-Jabbar won six NBA championships, five with the Los
Angeles Lakers and one with the Milwaukee Bucks.
He battled successfully through leukemia in 2009.
Tweeted Lakers’ owner and executive Jeanie Buss: “Dear #Lakers
Family: Please send all your positive energy to our
Captain-Kareem Abdul-Jabbar @kaj33. Get well soon.”
(Reporting by Larry Fine in New York; Editing by Gene Cherry)
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