04:27 AM EDT 11/24/2009
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's Son Helps Him Deal with Cancer Diagnosis
Originally posted 11/10/2009 01:50PM
NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar didn't have to look far for advice after he was diagnosed with leukemia. His middle son, Amir, 28, is a third-year medical student in San Francisco.
"He was a real great source for me, just that I can talk to him about it. Being a doctor, he understood what was happening, and gave me realistic viewpoint on it," Abdul-Jabbar said in an interview with PEOPLE. "That means a lot to me."
Abdul-Jabbar, 62, was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia in December 2008 after having hot flashes and sweats. His blood work revealed that his white blood cell count was "sky high," he said. Now taking medication for the blood disease, he is expected to have a regular life span.
"When the doctor told me I had cancer, I was scared," said Abdul-Jabbar. "My grandfather and my uncle both died from colorectal cancer, my dad almost died from it and I have the gene for it. It's in my family, so I thought this was something else along those lines, but it's not."
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NBA Legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Has Cancer
Originally posted 11/10/2009 05:00AM
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, one of basketball's all-time greatest players, announced Tuesday morning that he has cancer. The sports legend made the public disclosure nearly a year after being diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia.
"Having lost one of my closest friends to a different, highly aggressive form of leukemia, I knew how serious my diagnosis was," said Abdul-Jabbar, 62. "My own life expectancy became a question mark."
Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, won five championships with the Los Angeles Lakers before retiring in 1989. He was diagnosed with CML in December 2008 and is being treated with a medicine that targets the abnormal protein that causes his leukemia. With treatment, Abdul-Jabbar, who currently is a coach with the Lakers, is expected to live a full, active life.
Permalink | Filed Under: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
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