Kareem Abdul-Jabbar goes public with leukemia diagnosis

[Zomby Woof]

For Abdul-Jabbar, going public with leukemia diagnosis was a private battle

He waited months before telling Lakers officials about his disease. Team members, including protégé Bynum, are surprised by the news, and express their support for him.

As if a leukemia diagnosis wasn't enough, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had another internal battle on his hands.

Whom should he tell?

The intensely private Abdul-Jabbar found out last December that he had a rare form of leukemia, though he shared it with only the smallest of circles.

He waited five months before telling Lakers Coach Phil Jackson that he had Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia, Jackson said Tuesday. The disease is a cancer of the blood and bone marrow that produces cancerous blood cells.

Abdul-Jabbar only recently alerted other Lakers officials, informing them late last week that he would soon go public with the disease in an effort to draw attention to it.

More: http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-lakers11-2009nov11,0,334422.story



DAMN DAMN DAMN!

My all-time favorite Laker, and a fine historian too. Who could forget his role in one of the great comedy movies of all time?

I wish him the best during the hard fight ahead.

[madrchsod]

1. he was on big ed`s radio show....

this is a stand-up guy. he said today that it`s under control. he has to constantly monitor his blood but other than that he`s doing ok.