Lakers Legend Has Leukemia, Speaks Out to Shed Light On Disease

"I heard the word 'leukemia,' and I thought this was definitely a death sentence." -Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to ABC News

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is arguably one of the finest basketball players of our time. He is known for his unstoppable offense and highly dominant defense abilities. The 62-year-old former basketball player was recently diagnosed with a rare form of leukemia and is now receiving necessary treatment to treat this formidable disease. Cancer, in general, is a frightening disease. My own paternal grandfather died at a relatively young age following his diagnoses with leukemia. It is a terrible thing to witness a person who is initially so strong or young deteriorate. Medical science is getting better, and this basketball legend hopes that talking about his illness will help to shed light on this disease.

From the Los Angeles Times:

.... Abdul-Jabbar said he is being treated with a medicine that specifically targets the abnormal protein that causes leukemia. "I responded well to the treatment," he said. "I just want that to continue to keep happening."

Abdul-Jabbar said he wasn't feeling particularly ill last year, but was having frequent hot flashes and was sweating constantly. He said his doctor told him to get some blood tests.

"By having the hot flashes, I knew something was up. But I didn't think that it was going to be something as serious as leukemia," Abdul-Jabbar said.

Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, played 20 pro seasons, 14 with the Lakers, and retired after the 1988-89 season.

He was known throughout his career as a player who took his health seriously; he was one of the first pro athletes to take up yoga.

"If it wasn't for my health-consciousness, I would have just passed on the effects [of the leukemia symptoms] as something I could ignore," Abdul-Jabbar said. "But I felt it didn't make sense to ignore it."

His family has a history of cancer, Abdul-Jabbar said. A grandfather and an uncle died of colon cancer. "So I have the gene for that," he said. "Cancer is a scary thing and you have to deal with it seriously."

Abdul-Jabbar, a special assistant coach with the Lakers, said his condition won't affect his work with the team; he said he plans to fly back to Los Angeles on Friday. There have been reports that he could be offered a consulting job with the Memphis Grizzlies.

Abdul-Jabbar said he spoke out about his disease because he wants to shed light on leukemia. More information about the condition is available on his Facebook page, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Patient Advocate, including links to websites providing details about the condition.

"The fact that you can manage the disease means that you can live your life," Abdul-Jabbar said. "The fact that you have to go and get your blood analyzed and consult with your doctor might be a minor inconvenience, or you have to take your medication every day. But if you do these things, you can lead a normal live."

You can follow Kareem's updates on his new Facebook page.