Kareem Abdul-Jabbar provides update on his health after breaking hip in fall

Feb 16, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar speaks as Clyde Drexler looks during the 2014 NBA All-Game Legends Brunch at Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar appears to be in good spirits after his fall over the weekend resulting in a broken hip.

The retired basketball icon Abdul-Jabbar offered the public an update on his health just three days after tripping and falling at a concert in Los Angeles. In a post to his Substack on Monday, Abdul-Jabbar joked that “Humpty Kareem had a great fall” and revealed that the incident occurred at The Manhattan Transfer’s final public concert at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

The 76-year-old wrote that “I just tripped” and called age “the great equalizer” that “humbles us all.” He added that he is now in bed recovering from a hip replacement procedure and will be taking a week or so off ahead of the holidays to recover and spend time with his family. Abdul-Jabbar also vowed to return with “a shiny new hip and a lot of shiny thoughts to share.”

The entire piece was vintage Kareem, humor and all, and also included a lengthy write-up on The Manhattan Transfer and his fandom of the group. You can read Abdul-Jabbar’s piece in full here.

Abdul-Jabbar’s rep broke the news about the Basketball Hall of Famer’s fall on Saturday. He was promptly attended to by paramedics from the Los Angeles Fire Department and transported to UCLA Hospital, where he continues to recover. Even in the immediate aftermath of the fall though, Abdul-Jabbar has not lost his trademark wit.