Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has leukemia

FEB. 16, 1965: Lew Alcindor, a 7-foot-1 senior at Power Memorial High School (N.Y.), runs through practice in preparation for tournament play.
1975: The Lakers acquire Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and reserve center Walt Wesley from the Bucks for center Elmore Smith, guard Brian Winters, and rookie "blue chippers" Dave Meyers and Junior Bridgeman.
JUNE 28, 1977: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar takes batting practice at Dodger Stadium.
MAY 15, 1980: Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (33) score the winning basket over Philadelphia 76ers Julius Erving, who fouled Abdul-Jabbar on the play, with 33 seconds remaining in the fourth period in Los Angeles in the 5th game of the NBA championships in Los Angeles. The Lakers defeated the 76ers 108-103 to take a 3-2 game advantage.
OCT. 20, 1980: Former UCLA coach John Wooden, center, poses with UCLA alumni and pro basketball stars Bill Walton and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar during a birthday party for Wooden in Los Angeles. Nearly 1,000 people, including over 100 former UCLA basketball players, attended Wooden's 70th birthday celebration.
MAY 11, 1983: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, (33), goes up to block a shot by San Antonio's Artis Gilmore, (53), during th NBA Western Conference championship series in Los Angeles.
MAY 31, 1984: Kareem Abdul Jabbar looks to make a move with the ball as he is double teamed by Boston Celtics Robert Parish, left, and Cedric Maxwell, right, during the second game of the NBA Championship series finals at the Boston Garden.
JUNE 3, 1985: Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar grapple for the ball during the third game of the NBA Championship series at the Forum in Los Angeles. The Lakers won, 136-111, giving them a 2-1 edge in the seven-game series.
DEC. 16, 1988: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar shakes hand with Boston Celtics President Red Auerbach, as Auerbach presents a piece of the floor of the Boston Garden as a momento. It is the last regular season game Abdul-Jabbar will play at the Garden.
APRIL 23, 1989: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar covers his eyes during ceremonies honoring him before his last regular season game in Inglewood. Abdul Jabbar retired after 20 years in the NBA.
JULY 11, 1997: Retired Muslim basketball great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, right, shakes hands with Rabbi Moti at the Western Wall as Israeli border police stand guard. Abdul Jabbar is visiting to promote basketball.
APRIL 19, 1971: Mlwaukee Bucks center Lew Alcindor, left, and Los Angeles Lakers center Wilt Chamberlain congratulate each other after the Bucks defeated the Lakers, 116-98, in the final game of the second round of NBA playoffs at Milwaukee.
JUNE 26, 2006: Kareem Abdul Jabbar leaves the East Room of the White House after attending a celebration of Black Music Month in Washington.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, pictured June 1, 2008, smiles during the opening of the Lakers Reading and Learning Center in Santa Monica. Abdul-Jabbar is being treated for a rare form of leukemia, and the basketball great said his prognosis is encouraging.
MAY 4, 1965: Lew Alcindor answers questions from the media after announcing that he has accepted a scholarship to play for UCLA. Said Alcindor: "I think I'll be able to play with them."
FEB. 23, 1966: Lew Alcindor, competing for UCLA's freshman team, scores an easy bucket.
OCT. 14, 1966: UCLA basketball coach John Wooden introduces Lew Alcindor at the Bruins' picture day in Los Angeles.
JAN. 20, 1968: UCLA's Lew Alcindor, right, snags a rebound as University of Houston's Elvin Hayes (44), makes a leaping attempt to snag the ball. Also pictured is UCLA forward Edgar Lacey (54). Houston beat UCLA 71-69 at the Houston Astrodome in the first-ever nationally televised college basketball game - ending the Bruins' 47-game win streak ended in the "Game of the Century."
MARCH 28, 1969: Three-time All American Lew Alcindor talks with owner Jack Kent Cooke of the NBA's Los Angeles Lakers just after telling the Associated Press he has agreed to sign a $1 million-plus contract with the Milwaukee Bucks of the NBA. The two were talking in the Forum, March 28, 1969 in Los Angeles just before the start of a Laker-San Francisco Warriors' playoff game.
SEPTEMBER 1969: Lew Alcindor of the Milwaukee Bucks goes up for a dun, as Phoenix Sun center Jim Fox is defending during an NBA exhibition game.
SEPT. 17, 1969: Milwaukee Bucks rookie Lew Alcindor is measured by team trainer Arnie Garber as Bucks check in for medical examinations, Sept.17, 1969 on Milwaukee. The 7-foot-2 player and his teammates began preseason training camp the following day.

By Janis Carr | Orange County Register

November 10, 2009 at 9:11 a.m.

Did Superman ever catch a cold?

There are some people you never expect to get sick. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of them.

Big, strong, still the all-time leading scorer in the NBA. Six MVP awards. Imposing. Inventor of the skyhook. Lakers great.

So the news that Abdul-Jabbar has a rare, but treatable form of leukemia, tends to be a tad shocking. He was diagnosed last December with Philadelphia chromosome-positive chronic myeloid leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow that produces cancerous blood cells.

Check out a slide show of other athletes who battled cancer.

He said the disease can be managed by taking oral medication and having regularly having his blood analyzed. Abdul-Jabbar said he doesn’t expect it to affect his coaching.

“The word ‘leukemia’ is a very frightening word,” he said. “In many instances, it’s a killer and it’s something that you have to deal with in a very serious and determined way if you’re going to beat it.”