Abdul-Jabbar Leukenia Fight

In my opinion, this is a very smart move for Abdul-Jabbar. By bringing himself into the media, he counters all of the rumors and is able to tell the truth. After a life-time of media following him, Jabbar knows the ropes.

Sports of The Times

Abdul-Jabbar Goes Public With Leukemia Fight

Richard Perry/The New York Times

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said he learned last December that he has chronic myeloid leukemia.

In addition to his signature sky hook and a legacy of winning at every level, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was known for his stamina and fitness. During a 20-year N.B.A. career that included six championships and six Most Valuable Player awards, Abdul-Jabbar had one serious injury, a broken wrist. Other than that he had enjoyed a healthy career.

Carol Francavilla/Associated Press

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, battling Robert Parish of the Celtics, was a six-time M.V.P. during his 20-year N.B.A. career

So the news Monday that the 62-year-old star athlete turned writer and coach was battling leukemia came as a stunning revelation.

“Imagine how I felt,” he said in an interview in Manhattan. “It was frightening. You hear the word leukemia and it’s something that really affects you.”

Especially when there is a history of cancer in the family. Abdul-Jabbar had a grandfather and an uncle who died from the disease. “And my father almost died,” he said, “so it’s something that really got me going.”

The first person Abdul-Jabbar thought about after learning he had the disease was a close friend who died of leukemia. He remembered talking to his friend just before the end. “He was weak, his voice was fading, his blood vessels deteriorated — it was really horrific,” Abdul-Jabbar said.

“He got diagnosed one day and within four weeks he was dead,” he added. “I thought I was on that same path. I don’t have that type of leukemia. You just say the word leukemia, you’ve got reason to be scared.”

Abdul-Jabbar learned last December that he has chronic myeloid leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow in which the body produces cancerous white blood cells. Chronic describes a relatively slow-growing cancer that may take years to progress. Myeloid refers to the type of white blood cell being overproduced.

“It’s been almost a year now since I’ve been diagnosed,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “My first reaction was to deal with it, make that fight for my life.”

Like many patients found to have this particular strain of leukemia, Abdul-Jabbar learned he had the disease while it was in its early phase.

“In order to really deal with this situation, you have to find a specialist and follow their instructions,” he said. “You have to take your medication; you have to get your blood checked regularly so that you can be monitored.”

For the last 11 months he has kept a brisk regimen: coaching with the Los Angeles Lakers, completing a documentary about the all-black Harlem Rens teams and writing a children’s book.

“It’s something that can be managed,” he said of his disease. “You can continue to live a productive life without changing your lifestyle that much. It does not have to be a death sentence.”

Why would someone who has been so fiercely private be so public about such a personal issue? Over the years Abdul-Jabbar has been one of the most intriguing athletes: a champion and, after the cheering stopped, a scholar and intellectual. He has written several best-selling history books, and is completing a documentary film. His seventh book is scheduled to be published in 2011.

Through all his accomplishments — at Power Memorial High School and U.C.L.A. and with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Lakers, Abdul-Jabbar has kept largely to himself. So why such a public disclosure?

“I think that someone like me, who has a public presence, because people pay attention to what’s going on in my life, can help save some lives,” he said. “I want to get the message across: this condition is treatable. I want to get people to go to doctors, take the medication. This disease can be managed and you can continue to live a very meaningful life.”

A related objective is to encourage people, especially men, to take better care of themselves. This means making more frequent trips to the doctor for checkups.

“You’ve got to be proactive about your health,” he said. “You can’t just sit back. If I can affect that condition, I’m a very happy guy.”

Why is it that the illness of a great athlete is so disconcerting, be it Lou Gehrig or Ernie Davis? Perhaps because those of us who spend so much time in sports live in a cocoon of healthy, young bodies where fatal illness is rare and injuries are simply part of the landscape.

“I’ve been a student of the martial arts my whole life,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “The whole idea of facing death calmly and doing all you can with your life up to that moment and to keep your objectives — that’s been the part of this that has made me.”

In his sport and in his day, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was a true King of the Hill. Two decades after his retirement, he still holds the N.B.A. career scoring record. The diagnosis of leukemia is one more mountain to climb, one more season to negotiate.

“I’m going to be able to do the things that I love to do,” he said. “Deal with my children, write, coach. I can still live a meaningful life and manage this disease.

“I’m going to continue being me. I can’t stop doing that.”