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NEW YORK – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is being treated for a rare form of leukemia, and the basketball great said his prognosis is encouraging.
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer was diagnosed in December with chronic myeloid leukemia, he said Monday.
The 62-year-old Abdul-Jabbar said his doctor didn’t give any guarantees, but informed him: “You have a very good chance to live your life out and not have to make any drastic changes to your lifestyle.”
Abdul-Jabbar is taking an oral medication for the disease. He is a paid spokesman for the Swiss pharmaceutical company Novartis, which makes a drug that treats the illness.
Citing the way Los Angeles Lakers teammate Magic Johnson brought awareness to HIV, Abdul-Jabbar said he wants to do the same for his form of blood cancer, which can be fatal if left untreated.
Los Angeles Clippers guard and former Indiana standout Eric Gordon will be out for at least 10 days with a sore left groin muscle. … Shaquille O’Neal’s wife, Va’Shaundya, filed for legal separation with intent to divorce Monday in Los Angeles. … Al Cervi, a pro basketball star who coached the Syracuse Nationals to the 1955 NBA title, has died in upstate New York at 92. … Orlando center Dwight Howard was fined $15,000 by the league for criticizing officials on his blog. … The league has released its All-Star ballot and is allowing fans to vote by text messaging for the first time.
The NCAA has ruled guard Jeff Jordan ineligible for Illinois’ first two games for playing in an unsanctioned event last summer. … NCAA officials will begin calling fouls on secondary defenders under the basket who make contact with a shooter while standing directly under the rim. Another new rule will allow the opposing coach to choose someone on the floor to shoot a free throw for an injured player. … Seton Hall has suspended Keon Lawrence indefinitely after he was charged in a wrong-way crash and with driving while intoxicated and driving with a suspended license.
Middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik will defend his titles Dec. 19 against Miguel Espino at the Beeghly Center at Youngstown State University in Pavlik’s hometown in Ohio.
Quarterback Zach Collaros will start for fifth-ranked Cincinnati against West Virginia on Friday night, with Tony Pike expected to play as well for the first time since he hurt his non-throwing arm. … Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz says junior quarterback Ricky Stanzi has had surgery to repair a severely sprained ankle and is “very doubtful” for Iowa’s final two regular-season games. … Oklahoma lost three more players for the season. Starting offensive lineman Jarvis Jones will miss the rest of the year with a fractured heel. Defensive end Auston English was scheduled to have surgery on an injured ankle tendon and team captain Brody Eldridge is out the rest of the year with a shoulder sprain. … The fight that led to the stabbing death of Connecticut player Jasper Howard began when one of his teammates disrespected a woman at a dance, according to a police affidavit.
The Philadelphia-Chicago matchup Nov. 22 will remain the Sunday night game even though NBC had the option of picking another contest. … A federal appeals court in Minneapolis backed the judge who ruled against the NFL and let quarterback Michael Vick keep more than $16 million in roster bonuses from Atlanta. … Cleveland linebacker Eric Barton will miss the rest of the season with an unspecified injury.
Cristie Kerr shot 4-under 32 on the back nine to lead the LPGA to the win in the Wendy’s 3-Tour Challenge in Henderson, Nev. Kerr, Suzann Petterson and Natalie Gulbis beat the PGA Tour team of Stewart Cink, Fred Couples and Bubba Watson, and the Champions Tour team of Jay Haas, Nick Price and Fred Funk.
U.S. national team forward Charlie Davies has been released from a Washington hospital nearly a month after a car accident. Davies is expected to need six to 12 months to recover from several broken bones, including two in his right leg, and a lacerated bladder.
In an old-style swimsuit, Michael Phelps failed to qualify for the finals of the 100-meter freestyle and 100 backstroke and barely qualified for the 100 medley at a World Cup short-course meet in Stockholm.
