Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is alive, and the most recent major “what happened to him” news is that he suffered a serious fall and broke his hip, but he is recovering and still appearing at public events.

Quick Scoop

What actually happened?

  • In early 2024, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar fell at a concert in Los Angeles and broke his hip.
  • He underwent surgery at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center; the procedure was reported as having no complications.
  • His representatives said he would need about three months of recovery after the surgery.

So if you’re seeing people ask “what happened to Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,” they’re usually talking about this hip injury and recovery, not anything worse.

How is he doing now?

  • He remains a retired NBA legend (now in his late 70s), and the hip surgery was a major, but manageable, health setback.
  • In February 2026, he was part of the group of Lakers greats (with Magic Johnson and James Worthy) who turned out for the unveiling of a Pat Riley statue, showing he’s still well enough to attend big public ceremonies.

His health history (context people bring up)

Over the years, Kareem has been open about several health issues, which sometimes fuel online worry:

  • He revealed in 2009 that he had been diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia, a type of blood cancer, and later said it was under control with treatment.
  • In 2020, he disclosed he had prostate cancer.
  • Separate coverage has also mentioned he underwent quadruple bypass heart surgery and has dealt with atrial fibrillation (an irregular heartbeat), and has used those experiences to advocate for awareness campaigns.

Despite this list, public reporting frames him as managing these conditions rather than being in immediate critical danger.

What he’s been up to off the court

  • Kareem has long since retired from playing (he stopped in 1989) and is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players ever, with six MVPs and six NBA titles.
  • In recent years he’s built a second career as a writer , public intellectual, and activist, speaking on race, religion, and social issues, including his journey to Islam.
  • He continues charity and education work through his foundation, including visits to schools and projects supporting students, which were still being reported in 2025.

Why he’s trending now

  • Any health scare for a legend of his stature tends to spike searches and forum threads, especially with fans worrying that “something happened” to him.
  • The combination of his age, past cancer and heart issues, and the high-profile broken hip surgery has kept discussion going, but current coverage still presents him as active in public life, attending Lakers events and continuing his off-court work.

Bottom line: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had a serious hip injury and has a history of significant health issues, but he is alive, has been recovering, and continues to appear at events and work on charitable and intellectual projects.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.