April 17 (Reuters) - NBA Hall of Fame center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the league's all-time leading scorer, is recovering from quadruple coronary bypass surgery, Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center said on Friday.
Dr. Richard Shemin, who performed the operation on Thursday, said Abdul-Jabbar was expected to make a full recovery.
Abdul-Jabbar, who marked his 68th birthday on Thursday, was diagnosed with cardiovascular disease earlier in the week.
The 7-foot-2 New York native was one of the most potent offensive players in the game.
He won 71 consecutive basketball games on his Power Memorial high school team in New York City, and won three consecutive national collegiate championships and was a three-time NCAA Tournament most valuable player with UCLA.