Private man goes public: Abdul-Jabbar reveals leukemia fight

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sounded good on the phone. That's not always a reliable gauge of someone's mood, but the greatest scorer in NBA history coming across as upbeat and relaxed, maybe even a little playful, means something in this case. Especially in this case.

He is a private man who chose to go public with a health crisis, who accepts whatever attention will come with the news that he has chronic myeloid leukemia -- a rare form of leukemia -- who went on network television to reveal part of his personal life when he could have sent out a press release and left it at that. And that settles it: more than merely the latest chapter of an amazing life, it may be the greatest.

Six NBA championships with the Bucks and Lakers, more points scored than anyone, more minutes played than anyone, more baskets made than anyone, six MVPs and three NCAA titles at UCLA as arguably the greatest college player ever is an OK run and all, but just maybe helping educate the public about a disease is more important.

"This is a great opportunity to spread knowledge and have a positive impact," Abdul-Jabbar said.

Except, I pointed out to him, your personality is geared toward the introspective, as if he needed reminding. Intelligence and dedication were every bit the weapon of the sky-hook, and historically he was the epitome of the unselfish teammate, but it was never his style to want the spotlight on his personal life.

That all changed on Good Morning America today.

"I don't have any choice there," he said. "I'm going to make the best of it." Maybe "my priorities will change" Abdul-Jabbar said of plans to continue his varied professional life that includes special assistant coach with the Lakers, documentaries and writing books. Now, he plans to be involved with leukemia awareness.

Think The Cap' got some big ovations when he played?

Wait until he strides into an arena now.

The support of strangers will blanket him. The same Abdul-Jabbar who was never close to the most popular of Lakers on his own team despite his unmatched success, not in the way Magic Johnson, Michael Cooper, Kurt Rambis and James Worthy connected with fans, will be embraced now as if he was one of them all along.

This is going to be like 1982-83, when an electrical fire started in one of the walls and roared through his house while the Lakers were on a midseason trip. His collection of oriental rugs was destroyed. Four Qur'ans from the middle ages were lost. So were some 3,000 albums from his beloved jazz collection.

People rallied behind him, and Abdul-Jabbar was much more distant then. As he later recalled in "Giant Steps," his uncommonly frank 1983 autobiography: "A radio station sent over fifteen hundred jazz records -- backed up a truck! From all over the country I began to receive gifts and notes of sympathy. Once again I found people cared about me, and once again I was surprised and pleased."

Another time, Abdul-Jabbar was taking a public beating over poor rebounding and lack of leadership, a common occurrence from fans and the media late in his career. After a particularly impressive victory to clinch a playoff series, an L.A. sportscaster suggested the public send Kareem and Lakers a telegram to let them know how much they are appreciated.

Mail arrived by the stack. Abdul-Jabbar was shocked at the outpouring of support. He was also so touched that he kept the letters for years.

"I started looking at faces in the crowd and realizing that there could be a lot of friends up there, that the people who stopped me for autographs might really be interested in getting them," he wrote in "Giant Steps". "If someone wanted to shake my hand, hey, I'd do it."

And none of those embraces involved leukemia.

His first time back in Staples Center could be an ear-plugs-required moment. Abdul-Jabbar has gone public with something he kept inside and within his close circle since 2007, when he first noticed the sweating and persistent hot flashes. And, once he went to the doctor, it was diagnosed in December 2008 as a relatively slower-growing cancer that may take years to progress. He reports that he is not at an advanced stage and that he is not facing a grave prognosis.

He reports this because the private man wants the public to know.

"I've spent the last 11 months dealing with it," he noted. "I felt I could really make a difference in people's lives with what is going on. This does not have to be a death sentence."

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar sounded good when he said it.

Scott Howard-Cooper has covered the NBA since 1988. You can e-mail him here.

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