Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Finally Immortalized by the Los Angeles Lakers

November 16, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Former pro basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar looks at the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar statue unveiled in a ceremony in front of the Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE The Los Angeles Lakers honored Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on Friday by unveiling a bronze statue of the six-time NBA champion outside the Staples Center in downtown Los Angeles. The 16-foot, 1,500-pound bronze statue immortalizes Abdul-Jabbar’s famed hook shot along statues of fellow Laker greats Magic Johnson and Jerry West. “Lou Gehrig spoke about being the luckiest man in the world, and as a young person at that time I didn’t know what that meant,” Abdul-Jabbar said. “But having lived my life and having had the wonderful experiences that I’ve had in basketball, I can understand now what a man like Lou Gehrig meant. I get it. When you’re fortunate enough to be honored in this way, it’s a very humbling experience.” Kareem Abdul-Jabbar goes from ...