Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is one of the most widely known and skilled basketball stars. He left the NBA as the all-time scorer and broke records that LeBron James has now surpassed.
Therefore, many were concerned following a resurfaced video of Abdul-Jabbar and his slow movement during a fan interaction.
Internet personality Darren Jason Watkins Jr., better known as IShowSpeed, met the Basketball Hall of Fame inductee at Fanatics Fest NYC 2024 in Aug.
IShowSpeed livestreamed his experience at the New York City-based sports fan and collectors event, and footage of the 19-year-old streamer interacting with Abdul-Jabbar hit TikTok.
“Yo, Kareem! Yo, Kareem! Kareem!” IShowSpeed yelled repeatedly as he walked over to the 77-year-old sitting in Manhattan’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.
It took a moment before Abdul-Jabbar turned around to which the YouTuber then said, “Yo, wassup, man? Nice to meet you. My name’s Speed. I’m a big fan of you.”
The six-time NBA MVP winner hesitated for a moment but then reached out to shake Speed’s hand and replied, “Thank you.”
As the clip spread across the internet last month, many commenters focused on Abdul-Jabbar’s appearance.
“Hope Kareem is doing well, he looked kinda out of it,” one TikTok user wrote.
On a different TikTok video, a fan wondered, “Damn is Kareem good??”
One jokester said, “Bro aint been the same ever since bron broke his scoring record.”
Other people took issue with the way IShowSpeed addressed the basketball legend and blamed IShowSpeed for the awkward exchange.
“Damn, Speed, be a little respectful,” one person wrote. A similar comment read, “Kareem ignored him. ‘Yo Kareem’ to an elder is wild.”
Another individual defended Abdul-Jabbar by replying, “He famously hates when people come up to him in public.”
Another supporter said, “Let’s not forget Kareem is ollllllllllllllllld lol he is old ppl what yall think he gone be like.”
Abdul-Jabbar, 77, has dealt with numerous medical concerns throughout his life. The former “Dancing With The Stars” competitor battled prostate cancer and leukemia. He was also diagnosed with cardiovascular disease, which required quadruple coronary bypass surgery.
In an interview with NIH Medline Plus Magazine, he explained he had symptoms of “breath, fatigue, and lightheadedness” that he didn’t take it seriously until 2021, when he became lightheaded and couldn’t stand up on his own at a baseball game. Shortly afterward, he was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation.
“I was eventually diagnosed with atrial fibrillation after my symptoms sent me to the hospital. I was surprised because before my diagnosis, I didn’t know what AFib was,” Abdul-Jabbar revealed.
“I’ve since learned that AFib is the most common type of irregular heart rhythm that prevents your heart’s lower chambers from filling completely or pumping enough blood. Blood can pool in your heart, which increases your risk of forming blood clots and can lead to stroke and other heart-related complications,” he continued. “In fact, people with AFib are at about a five times greater risk of stroke.”
He added, “I also had to accept that I cannot do everything I did before.”
In December 2023, the former Lakers player underwent a medical procedure for a broken hip after falling at a concert in Los Angeles. His business partner, Deborah Morales, publicly thanked the Los Angeles Fire Department and UCLA Hospital personnel for their assistance.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was scheduled for all three days of Fanatics Fest NYC 2024 from Aug. 16 through Aug 18. He took part in autograph signing sessions, photo opportunities, and panel discussions.
“Just came back from a long weekend in New York at @fanaticsfest. Best sports show ever! Got to see a lot of friends and share time with a lot of fans. Thank you to the @fanatics team for all the new memories!” Abdul-Jabbar wrote on Instagram.
