LOS ANGELES (AP) — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s skyhook has been captured in bronze for future generations of basketball fans.
Staples Center unveiled a nearly 16-foot-tall statue of the top scorer in NBA history Friday night, immortalizing Jabbar’s famed hook shot alongside statues of fellow Los Angeles Lakers greats Magic Johnson and Jerry West.
Abdul-Jabbar pronounced himself humbled and grateful during a ceremony attended by numerous NBA greats ranging from Johnson and Pat Riley to West and Elgin Baylor — and even Lakers superfan Jack Nicholson.
Abdul-Jabbar is depicted in his signature goggles and the standard 1980s short-shorts below his No. 33 jersey.
Hundreds of cheering fans gathered under threatening rainclouds to honor Abdul-Jabbar, who says he’s grateful everyone could enjoy the statue before the pigeons get to it.
