American athlete known for his stamina and fitness. In addition to his signature sky hook and a legacy of winning at every level, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was known for his stamina and fitness. During a 20-year career that included six championships and six Most Valuable Player awards, Abdul-Jabbar who enjoyed a healthy life, had only one serious injury - a broken wrist. The athlete turned writer and coach Abdul-Jabbar who has been battling with chronic myeloid leukaemia since December 2008 came with a stunning revelation when he went public in November 2009. Retired in 1989, a scholar and intellectual Abdul-Jabbar having written several best-selling history books, is now completing a documentary film. His seventh book, What Color Is My World? Was published in 2011. Focusing on a different kind of team, Abdul-Jabbar chronicles, in his fifth book, Brothers in Arms (co-written with Anthony Walton), the 761st Tank battalion, on all-black unit that helped liberate dozens of towns in World War II. In 1996, he added new lustre to his name by writing Black Profiles in Courage, a bestseller that lifted the self-esteem of African-American by recognising heroic achievements of Blacks beyond the world of sports. The 7-foot-2 Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, scorer with 38,387, who established himself as basketball's most talented and recognisable figure was born Lewis Alcindor in New York City.