LOS ANGELES -- Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is recovering after undergoing quadruple coronary bypass surgery.

A hospital statement on Friday says Abdul-Jabbar had the surgery on Thursday at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center.

Dr. Richard Shemin, who performed the surgery, says the 68-year-old former NBA and UCLA star is expected to make a full recovery.

Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA's all-time leading scorer with 38,387 points during a 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks. The 7-foot-2 center was known for his trademark sky hook.

In the statement, Abdul-Jabbar says he's looking forward to getting back to his usual activities soon and he asks that people cherish and live life to the fullest.

In 2009, Abdul-Jabbar was told he had a rare form of leukemia.

"When I was diagnosed, it was scary," he told CBS News' Lee Cowan in 2013. "You know, you hear the word 'leukemia' mentioned in conjunction with your name, it's a scary moment. I, really, did not understand how much longer I was going to be living."