The news that basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA's all-time leading scorer, has a rare but treatable form of leukemia hit fellow UCLA alum Bill Walton hard.

"When the story came over the wire in the middle of the night, I could not sleep at all," said Walton, who followed in Abdul-Jabbar's footsteps as a center for the storied UCLA basketball program. "He was my first phone call this morning. Kareem is a hero to us all."

The good news is that Abdul-Jabbar's prognosis is promising. Diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia in December, Abdul-Jabbar, 62, said doctors have told him he can manage and live with this condition. Normally private, he said he had no qualms about taking his health issue public.

"Early detection and treatment really are the keys for anyone who has to deal with this condition," he said. "I wanted to educate people about how modern medicine works. If I can help save some lives, I'm very happy to do that."

Abdul-Jabbar won three NCAA titles in a row with the Bruins (1967-69) and six NBA crowns in 20 seasons one with the Milwaukee Bucks, five with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was a six-time MVP, made the All-Star team 19 times and was named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history.

With a hook shot nearly impossible to defend, Abdul-Jabbar was a scoring force. He averaged 24.6 points and ended with 38,387 points, almost 11,000 more than any active player. He is No. 3 on the rebounding and blocked shots lists.

Abdul-Jabbar, a Lakers special assistant coach, was overwhelmed by the support shown. "He's the proudest of men, the most talented of men and the kindest of men," Walton said. "It's our duty, obligation and respect to do whatever we can to help him through this difficult time. He'll do what he's always done. He has always given people hope."