On his 68th birthday Thursday, Kareem-Abdul Jabbar underwent a major surgery.

The basketball Hall of Famer and received successful quadruple coronary bypass surgery at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center. Doctors expect the NBA's all-time leading scorer to make a full recovery.

“At this time, Abdul-Jabbar would like to thank his surgical team and the medical staff at UCLA, his alma mater, for the excellent care he has received. He is looking forward to getting back to his normal activities soon,” said a hospital statement sent to TIME for whom the six-time NBA champion is a columnist for. “He asks that you keep him in your thoughts and, most importantly, cherish and live each day to its fullest.” 

Upon learning of the news Friday, former Los Angeles Lakers teammate and fellow Hall of Famer, Magic Johnson, took to Twitter to wish his friend a full return to good health. 

"Wishing a speedy recovery to my big brother, great friend & "The Captain" @kaj33 from quadruple coronary bypass surgery. Get well soon!" Johnson tweeted.

In addition to winning six NBA titles, Abdul-Jabbar also won the MVP six times and was a 19-time All-Star in his prolific pro career from 1969-1989.

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(Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images)