Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Donates 900 Pairs Of Safety Goggles To UCLA
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar donated 900 pairs of safety goggles to UCLA Health to help protect medical professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic, the hospital announced Tuesday.
"I want to thank the doctors and nurses at UCLA for all that they are doing," Abdul-Jabbar said in a video. "You guys are awesome, risking your lives to help the public."
Abdul-Jabbar has strong ties to UCLA. He played for John Wooden from 1966-1969, winning three-straight national championships for the Bruins. He went on to become a six-time NBA champion, six-time MVP and two-time Finals MVP over his 20-season NBA career with Milwaukee and the Lakers.
"I would like to do my part, so I'm going to use my influence and have my team source quality medical products such as protective eyewear goggles, like these," Abdul-Jabbar said. "You guys should have all the best equipment while you're on the frontline. Thank you for all you do and good luck."
NBA commissioner Adam Silver suspended the season on March 11 to help slow the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. There were 12,064 deaths because of the virus in the United States as of April 7, according to the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention.
Many hospitals nationwide have been dealing with shortages in personal protective equipment while battling the pandemic.
“On behalf of UCLA Health, I am honored and grateful to accept the generous donation of protective goggles from our friend, the legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar,” UCLA's Dr. Eric Esrailian said in a statement. “We are incredibly grateful for the recent outpouring of financial support and donations of supplies during this unprecedented time. #TeamLA is stronger than ever before thanks to all of you, and we will get through this together.”
