Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's skyhook captured in bronze

(AP) Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s skyhook captured in bronze
By GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer
LOS ANGELES
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s skyhook has been captured in bronze for future generations of basketball fans.

Staples Center unveiled a nearly 16-foot-tall statue of the top scorer in NBA history Friday night, immortalizing Jabbar’s famed hook shot alongside statues of fellow Los Angeles Lakers greats Magic Johnson and Jerry West.

Abdul-Jabbar pronounced himself humbled and grateful during a ceremony attended by numerous NBA greats ranging from Johnson and Pat Riley to West and Elgin Baylor _ and even Lakers superfan Jack Nicholson.

Abdul-Jabbar is depicted in his signature goggles and the standard 1980s short-shorts below his No. 33 jersey.

Hundreds of cheering fans gathered under threatening rainclouds to honor Abdul-Jabbar, who says he’s grateful everyone could enjoy the statue before the pigeons get to it.