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All Star Athletes With Diseases, Even the most elite athletes — who keep their bodies in top shape for a living — are not immune to health problems. While you may know the famous face, you might not be as familiar with the health condition that affects his or her body.
In honor of NBA All-Star Weekend, use Bing to discover the ailments these athletic stars have suffered from or are dealing with today.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer was diagnosed with this rare form of cancer in 2008 after experiencing hot flashes and sweats. When he went public with the disease in 2009, he told ABC News that he initially thought the diagnosis “was definitely a death sentence.” Prior to 2001, the average life expectancy for a patient after diagnosis was three to five years. Today, patients can expect a normal lifespan as long as they continue treatment.
Muhammad Ali
By the time Muhammad Ali was in the final stages of his magnificent boxing career (how long was it?), he was slurring his words. Not long after, he was diagnosed with this disease, which is characterized by increasingly severe tremors, periodically stiff or frozen limbs and changes in speech and gait, caused by gradual loss of brain cells that produce dopamine, a chemical that is key to controlling muscle movement. There is no known cure, and there is little known about what causes the disease.
Lance Armstrong
The disgraced Tour de France champion told Oprah Winfrey he doesn’t believe doping caused him to develop this type of cancer in 1996. It is the most common cancer in men ages 15 to 34 (how old was Armstrong when he was diagnosed?), and when detected early, its curability rate is 90 percent.
O.J. Brigance
The former Baltimore Ravens linebacker won a Super Bowl in 2001 but is now confined to a wheelchair after being diagnosed with this incurable neuromuscular disease in 2007. Another common name for the disease references this beloved Hall of Fame baseball player, whose career and life were cut short by it. While the disease weakens and eventually paralyzes the body, it does not impact the mind. There is no known cure.
Jay Cutler
The Chicago Bears quarterback played two years in the NFL before realizing he had this disease, which usually affects children and young adults. He now controls the disease, diagnosed in April 2008, by carefully planning his food intake. Though this can be challenging on game days, managing his condition helped Cutler post career-high numbers that season with the Denver Broncos before being traded to Chicago the following year.
Zack Greinke
The Angels-turned-Dodgers pitcher took seven months away from major league baseball in 2006 due to this disorder, for which he continues to be treated. People who have this disorder can have an excessive fear of making mistakes, being judged or criticized and being embarrassed or humiliated in front of others.
Scott Hamilton
After surviving testicular cancer in 1997, the champion ice skater and Olympic gold medalist underwent surgery in 2010 for an unrelated and rare yet noncancerous condition that threatened to take away his vision. He was first diagnosed in 2004 and previously opted to treat it with a noninvasive but risky procedure (what is it?) that can cause brain damage if it is not performed perfectly. This condition most commonly affects children ages 5 to 10 but can also affect adults.
Tim Howard
This neurological disorder, which afflicts U.S. National Soccer team goalkeeper Tim Howard, is best known in popular culture for its association with uncontrollable outbursts of obscenities, but that symptom is a rare one. More common tics include abrupt movements and repetitive sounds, such as barking, sniffing or throat-clearing. In 2005, Howard told “60 Minutes” that he has controlled his condition through sheer willpower since he was a child.
Bruce Jenner
Before he was overshadowed by the Kardashian clan, Bruce Jenner was famous in his own right as a gold medalist (which event?) in the 1976 Summer Olympics (watch clips of him competing). Although he was once a poster boy (see his Wheaties box) for good health, Jenner now suffers from this common condition, which has forced him to give up hobbies including tennis and running. Though the condition is a normal result of aging, it can be particularly common among people who play sports.
Conor Jackson
This fungal infection effectively ended the major-league career of this outfielder, who now plays for the minor leagues (what team?). The disease is native to the desert regions of the Southwest, where Jackson was drafted to play first base (for which team?). The infection starts in the lungs, and symptoms include cough, joint pain and exhaustion. Jackson has said he had to take naps after batting practice when symptoms were at their worst.
Magic Johnson
The NBA great shocked the nation when he announced his abrupt retirement from the LA Lakers (what year?) due to this disease, which at the time had been widely associated with gay men and intravenous drug users.
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
The track and field star (how many Olympic gold medals does she have?) was diagnosed with this condition at age 18 but hid it from coaches, teammates and the world until 1993 (find out why). Depending on its severity, the condition can be experienced as a minor nuisance or a life-threatening disease. There is no known cure.
Phil Mickelson
The golf star was nearly crippled in the summer of 2010 by this potentially debilitating disease, which quickly spread from his ankle, finger and wrist to his hips, elbows and shoulders. This chronic disease is caused by an overactive immune system and is characterized by skin lesions as well as joint pain. There is no known cure.
Martina Navratilova
The Hall of Fame tennis star told People magazine she cried when she was diagnosed with this illness in 2010. When detected early, as in Martina’s case, the prognosis is generally positive. Two years after her diagnosis, she competed on ABC’s "Dancing With the Stars" (watch clips of her on the show). Risk factors for the disease include a person's age, genetic factors, personal health history and diet.
Darryl Strawberry
The famously controversial New York baseball slugger was diagnosed in 1998 with this form of cancer and underwent surgery two days later. The disease is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in the United States but is relatively rare in people under 40 (how old was Strawberry when he was diagnosed?).
Joe Torre
Fans of the all-star baseball player-turned-manager had another reason to root for Torre when he was diagnosed with cancer in the spring of 1999 (how old was he?) during a routine checkup. The disease is the No. 1 non-skin cancer in America, striking one in every six men. After taking a few months off for surgery, Torre went on to lead the New York Yankees to a World Series title that season.
Venus Williams
Nine out of 10 people who have this autoimmune disease are women, and it affects all races and ages. Symptoms include dry eyes and mouth, fatigue, joint and muscle pain, numbness and tingling in the arms and legs and thyroid problems. While generally not fatal, the condition can increase a person’s risk of developing of this potentially deadly type of cancer.
In honor of NBA All-Star Weekend, use Bing to discover the ailments these athletic stars have suffered from or are dealing with today.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
The NBA’s all-time leading scorer was diagnosed with this rare form of cancer in 2008 after experiencing hot flashes and sweats. When he went public with the disease in 2009, he told ABC News that he initially thought the diagnosis “was definitely a death sentence.” Prior to 2001, the average life expectancy for a patient after diagnosis was three to five years. Today, patients can expect a normal lifespan as long as they continue treatment.
Muhammad Ali
By the time Muhammad Ali was in the final stages of his magnificent boxing career (how long was it?), he was slurring his words. Not long after, he was diagnosed with this disease, which is characterized by increasingly severe tremors, periodically stiff or frozen limbs and changes in speech and gait, caused by gradual loss of brain cells that produce dopamine, a chemical that is key to controlling muscle movement. There is no known cure, and there is little known about what causes the disease.
Lance Armstrong
The disgraced Tour de France champion told Oprah Winfrey he doesn’t believe doping caused him to develop this type of cancer in 1996. It is the most common cancer in men ages 15 to 34 (how old was Armstrong when he was diagnosed?), and when detected early, its curability rate is 90 percent.
O.J. Brigance
The former Baltimore Ravens linebacker won a Super Bowl in 2001 but is now confined to a wheelchair after being diagnosed with this incurable neuromuscular disease in 2007. Another common name for the disease references this beloved Hall of Fame baseball player, whose career and life were cut short by it. While the disease weakens and eventually paralyzes the body, it does not impact the mind. There is no known cure.
Jay Cutler
The Chicago Bears quarterback played two years in the NFL before realizing he had this disease, which usually affects children and young adults. He now controls the disease, diagnosed in April 2008, by carefully planning his food intake. Though this can be challenging on game days, managing his condition helped Cutler post career-high numbers that season with the Denver Broncos before being traded to Chicago the following year.
Zack Greinke
The Angels-turned-Dodgers pitcher took seven months away from major league baseball in 2006 due to this disorder, for which he continues to be treated. People who have this disorder can have an excessive fear of making mistakes, being judged or criticized and being embarrassed or humiliated in front of others.
Scott Hamilton
After surviving testicular cancer in 1997, the champion ice skater and Olympic gold medalist underwent surgery in 2010 for an unrelated and rare yet noncancerous condition that threatened to take away his vision. He was first diagnosed in 2004 and previously opted to treat it with a noninvasive but risky procedure (what is it?) that can cause brain damage if it is not performed perfectly. This condition most commonly affects children ages 5 to 10 but can also affect adults.
Tim Howard
This neurological disorder, which afflicts U.S. National Soccer team goalkeeper Tim Howard, is best known in popular culture for its association with uncontrollable outbursts of obscenities, but that symptom is a rare one. More common tics include abrupt movements and repetitive sounds, such as barking, sniffing or throat-clearing. In 2005, Howard told “60 Minutes” that he has controlled his condition through sheer willpower since he was a child.
Bruce Jenner
Before he was overshadowed by the Kardashian clan, Bruce Jenner was famous in his own right as a gold medalist (which event?) in the 1976 Summer Olympics (watch clips of him competing). Although he was once a poster boy (see his Wheaties box) for good health, Jenner now suffers from this common condition, which has forced him to give up hobbies including tennis and running. Though the condition is a normal result of aging, it can be particularly common among people who play sports.
Conor Jackson
This fungal infection effectively ended the major-league career of this outfielder, who now plays for the minor leagues (what team?). The disease is native to the desert regions of the Southwest, where Jackson was drafted to play first base (for which team?). The infection starts in the lungs, and symptoms include cough, joint pain and exhaustion. Jackson has said he had to take naps after batting practice when symptoms were at their worst.
Magic Johnson
The NBA great shocked the nation when he announced his abrupt retirement from the LA Lakers (what year?) due to this disease, which at the time had been widely associated with gay men and intravenous drug users.
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
The track and field star (how many Olympic gold medals does she have?) was diagnosed with this condition at age 18 but hid it from coaches, teammates and the world until 1993 (find out why). Depending on its severity, the condition can be experienced as a minor nuisance or a life-threatening disease. There is no known cure.
Phil Mickelson
The golf star was nearly crippled in the summer of 2010 by this potentially debilitating disease, which quickly spread from his ankle, finger and wrist to his hips, elbows and shoulders. This chronic disease is caused by an overactive immune system and is characterized by skin lesions as well as joint pain. There is no known cure.
Martina Navratilova
The Hall of Fame tennis star told People magazine she cried when she was diagnosed with this illness in 2010. When detected early, as in Martina’s case, the prognosis is generally positive. Two years after her diagnosis, she competed on ABC’s "Dancing With the Stars" (watch clips of her on the show). Risk factors for the disease include a person's age, genetic factors, personal health history and diet.
Darryl Strawberry
The famously controversial New York baseball slugger was diagnosed in 1998 with this form of cancer and underwent surgery two days later. The disease is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in the United States but is relatively rare in people under 40 (how old was Strawberry when he was diagnosed?).
Joe Torre
Fans of the all-star baseball player-turned-manager had another reason to root for Torre when he was diagnosed with cancer in the spring of 1999 (how old was he?) during a routine checkup. The disease is the No. 1 non-skin cancer in America, striking one in every six men. After taking a few months off for surgery, Torre went on to lead the New York Yankees to a World Series title that season.
Venus Williams
Nine out of 10 people who have this autoimmune disease are women, and it affects all races and ages. Symptoms include dry eyes and mouth, fatigue, joint and muscle pain, numbness and tingling in the arms and legs and thyroid problems. While generally not fatal, the condition can increase a person’s risk of developing of this potentially deadly type of cancer.
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