LOS ANGELES - A California woman is suing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar claiming the former National Basketball Association great improperly fired her pregnant daughter, court papers showed.

A California woman is suing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, pictured June 2006, claiming the former National Basketball Association great improperly fired her pregnant daughter, court papers showed.[AFP]

Diane Broda also filed a lawsuit against the law firm where she worked for 17 years, claiming she was fired because she threatened to sue Abdul-Jabbar - a former client of the firm - for sacking her daughter.

Broda, who filed her lawsuits on Tuesday in Los Angeles Superior Court, also claims age and sex discrimination played a role in her own dismissal.

Broda is asking for unspecified medical and general damages from the ex-basketball player and the law firm.

Deborah Morales, manager for Abdul-Jabbar, was not immediately available for comment. John Gaims, the law firm partner who is the focus of her other lawsuit, also was not immediately available for comment.

According to the lawsuits, Broda's pregnant daughter was fired by Abdul-Jabbar's company, Ain Jeem Inc, in December. When Broda called the company to warn she would sue, Ain Jeem officials called her bosses at the law firm, according to the court papers.

Broda was then fired, also in December, the lawsuits state.

In a 20-year NBA career Abdul-Jabbar, 59, won six titles, one with Milwaukee and five with the

Los Angeles Lakers. He earned regular-season Most Valuable Player honors six times and retired in 1989 as the league's all-time leader in 20 categories, including scoring.