Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on His Bruce Lee-Inspired Adidas Collab, Taking on More Acting Gigs and His New Graphic Novel

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Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is Stepping Back Into of His Most Iconic Off-Court Roles-and Perhaps One of Hollywood’s Moscreen Onscreen Height Differences-With His Latest Adv.

The Six-Time Nba MVP, New York Times BESTSELLING AUTHOR AND SCORER OF 38,387 Points Has Re-Teamed with The Sportswear Company on the Jabbar Lo x Bruce Lee Collection ($ 40 to $ 100) Game of Death Co-Star in The Form of Yellow Suede Sneakers-Nodding to Lee’s Infamous Jumps that Inspired Quentin Tarantino’s Kill Bill Costumes – and Graphic Tees With Scenes of the Classic Martial Arts Film. (For the Record, Abdul-Jabbar Was 18 Inches Taller Than His Five-Foot-Eight Pal.)

The Bright Yellow Kicks Are Finished with Abdul-Jabbar’s Trademark Skyook Silhouette and Lee’s “Kick” Motif (Both in Gold Foil) Along with The Martial Arts Icon’s Signat. Inspired by the duo. The Lakers Legend First Teamed with Adidas in 1978 WHEN HE WAS The FIRST NBA PLAYER to INK An Endorsment Deal and Release A Signature Shoe. The New Collab is Now Available Online and in Stores at Shoe Palace and Will Roll Out Globally beginning on Sept. 13 at Adidas’ Website and Stores and at Other Retailers.

Abdul-Jabbar Studied Martial Arts Under Lee and Starred As Hakim The Mantis OPPOSITE OF THE CHINESE-AMERICAN ACTOR IN Game of DeathWHICH BEGAN FILMING IN 1972 and WAS RELEASED IN 1978 (FIVE YEARS After Lee Passed Away) with Original and New Footage. In addition to tv and music video cameos throughout the years, the nba Great Was MOST RECENTLY SEEN Onscreen in Guest Roles in Billions an Night Court.

On What It Takes For Him to Say “YES” to New Acting Gigs, The 78-YEAR-ELD MULTI-HYPHENATE TOLD The Hollywood Reporter“AS Long as It’s Not Very Negative, I’D Take It. You Know, WHEN YOU’RE A KID, YOU THINK, ‘I CAN PLAY SUPERMAN!’ THEN YOU GET A LITTLE [sense of] WHAT ACTORS HAVE TO GO THROUGH IN ORDER TO GET US TO BELIEVE THEM, SO LEARNING THAT HAS MADE ME HUMBLED. And IT’s Still Giving Me An Incentive to Maybe Take Another Role. ”

Abdul-jabbar sat down with Thr On Saturday at Shoe Palace’s Pop-Up for the Adidas Collab in La’s Chinatown, Steps Away from The Seven-Foot Statue Commemoration his Late Friend, who died in 1973 POP-UP ALSO FEATURED THE PROLIFIC SUBSTACK COLUMNIST’S TWO INSPIRING NEW BOOKS (CO-Written with Longtime Collaborator Raymond Obstfeld), We All Want To Change The World and The Graphic Novel Champion; and Shannon Lee’s Bestselling Book, Be Water My Friend.

Before joining a panel discussion with Business Manager Deborah Morales and Bruce Lee Foundation Managing Partner David Chang, The 19-Time Nba All-Star (and Occasium) Novel Illustrated by Ed Laroche, How He’s Coaching The Next Generation of Basketball Players and More.

Released Today, The 128-Page Champion Follows A High School Basketball Player Who Puts His Nba Aspirs in Jeopardy After Getting Caunght Graffitizing at A Rival Team’s School – But The Story isn’eobio. “No, i just use [him as a way to] HELP ME EXPLAIN A FEW Things, ”HE TOLD Thr. (NO. 33 SUPERFANS MIGHT RECALL THAT HIS FATHER WAS A NYC Transit Police Officer, After All.)

In addition to his new adidas kicks, abdul-jabbar also showed up on saturday in his Latest Kareem Vs. Bruce Collection ($ 45 to $ 95) of Limited-Edition T-Shirts and Hoodies.

“I Think [Bruce] would be happy with it because i about values. That’s the Main Thing: Self-Defense Is About Values, It’s All Mixed in Together. Like I DID WITH My Children, Teach Them The Right and Wrong, Learn How to Fight, But Don’t Be A Bully. If you do Know How to Fight, and People Are Acting Crazy, SomeTimes You have to do something. That attitude, that Approach to Life, is Really Important, ”He Said.

The Retired Laker is Still Coaching the Nba’s Brigtest – But Through Their Wallets. He’s the name of the league’s Social Justice Champion Award, Now in Its Fifth Year. Boston Celtics Guard Jrue Holiday Was Named The 2024-25 Recipient of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Trophy for His Work Through The Jrue and Lauren Holiday Social Impact Fund, WHICH Idea About Whats Their Future Can Be, WHICH IS REALLY IMPORTANT, ”SAID ABDUL-JABBAR.

“The Big Thing I TRY to FOCUS ON IS I’M TRYING TO WAKE UP The GUYS IN THE NBA. They have all this money [and] Their Tax-EXEMPT DONATIONS COURCK is that’s important to them. These Things Snowball. That’s the whol thing. ”

At Saturday’s Panel, Abdul-Jabbar Revealed Howled How His Late Friend’s Philosophy Guided Him Througout Life and Reflected On Lee’s MOST FAMED QUOTE Uniquelly Your Own. ”)

“That philosophy is one that Tells You to Basically Be Pragmatic. Use the Things That Are Useful, and The Things That Aren’t Useful, What Are You Going To Do You With. Fundamentals of Basketball, Were Some Things I Had to Work on AHEAD AND DO THAT YOU KNOW WILL MAKE YOU SUCCESSFUL, AND I THINK The Opportunity to have An Advantage No Matter What It Is That You Do, ”He Explain.

“While I was playing at ucla, i got published in the eye and i couldn’t play for a coupple of games. I was was Really distal I KNEW I HAD to DO WAS, ‘LET’S GET READY AGAIN, YOU’RE GONNA HAVE TO BE READY WHEN YOU STEP ON THE COURT AGAIN,’ AND I WAS. [Lee’s teachings] Enabled me to deal with all the ups and downs of my Career, ”Recalled Abdul-Jabbar.

The Nba Legend Also Shared Memories of Visiting the Lee Household, Including the Martial Arts Master’s Thenser’s Daughter and Son, Shannon and Brandon. (Brandon Lee Died at 28 After Being Fatally Wounded by a Prop Gun While Filming The Crow.)

“I had to be shannn’s pony. She would ride me around the House Unil there washoting else to do. “Brandon Wanted to Beat Me Up. He’d Since His Dad Could Beat Me Up, HE SHOULD BE ABLE TO Beat Me

About that 18-inch height figure. WHEN ASKED IF HE WAS Ever Competitive Against Lee, Abdul-Jabbar Quipped, “No. I Wasn’t Gonna Try and Fight Him! He Had No U was. My Advantages [and] How Not To Be Taken Advantage of In Ways That My Height Might Work Against Me. I was always aware of that, ”he said.

Hear the Nba Icon Talk About the FIRST TIME HE MET LEE in the Video From Thr Below, and Shop The Jabbar Lo x Bruce Lee Collection Online Now Shoepalace.com and at Adidas and Beyond Starting Sept. 13.