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Kareem Abdul -Jabbar returns to one of his most emblematic outdoor roles – and perhaps one of the most famous differences in Hollywood’s most famous screen – with his latest Adidas collaboration.
The NBA MVP six times, New York Times The successful author and scorer of 38,387 points recommended the sports clothing company on the Jabbar Lo X Bruce collection ($ 40 at $ 100), which pays tribute to the temple of fame and his friendship with his Death game CO -STAR in the form of yellow suede sneakers – nodding to the infamous lee combination which inspired Quentin Tarantino Kill Bill Costumes – and graphic t -shirts with scenes from the classic film martial arts. (For the record, Abdul-Jabbar was 18 inches more than his five-feet friend eight feet.)
The bright yellow kicks are finished with the silhouette of the brand of Abdul-Jabbar and the “kick” motif of Lee (both in gold leaves) as well as the signature of the legend of martial arts on the heel and a personalized sock inspired by the duo. The collaboration is now available online and in Shoe Palace stores and will take place worldwide from September 13 on the website and adidas stores and other retailers.
Abdul-Jabbar studied martial arts under Lee and played the mantle like Hakim in front of the Chinese-American actor in Death gameWho started shooting in 1972 and was released in 1978 (five years after the death of Lee) with original and new images. In addition to television and clip cams over the years, the NBA Great has recently been seen on the screen in guest roles in Billion And Night court.
On what he needs to tell him “yes” to new actor concerts, said the 78-year-old multi-hyphenate The Hollywood Reporter“As long as it is not very negative, I would take it. You know, when you are a child, you think:” I can play Superman! “So you have a little [sense of] What the actors have to go through to make us believe, so the learning that made me humiliate. And it always gives me an incentive to perhaps play another role. »»
Adidas Originals Jabbar Lo X Bruce Lee Basketball Shoes, $ 100, in Shoe Palace.
Adidas
Abdul-Jabbar sat with THR On Saturday at the Pop-up of Shoe Palace for the Adidas Collab in the Chinese district of Los Angeles, at the stage of the seven feet statue commemorating his late friend, who died in 1973 of a brain edema at the age of 32. The three-day pop-up also presented the collaborator of prolific Raymond Obsfeld). We all want to change the world And the graphic novel Champion; And Shannon Lee’s successful book, Be of water my friend.
Before joining a round table with business director Deborah Morales and the general partner of the Bruce Lee David Chang Foundation, the 19 times All-Star (and occasional editor-in-chief) also discussed his graphic novel illustrated by Ed Laroche, how he leads the next generation of basketball players and more.
Released today, the 128 pages Champion Follows a secondary basketball player who puts his NBA aspirations in danger after being caught graffiti in the school of a rival team – but the story is not entirely autobiographical. “No, I’m just using [him as a way to] Help me explain a few things, ”he said THR. (Superfans n ° 33 could remember that his father was a transit police officer in New York, after all.)
“ Champion: a graphic novel ” by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Raymond Obstfeld
In addition to his new Adidas kicks, Abdul-Jabbar also appeared on Saturday in his latest Kareem collection against Bruce ($ 45 to $ 95) of t-shirts and a limited edition hood.
“I think [Bruce] Would be satisfied because these are values. This is the essential: self -defense concerns values, everything is mixed together. As I did with my children, teach them good and evil, learn to fight, but don’t be a tyrant. If you know how to fight and people act crazy, you have to do something. This attitude, this approach to life, is really important, “he said.
The retired laker always leads to the brightest in the NBA – but through their wallets. He is the namesake of the price of the champion of social justice of the League, now in his fifth year. The Celtics of Boston Celtics, Jrue Holiday, was appointed recipient 2024-25 of the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar trophy for his work through the social impact fund Jrue and Lauren Holiday, which consists in “giving young people an idea of what their future can be, which is really important,” said Abdul-Jabbar.
“What I try to focus is that I try to wake up the guys in the NBA. They have all this money [and] Their tax exempt from tax could do a lot of good in different places, so I want to encourage them, “he continued.” We have a competition to see who is doing the best, and we give them $ 100,000 so that they can use in everything that is important to them. These things snowball. It’s all.
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar at the statue of Bruce Lee to Historic Central Plaza in Chinatown, Los Angeles, August 30, 2025.
BFA
At the Saturday panel, Abdul-Jabbar revealed how the philosophy of his late friend guided him throughout life and thought about the most famous quote from Lee (“absorb what is useful, and reject what is not. Add what is only yours.”)
“This philosophy is the one that essentially tells you to be pragmatic. Use things that are useful and things that are not useful, what are you going to do with them? Make you succeed, and I think the opportunity to have an advantage, no matter what you do, “he said.
“While I was playing the UCLA, I got foaming in my eyes and I couldn’t play for a few games. I was really depressed about this. Having worked with Bruce and understanding his ideas about being ready, all I knew I had to do was again. [Lee’s teachings] Allowed me to face all the ups and downs of my career, ”said Abdul-Jabbar.
The legend of the NBA also shared memories of visit to the Maison Lee, notably the daughter and the son of the Master of Martial Arts, Shannon and Brandon. (Brandon Lee died at 28 years old after being fatally injured by an accessory pistol during shooting The crow.)
“I had to be Shannon’s pony. She was riding me in the house until there was something else to do. I really liked to know her and Brandon, ”he recalls. “Brandon wanted to fight me. He said that since his father could fight me, he should be able to fight me. I had to disavow him from this thought. ”
About this 18 -inch height difference. When asked if he was never competitive against Lee, Abdul-Jabbar joked: “No. I was not going to try to fight it! He had no chance of soaking me. He had his sphere and I had mine. He showed me how to use my advantages [and] How not to be taken advantage of how my size could work against me. I had always aware, “he said.
Listen to the NBA icon to talk about the first time he met Lee in the video of THR Below, and buy the Jabbar Lo X Bruce Lee collection online now on shoepalace.com and Adidas and beyond from September 13.
