Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (center) with his business manager, Deborah Morales (left) and Bruce Lee Foundation managing partner David Chang at Shoe Palace's Adidas Jabbar Lo x Bruce Lee pop-up and panel discussion in Los Angeles' Chinatown on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025. BFA Share on Facebook Share on X Share to Flipboard Send an Email Show additional share options Share on LinkedIn Share on Pinterest Share on Reddit Share on Tumblr Share on Whats App Print the Article Post a Comment If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, The Hollywood Reporter may receive an affiliate commission. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is stepping back into one of his most iconic off-court roles - and perhaps one of Hollywood's most famed onscreen height differences - with his latest Adidas collab. 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), which pays tribute to the Hall of Famer and his friendship with his Game of Death co-star in the form of yellow suede sneakers - nodding to Lee's infamous jumpsuit 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.) Related Stories TV Hollywood Flashback: Kristen Bell Sleuthed Out Success With 'Veronica Mars' Music Lalo Schifrin, Acclaimed Composer of 'Mission: Impossible' and 'Mannix' Themes, Dies at 93 The bright yellow kicks are finished with Abdul-Jabbar's trademark skyhook silhouette and Lee's "kick" motif (both in gold foil) along with the martial arts icon's signature on the heel and a custom sockliner inspired by the duo. The Lakers legend first teamed with Adidas in 1978 when he was the first NBA player to ink an endorsement 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 the Chinese-American actor in Game of Death, which 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 and Night Court. On what it takes for him to say "yes" to new acting gigs, the 78-year-old 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." Adidas Originals Jabbar Lo x Bruce Lee basketball shoes, $100, at Shoe Palace. Adidas Abdul-Jabbar sat down with THR on Saturday at Shoe Palace's pop-up for the Adidas collab in L.A.'s Chinatown, steps away from the seven-foot statue commemorating his late friend, who died in 1973 of a cerebral edema at the age of 32. The three-day 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 occasional contributing editor) also discussed about his graphic 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 aspirations in jeopardy after getting caught graffitiing at a rival team's school - but the story isn't quite an autobiographical one. "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.) 'Champion: A Graphic Novel' by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Raymond Obstfeld $18.59 $19.99 7% off Buy at Bookshop $19.99 at Amazon 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 it's 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 t