Kareem Abdul-Jabbar did more than just dominate basketball. The 7’2″  legendary center is one of the most respected legends of the game. Much of it is linked to his works as a social justice activist. In addition, he leads speaks candidly in his Substack. But there is one role of the Los Angeles Lakers icon that many might not be aware of. Notably, Abdul-Jabbar has also been a part of several movies. His most popular works arguably came with his good friend Bruce Lee. In a recent appearance on The Daily Show, the six-time MVP narrated an incident with the martial arts expert’s wife which left the former scoring leader of the NBA flying through the room.

The friendship between Lee and Abdul Jabbar began way before he became an NBA figure. Kareem was just 20 when he developed a keen interest in martial arts. Once he moved to UCLA, he was guided in the direction of Bruce Lee. The American actor arguably played a huge part in paving the way for modern martial arts. His philosophies are passed down even to this day. During those days, there was probably no better teacher Kareem Abdul-Jabbar could have asked for.

In their first meeting together, Lee wanted to test the NBA great. After seeing his power on the bag, the fighting legend called upon his wife to demonstrate the true strength of his martial arts.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar got a reality check after being kicked by Bruce Lee’s wife

At 7’2″, most would think Abdul-Jabbar was a powerful man. Moreover, he did justice to his reputation on the basketball court. However, in Bruce Lee’s background, the six-time champion was nothing but a puppy. In his interview with The Daily Show, the 75-year-old spoke about his bond with Lee. Moreover, he also went into the story of meeting the popular actor for the first time. In their first meet, Lee asked the Lakers icon to kick and punch a bag.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Exposes “Chinese People Didn’t Like Bruce Lee” for a Peculiar Reason

After giving him a shot, the ‘Be Water’ star called his wife. He instructed the NBA giant to apply all his weight behind the bag. As Kareem stood there, Bruce Lee asked his wife to land a kick. Shockingly, the single kick saw Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s huge frame fly across the room.

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That became the moment he fell deeper into the science of Bruce Lee’s martial arts. While on the Daily Show, Abdul-Jabbar found it tough to explain how the kick made ended up in a 7’2″ frame flying. He said, “He told me alright you put your weight behind the bag, and I did. She kicked the bag and my body flew off of it.” Kareem continued, “It’s harder to talk about it than it is to do it, you know.”

They two became good friends from training together. In 1973, Bruce Lee invited the Hall of Fame center to film a scene for his movie, ‘Game of Death’. It was Abdul-Jabbar’s first-ever role. Their experiment resulted in one of the most unique fighting scenes in cinema. They fought for nearly five minutes in the movie which saw the Lakers legend lose in the end.

WATCH THIS STORY: Magic Johnson Drops the Hammer on Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as LeBron James Nears Iconic NBA Scoring Record

Sadly, Bruce Lee suddenly passed away at the age of just 32 years old. The actor never got to see Kareem Abdul-Jabbar blossom into a legend both on and off the court. But as it seems, the ‘skyhook’ master is doing his job by spreading stories and lessons Lee left behind.