Lee, he said, "taught me the discipline and spirituality of martial arts, which was greatly responsible for me being able to play competitively in the NBA for 20 years with very few injuries." Abdul-Jabbar wasn't the only basketball superstar to benefit from Bruce Lee's philosophy. The South China Morning Post quotes Kobe Bryant this way: "I really looked up to Bruce. The one thing, among many, that I learned from him is the philosophy of jeet kune do is being able to adapt. Having the fundamental skills available to you so that you can react to any situation.... (Lee) hoped that he could inspire someone, not to learn how to fight, but through the art of fighting, learn how to be a better person." In 1973, Abdul-Jabbar filmed a fight sequence for what would prove to be his friend's last movie, Game of Death, released posthumously five years later.
"I was in public with Bruce several times when some random jerk would loudly challenge Bruce to a fight," wrote Abdul-Jabbar. "He always politely declined and moved on... He felt no need to prove himself. He knew who he was and that the real fight wasn't on the mat, it was on the screen in creating opportunities for Asians to be seen as more than grinning stereotypes."
Bruce Lee "was a wonderful human being," said Abdul-Jabbar. "It was a pleasure to know him."
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