No. 8: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Summary: Perhaps it’s my martial artist bias that brings about this placement, but there was no way that I’m doing this list and not talking about Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Initially hitting the basketball scene as Lew Alcindor, Abdul-Jabbar was more than a great ballplayer who briefly shared the screen with Bruce Lee.
Bruce Lee vs. Kareem Abdul Jabbar (Game of Death):
Studying Aikido during his formative years in New York, Abdul-Jabbar wanted to continue his martial arts training when it came time to head to UCLA for college. It was there in California where the future two-time NBA scoring champion crossed paths with the legendary Lee, whom he studied under from 1967-1971.
Although Abdul-Jabbar the first to practice Jeet Kune Do under the Lakers banner, he wasn’t beyond landing the occasional slick elbow en route to establishing dominance in the low-post. And as an avid yoga practitioner, the big man was able to breathe properly and keep pace with lighter and more youthful players.
Despite the fact that flexibility and breathing would assist Abdul-Jabbar in bad spots on paper, I’m still not sure how he’d fare as a fighter overall. That said, it’s hard to deny that the Hall of Famer doesn’t check the boxes of a true martial artist.
“I dedicated myself to preparation by maintaining complete focus during basketball practice and my training with Bruce. As a result, I became stronger, faster and a much more intense player.” – Kareem Abdul-Jabbar