The retired basketball star, actor, and writer is not impressed with Once Upon a Time in Hollywood.
We quickly developed a friendship as well as a student-teacher relationship.
Booth wins the fight by throwing Lee into a car.
Everett Collection
And Abdul-Jabbar agrees, going even further in his column.
Of course, Tarantino has the artistic right to portray Bruce any way he wants, Abdul-Jabbar writes.
The only roles were for inscrutable villains or bowing servants, he writes.
Asian men were portrayed as sexless accessories to a scene, while the women were subservient.
This was how African-American men and women were generally portrayed until the advent of Sidney Poitier and blaxploitation films.
Thats why it disturbs me that Tarantino chose to portray Bruce in such a one-dimensional way, Abdul-Jabbar continues.
The column signs off with Abdul-Jabbar setting the record straight on who Lee really was as a person.
I was in public with Bruce several times when some random jerk would loudly challenge Bruce to a fight.
He always politely declined and moved on, he writes.
First rule of Bruces fight club was dont fight unless there is no other option.
He felt no need to prove himself.
Unfortunately,Once Upon a Time in Hollywoodprefers the good old ways.
I didnt just make a lot of that up, Tarantino said.
I heard him say things like that.
Brad would not be able to beat up Bruce Lee, but Cliff maybe could.
If you ask me the question, Well who would win in a fight, Bruce Lee or Dracula?
Its the same question.
Its a fictional character.
Once Upon a Time in Hollywoodis now playing in theaters.
