Chuck Norris Once Said Something About Bruce Lee That Every Fan Needs to Hear

Chuck Norris spent decades being asked about Bruce Lee, and he never seemed to tire of it because the friendship, by his own account, was one of the most meaningful of his life.

The two met in 1968 at a karate tournament in New York where Norris was competing. Lee approached him afterward and asked if he'd be willing to train with him. What followed was a years-long friendship built on mutual respect between two men who each recognized something extraordinary in the other. Lee was a master of speed and philosophy. Norris was one of the most decorated sport karate champions in the world. They were, in many ways, the perfect sparring partners.

Chuck Norris in 'Return of the Dragon' with Bruce Lee

When Lee was casting Return of the Dragon in 1972, he called Norris personally and asked him to play the villain Colt — the fighter who would face Lee's character in the film's climactic scene inside the Roman Colosseum.

Norris had one question. "Well, Bruce — who wins?"

"I win," Lee said. "I'm the star of this movie."

Norris pushed back. He held the world title at the time, and he pointed that out. Lee's response was immediate: "No, no. I don't want to beat the world champion. I want to kill the world champion."

The five-day fight scene they filmed in Rome became one of the most iconic sequences in martial arts cinema history. Lee honored his promise — when his character finally defeats Norris's, he drapes the karate uniform over him and places his belt across his chest.

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The Last Time Chuck Norris Saw Bruce Lee

Norris went back to Los Angeles. A few months later, Lee called again — this time to say he was coming to see his doctor. He'd been getting dizzy and passing out. They had lunch, and Lee reported that the doctor said he was "like an 18-year-old kid" and couldn't explain the symptoms.

Lee returned to Hong Kong. A few months after that, he was gone.

Norris attended the funeral in Seattle. When Lee's widow Linda decided to move back to California, she found a home half a block from Norris's house — and Norris spent time with their young son Brandon, telling him stories about his father. Brandon Lee would go on to become a star himself before his own tragic death on the set of The Crow in 1993.

Years later, someone secretly recorded a dinner conversation in which Norris was asked who would win in a real fight between him and Lee. His answer was immediate and unequivocal.

"Bruce Lee," he said. Nobody could beat him.