Kareem Denies He Will Play in Italian League : Magic Sidelined for Game; Cooper Expects Trade

L.A. Times Archives

June 22, 1989 12 AM PT

From Associated Press

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar says he won’t be playing for a team in Italy. Magic Johnson won’t be playing in Indianapolis. And Michael Cooper figures he might not be playing anymore in Los Angeles.

Abdul-Jabbar retired at 42 last week after the Lakers were swept by the Detroit Pistons in the National Basketball Assn. championship. The Italian sports daily, Corriere Dello Sport, then reported that two Italian pro teams were bidding for his services, and that he was seeking $1 million a year.

The report is not true, Abdul-Jabbar’s publicist said Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Cooper said that he would not be surprised if he was traded by the Lakers, now that the team needs a center to replace Abdul-Jabbar, and it was confirmed that Johnson, who was forced out of the NBA Finals because of a hamstring injury, will miss the Larry Bird Pro All-Star Scholarship game Sunday night in Indianapolis.

Lorin Pullman, Abdul-Jabbar’s publicist, denied the Italian report.

“He is not seeking any type of long-term basketball contract and has not received any kind of offer for that kind of money,” she said.

Said Abdul-Jabbar in a statement issued through Pullman: “I’m committed to games on a world-wide basis. I’m not sure I want to be in regular team competition again.”

Abdul-Jabbar will play in Australia and Taiwan next month with a team of former NBA stars against national teams. The games are scheduled in Melbourne (July 24), Sydney (July 26), Brisbane (July 28) and Taipei (July 30).

Otherwise, Pullman said, Abdul-Jabbar will be concentrating on a career in entertainment.

As for being involved in a possible Laker trade, Cooper said: “The Lakers need to make a move to get a center or to get someone to help fill that position. The talk is the Lakers don’t want to break up the starting unit, and if I was the Lakers, I would agree with them.

“And after the starters, Michael Cooper is the most marketable player they have.

“If they have to make the move, I’ll understand it. It’s a pure business decision.”