Abdul-Jabbar in Business Talks With Buss : Laker Center Still Plans to Retire After Next Season; Home Is for Sale

The same afternoon that one of his resident superstars, hockey’s Marcel Dionne, was traded, Jerry Buss sat down and talked to another, Laker center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, about extending his business relationship beyond the end of his playing career.

According to both sides, the Lakers have already agreed to a contract extension for next season that will pay Abdul-Jabbar in excess of $2 million. Tuesday’s meeting involved discussions about a future role for Abdul-Jabbar with California Sports, Inc., the corporation that owns the Lakers, Kings and the Forum.

Buss said Abdul-Jabbar envisions some sort of “entrepreneurial” role after he is through playing, perhaps in the area of concert promotions. In previous contracts with the Lakers, Abdul-Jabbar was given Forum dates to promote concerts.

“I can’t rule out any possibilities,” Buss said. “We’re looking at all our areas of mutual interest.”

Buss said that a couple of years ago, he spoke to Abdul-Jabbar about working with the Lakers’ big players in a teaching capacity, but it hasn’t been discussed since.

“I expect we’ll get it done (reach agreement) before the end of the playoffs,” said Abdul-Jabbar, who will be 40 on April 16 and reiterated Tuesday that next season, his 19th in the National Basketball Assn., will definitely be his last.

There has been considerable speculation about Abdul-Jabbar’s financial well-being ever since he filed suit against his former agent, Tom Collins, for $55 million last summer. The suit alleges that Abdul-Jabbar has suffered losses in excess of $9 million due to mismanagement by Collins.

Collins has filed a countersuit, claiming that Abdul-Jabbar refused to pay the agent’s commissions from his Laker contracts since 1980 and also the commission from Abdul-Jabbar’s shoe contract with Adidas.

Last week, Abdul-Jabbar placed his Bel-Air mansion on the market. The four-bedroom, 3 1/2-bath, four-fireplace house is listed for $4.3 million by Jon Douglas Realtors.

But he denied that the losses he allegedly incurred from his dealings with Collins had anything to do with the decision to sell his house.

“I’m just checking it out,” he said. “(The Collins suit) hasn’t been pleasant, but that’s not why (the house is listed).

“As long as I’m undecided where my plans will take me in the future, I’m checking out the real estate market.”

Leonard Armato, Abdul-Jabbar’s attorney, said that Abdul-Jabbar was acting on legal advice when he placed the house for sale.

“It may look like Kareem is selling his house because he can’t afford to make his payments,” Armato said. “But there are a lot of reasons that it’s listed for sale.

“First, Kareem built that house for a family. It’s a huge mansion. But his kids are not with him.

“Second, Kareem travels extensively. He’s rarely at his lonely mansion by himself. And the market is really good right now. We think it’s in his best interests to see what it could bring on the open market.”

In his suit, Abdul-Jabbar said he was frequently reduced to borrowing money from Collins to meet his living expenses and pay his mounting debts, while Collins “allowed” him to spend “excessive sums” of money on his personal residence and several ill-advised investments.

According to Gary Fleishman, manager of the Jon Douglas office in Bel-Air, Abdul-Jabbar’s residence--which sits on nearly an acre of land off Stone Canyon Road--has what may be the most spectacular interior he has seen.

“And I’ve seen much more expensive houses,” said Fleishman, who has sold property belonging to numerous Hollywood celebrities.

“Everything is custom made, with the finest woods. The doors between the rooms, which look like they’re hand-carved and made from two or three different woods, must go for a couple of hundred thousand apiece. The banister is an art piece.”

With a guest house, pool and gym with racquetball court, the house would seem to have everything--especially for the well-heeled tall person. Fleishman said sinks, showers and doorways, among other things, were all designed for the height-conscious by the 7-foot 2-inch Abdul-Jabbar.

There is, however, one thing missing: No basketball court.

“Not a hoop in sight,” Fleishman said.

Buss, incidentally, said that about 8 to 10 months ago, he spent seven hours in Phoenix trying to talk 50-year-old Wilt Chamberlain out of retirement. Buss said he was serious, but Chamberlain wouldn’t go for it.

“He has so many interests,” Buss said. “But it’s an intriguing possibility.”