FIRST OFF . . .

Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar--fresh from dominating the National Basketball Assn. for the better part of 20 years--cemented his move as a player in the entertainment industry at a press conference Wednesday at which the Laker captain announced his signing with high-profile agent Arnold Rifkin, one of the founders of Triad Artists, and his involvement with two upcoming projects. In one, 41-year-old Abdul-Jabbar--who confirmed his departure from the NBA at the end of next season--said he was committed to working with Home Box Office on a special that will document the six-time Most Valuable Player’s final NBA season. The HBO project will also enlist the help of Bruce Willis (another Rifkin client) and an unspecified number of other stellar Laker fans. Abdul-Jabbar’s other project is a production option on “Bloods,” a book of short stories by Wallace Terry about black soldiers’ Vietnam experiences. Said Abdul-Jabbar: “I love the game of basketball and it’s been good to me. But after my next and last season, it’s time to begin a second career.” Abdul-Jabbar has dabbled in show business before: He started up a custom record label in the early 1980s--reflecting his interest in jazz and fusion--and he has appeared as an actor, most notably in 1981’s “Airplane.”