NAMES IN THE NEWS : Kareem Faces Trial; Tourist Claims Injuries in Shoving Incident at Mall

PHOENIX — Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the leading scorer in NBA history, will be tried next year on two misdemeanor counts stemming from a shoving incident at a shopping mall, a city prosecutor said today.

The charges stem from an April 21 run-in between an Italian tourist and the 41-year-old Los Angeles Lakers center.

Abdul-Jabbar allegedly stiff-armed a video camera held by Fernando Nicolia, 40, of Rome. Nicolia claims he suffered a bruised eye and a scratched ear from the force of the camera striking his head. He also has filed a civil suit over the incident.

Abdul-Jabbar has said he brushed the camera out of his way in annoyance at the tourist’s persistence in taping him at the Metrocenter mall.