Kareem Faces Trial After Mall Incident

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 that 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.

Tyler Rich, an assistant city prosecutor, said the case has been set for non-jury trial in Phoenix Municipal Court on Feb. 28.

He said he would not be handling the prosecution and did not know which judge put the case on the calendar.

Abdul-Jabbar, who has said he will retire after this season, his 20th in the NBA, began the year with 37,639 points. He has been injured part of this season but recently returned to action.