THE SIDELINES : Abdul-Jabbar Not Seeking Italian Deal, Publicist Says

A report that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is seeking a $1-million contract to play pro basketball in Italy next year is not true, his publicist said today.

Abdul-Jabbar, the 7-foot-2 star of the Lakers, retired at the end of the National Basketball Assn. playoffs at the age of 42. The Italian report “is not true, he is not seeking any type of long-term basketball contract and has not received any kind of offer for that kind of money,” said publicist Lorin Pullman.

“I’m committed to games on a worldwide basis,” said Abdul-Jabbar in a statement issued by his publicist. “I’m not sure I want to be in regular team competition again.”

An Italian sports daily, Corriere Dello Sport, said this week that two Italian pro teams were reported bidding for Abdul-Jabbar’s services, and that he was seeking $1 million a year.

Abdul-Jabbar, who has appeared in a handful of movies and television shows in recent years, is concentrating on the entertainment field and serving as a “basketball ambassador,” his publicist said. He is traveling to Australia and Taiwan next month to play exhibitions with a team of former NBA stars against national teams. The games are in Melbourne, July 24; Sydney, July 26; Brisbane, July 28, and Taipei, July 30.