JABBAR BUSTED FOR POT

FORMER NBA STAR NABBED AT PEARSON AIRPORT

The NBA's all-time leading scorer, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, was busted by U.S.
Customs while leaving Canada at Pearson airport with six grams of
marijuana.

Abdul-Jabbar, 50, was fined $500 by U.S. Customs before he was allowed to
board a flight to the U.S., Customs officials said.

Peel Regional Police Supt. Blair Foley said a U.S. Customs sniffer dog,
Floyd, detected drugs on the former Los Angeles Laker centre last Sunday
morning as he was about to board a flight for Los Angeles.

Police found a glass vial of pot he had concealed on his body. "He turned
the drugs over to us," Foley said. "He was searched for further drugs, but
there weren't any."

CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES

Foley said the retired basketball great, who was on the NBA's 50th
anniversary all-time team in 1996, was arrested for possession of a
controlled drug. He was not charged by Canadian police, who used their
discretionary powers to leave it in the hands of U.S. Customs.

Foley said the 7-foot-1 legend, known for his patented "sky hook" shot, was
released without conditions.

He said Abdul-Jabbar, formerly known as Lew Alcindor, was detained for some
time by police and Customs officials and his name was entered into the
computers of Canadian and U.S. police.

U.S. Customs spokesman Cherise Miles said any U.S. citizen nabbed with a
small quantity of marijuana is fined $500 and required to fill out four
sets of Customs forms.

"The person would be detained for some time and the incident would be
recorded in our computers," Miles said.

Calls by The Toronto Sun to Abdul-Jabbar's Los Angeles company were
unanswered yesterday. His secretary said she didn't know when he would be
available.

SURROUNDED BY SUITS

Abdul-Jabbar was in Toronto last week, where he lunched at Jump Cafe and
Bar last Thursday with pals.

"He seems to be a very private guy," said cafe manager Bruce McAdams. "He
was surrounded by a party of suits."

Meanwhile, misdemeanor battery and false imprisonment charges against
Abdul-Jabbar were dismissed yesterday by a Los Angeles judge who ruled the
star complied with orders to complete 36 hours of anger management
counselling.

Court Commissioner Gary Bindman said the star followed a Jan. 29 court
order, which also required a $5,000 payment to a police program for at-risk
youth. The charges stemmed from a driving dispute.

Copyright (c) 1998, Canoe Limited Partnership.