Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has an answer to those people wondering why, after nearly three years of retirement, he is playing Julius Erving in a one-on-one pay-per-view basketball game Friday.

"We see it is as a good business opportunity," Abdul-Jabbar said matter-of-factly. "The one-on-one part of the game hasn't been brought to the public in the right way. We feel that it's exciting and interesting."

Viewers must pay $19.95 to see what is being dubbed "The Clash of the Legends." Abdul-Jabbar and Dr. J will play four five-minute quarters of half-court one-on-one, refereed by former NBA official Earl Strom.

The event, at the Mark G. Etess Arena at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, will also include three preliminary games featuring Rick Barry, Connie Hawkins, Nate Archibald and George Gervin. The telecast is expected to last two hours.

Fifty cents from each pay-per-view sale will be donated to the American Foundation for AIDS Research and to the Magic Johnson Foundation.

The event has drawn fire from the media, which, among other things, have questioned the 44-year old Abdul-Jabbar's effectiveness.

But the NBA's all-time leading scorer said he is "a lot better off physically, mentally and emotionally" than he was during the 1988-89 season, his last with the Lakers.

"Personally, there's a whole lot less bothering me," he said.

"My last year I had a lot to deal with. (Every time they honored me) was a very emotional event. Just the physical burnout that accumulates after playing 19 years (was another problem). I was writing a book about all of this and that was another demand on my time. I was torn in a lot of directions. I also got injured. That combination of things made it a very tough year."

To prepare for his matchup with Erving, Abdul-Jabbar has been practicing against his successor at center for the Lakers, Vlade Divac.

"I've seen (Kareem) practice three or four days and he looks a lot stronger and physically better than his last year here," said his former teammate Byron Scott. "I don't know if he's going to go out there and embarrass himself. ...

"He's been working and running and lifting for a while and been doing it twice a day, so I think he's taking it real seriously and hopefully he'll have a good showing."

According to Dave Wooley, the event's Philadelphia-based promoter, Erving, 42, is participating in "Challenge of the Legends" for the fans.