Rider’s Dispute With League Over

Laker guard Isaiah “J.R.” Rider is “in compliance” with the NBA’s drug policies, according to a league source, ending Rider’s dispute with the league over his participation in its drug after-care program.

A month ago, Rider told the league he should not be required to submit to the terms of the program, because he technically had not violated the league’s drug policies. Reportedly, Rider was fined for refusing the tests for banned substances.

The situation stemmed from an incident last season, when Rider played for the Atlanta Hawks. Hawk General Manager Pete Babcock said then that he received a telephone call from a security officer at an Orlando, Fla., hotel, where the Hawks had recently stayed. The officer allegedly discovered evidence of marijuana use in Rider’s vacated room, and Babcock said he notified league security, which investigated.

Rider claimed that while he was accused of drug use on that occasion, it was not established as fact, and therefore he should not be considered an offender.

The league keeps its after-care participants and their issues a secret. Therefore, it is unclear whether Rider submitted to tests and/or the league acknowledged it erred in Rider’s case.

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The Lakers are finalizing plans that would have them return to Hawaii for part of their training camp and play as many as two exhibition games in Japan before next season.

The club trained regularly on the University of Hawaii campus in Honolulu until moving briefly to Santa Barbara and then, last year, to their current complex in El Segundo.

Coach Phil Jackson is wary of the extensive travel before the regular season, and the club agreed to the exhibition games only if they were played early in the exhibition season.

“Dr. [Jerry] Buss ran [a return to Hawaii] by me the last couple of years,” Jackson said. “I told him I like the fact we have training camp in our own building and guys can sleep in their own beds.

“But, there’s occasions you have to do things like this that are good for a team, particularly in this situation, where we have a potential trip to the Far East.”

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Kobe Bryant, whose sprained right ankle has kept him out of three games, traveled with the club to Denver on Tuesday night. His participation tonight against the Nuggets, Jackson said, is a game-time decision.

Meanwhile, Jackson was annoyed that a few Lakers suggested Bryant would learn something about the offense from the bench.

Asked about that point, made most recently by Brian Shaw, Jackson said, “I have no feelings about that one way or the other. I’m not going to comment. I don’t want guys to make reference to it, in particular. That’s not something I like them to do. That’s not something we’re emphasizing. Kobe knows how to play. He’s played on a championship team. He knows how to play.”

TONIGHT

vs. Denver

7:30, Channel 9

* Site--Pepsi Center

* Radio--KLAC (570)

* Records--Lakers 37-18, Nuggets 29-29.

* Record vs. Nuggets--1-1.

* Update--The Nuggets have lost 13 of 18 games, but are 22-9 at home.