USC’s Miner Denies Link to Rap Venture : College basketball: Alleged deal for him to sing on “On Our Way to the NBA” could jeopardize eligibility.

USC basketball star Harold Miner said Monday he has no affiliation with a Las Vegas company that is using his name to promote a rap song called “On Our Way to the NBA.”

In a statement issued through the USC sports information department, Miner, who recently completed his junior season, said he remains undecided about making himself available for this year’s NBA draft.

He said he was unaware that his name was being used to promote the rap song until he saw a story that appeared Sunday in a Dallas newspaper mentioning the song.

Under NCAA rules, college athletes are prohibited from involvement in the promotion of commercial enterprises. The eligibility of an athlete found to have taken part in such a promotion would be in jeopardy, said Rick Evrard, NCAA director of legislative services.

If an athlete’s name is used to promote such a venture without his knowledge, the athlete must take steps to see that the promotion is stopped in order to remain eligible, NCAA rules state.

A release that has been sent to several national news organizations says that Miner will take part in recording a rap song along with former college stars Shaquille O’Neal of LSU, Todd Day of Arkansas and Christian Laettner of Duke.

O’Neal, a junior, announced last week that he will forgo his senior season at Louisiana State to enter the draft. Day and Laettner have completed their senior seasons.

According to the release, ESPN announcer Dick Vitale will also perform on the recording.

Under the headline “They’re Rapping Their Way to the NBA,” the release says that the four players will collaborate on a “smash hit single” entitled “On Our Way to the NBA.” According to the release, the song will be available on compact disc and cassette next month from a company known as HBD, Inc.

The release also notes that a party and news conference is scheduled Thursday in Las Vegas.

Identifying himself as vice president of HBD, Inc., George Luster of Las Vegas said Monday that Thursday’s news conference has been called off, but that the four players have agreed to record the song early next week in Las Vegas.

“They each have a cassette--an instrumental, no vocals--just to get in the mood to rap,” he said.

Some of the proceeds will go to charity, and some will go to the players, he said.

Copies of the release were sent to USA Today, ESPN and other media outlets, he said.

Luster said that his partner in the venture, Nate Cebrun, has made unwritten deals with each of the players to participate in the project.

Asked about Miner’s participation, he said he had been assured by Cebrun that Miner is going to volunteer for this year’s draft.

“I’ve questioned (Cebrun) on this several times,” Luster said. “I’ve asked him, ‘Is Harold definitely coming out?’ He has told me, ‘Yes, Harold is definitely coming out and wants to rap.’

“I have not heard this from Harold’s lips myself, but Nate has definitely told me that Harold is coming out and wants to be on the recording.”

Cebrun did not respond to a message left by The Times.

Luster said that HBD, Inc. is a sports marketing firm formed to handle “everything from setting up special events to recordings.”

He said HBD, Inc. is incorporated in Nevada. The Nevada Secretary of State’s office, however, shows no such company incorporated in the state.

The Las Vegas Review-Journal reported last year that Luster was involved with former UNLV players Larry Johnson, Stacey Augmon, Greg Anthony and George Ackles in setting up a company known as Final Four, Inc., which sold lithographs displaying the players’ pictures and autographs.