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Alaa Abdelnaby

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Alaa Abdelnaby
Born (1968-06-24) June 24, 1968 (age 58)
Alexandria, Egypt
Occupation(s)Basketball player, commentator, analyst
Years active1990–2000 (player)
Known forNBA career, basketball commentary

Alaa Abdelnaby (; born June 24, 1968) is a retired Egyptian-American professional basketball athlete. He competed at the collegiate level for the Duke Blue Devils before embarking on a five-season career in the National Basketball Association (NBA), along with playing in multiple other leagues. Abdelnaby is one of only two NBA players born in Egypt, sharing this distinction with Abdel Nader.

At present, he serves as a basketball commentator and analyst, contributing to NBCS Philadelphia, CBS Sports Network, and Westwood One Radio.

Early life

Abdelnaby was born in Alexandria, Egypt, and relocated to the United States with his family in 1971 when he was two years old. His father worked as an engineer, while his mother was employed as a computer analyst; both moved to the U.S. seeking enhanced career prospects. The family eventually obtained American citizenship.

Growing up in Nutley and Bloomfield, New Jersey, Abdelnaby played basketball at Bloomfield High School. He distinguished himself as one of the nation's elite high school players, earning accolades such as a selection to the McDonald's All-American team and recognition as a Parade All-American.

College career

Between 1986 and 1990, Abdelnaby represented Duke University on their basketball squad. His senior year marked a significant improvement, averaging 14.9 points alongside 6.7 rebounds per contest. That season, he received third-team all-Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) honors. During his early college years, he encountered notable off-court challenges, including involvement in a campus car accident.

Professional career

In the 1990 NBA Draft, Abdelnaby was chosen 25th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers. His five NBA seasons included playing for Portland, the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and Sacramento Kings. Although he signed with the Golden State Warriors, he did not participate in any games for them.

Following his NBA tenure, Abdelnaby continued his career abroad and in minor leagues: competing with Papagou BC in Greece during 1995–1996, joining the Omaha Racers of the CBA from 1996 to 1997, playing for France's Olympique Antibes in 1997–1998, and later with the Idaho Stampede (CBA) from 1999 to 2000.

Transactions

  • June 27, 1990 – Selected 25th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers
  • July 1, 1992 – Traded to the Milwaukee Bucks in exchange for rights to Tracy Murray
  • December 4, 1992 – Traded to the Boston Celtics for rights to Jon Barry
  • July 26, 1994 – Signed as a free agent by the Sacramento Kings
  • March 21, 1995 – Released by the Sacramento Kings
  • March 24, 1995 – Signed a 10-day contract with the Philadelphia 76ers
  • April 3, 1995 – Extended with a second 10-day contract by Philadelphia
  • April 12, 1995 – Released by Philadelphia
  • October 6, 1995 – Inked a one-year deal with the Golden State Warriors
  • October 18, 1995 – Released by Golden State

Regular season

|- | align="left" | 1990–91 | align="left" | Portland | 43 || 0 || 6.7 || .474 || .000 || .568 || 2.1 || .3 || .1 || .3 || 3.1 |- | align="left" | 1991–92 | align="left" | Portland | 71 || 1 || 13.2 || .493 || .000 || .752 || 3.7 || .4 || .4 || .2 || 6.1 |- | align="left" | 1992–93 | align="left" | Milwaukee | 12 || 0 || 13.3 || .464 || .000 || .750 || 3.1 || .8 || .2 || .3 || 5.3 |- | align="left" | 1992–93 | align="left" | Boston | 63 || 52 || 18.3 || .525 || .000 || .760 || 4.8 || .3 || .3 || .4 || 8.2 |- | align="left" | 1993–94 | align="left" | Boston | 13 || 0 || 12.2 || .436 || .000 || .640 || 3.5 || .2 || .2 || .2 || 4.9 |- | align="left" | 1994–95 | align="left" | Sacramento | 51 || 0 || 9.3 || .532 || .000 || .571 || 2.1 || .3 || .3 || .2 || 5.0 |- | align="left" | 1994–95 | align="left" | Philadelphia | 3 || 0 || 10.0 || .091 || .000 || .000 || 2.7 || .0 || .0 || .0 || .7 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career | 256 || 53 || 12.5|| .502|| .000|| .701|| 3.3|| .3|| .3|| .2|| 5.7


Playoffs

1991 Portland 5 0 2.6 .333 .000 .000 .6 .0 .0 .0 .8
1992 Portland 8 0 3.1 .500 .000 .500 .5 .3 .0 .0 1.5
1993 Boston 4 4 17.0 .458 .000 .000 3.3 .3 .0 .3 5.5
Career 17 4 6.2 .450 .000 .500 1.2 .2 .0 .1 2.2

Broadcasting career

Abdelnaby was selected by the NBA to provide commentary for the 1995 NBA All-Star Game on an Arabic-language channel, capitalizing on his distinction as the league's sole Arabic-speaking broadcaster at the time. His broadcasting journey began with Orbit Communications Company and later extended to additional Arabic media outlets.

Presently, he serves as the color commentator for the Philadelphia 76ers, working alongside play-by-play announcer Kate Scott on NBC Sports Philadelphia. Additionally, he appears as an in-studio analyst covering college basketball for CBS Sports Network, and offers color commentary during live NCAA contests as well as on Westwood One Radio broadcasts.

Personal life

Abdelnaby practices the faith of Islam.

External links

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