Alaa Abdelnaby was born on June 24, 1968, in Alexandria, Egypt — the ancient Mediterranean port three thousand miles and an entire civilization away from the ACC. His father was an engineer. His mother was a computer analyst. They were educated, ambitious, Muslim, and in 1971 they brought their two-year-old son to America in search of better careers. The family settled in northern New Jersey — first Nutley, then Bloomfield — and became American citizens. He is almost certainly the only native of Alexandria, Egypt, to ever play in the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Growing up in the 1970s, Abdelnaby was the only kid in the neighborhood named Alaa. In a 2024 NBC Philadelphia interview during Arab American Heritage Month, he described the quiet burden of difference: ‘When I was young, I used to tell people my name was Al, cause I just wanted to fit in. And Alaa in ’73 and ’74 was just a little too different for the youngsters.’ Basketball became his vehicle for belonging.
His parents saw him as a doctor. They didn’t come to his games. ‘They had two other kids to raise. I don’t think they even wanted to encourage me. If I came then I’m approving of this. So you go to do your thing. And at times, I wanted them there ’cause other parents were there.’ But as he grew to 6-foot-10, his parents slowly relented.
Moving from Nutley to Bloomfield was hard. ‘It was tough. Having to leave all your childhood friends and move to a new school was intimidating. I always felt like an outsider until basketball season started my junior year.’ Once basketball season started, everybody knew who he was. In the 1986 Essex County Tournament, he jumped from the foul line and threw down a thunderous dunk against Montclair — a moment Bloomfield fans still talk about decades later. Over 1,000 points in two varsity seasons. McDonald’s All-American. Parade All-American. His coach, Paul Palek, thought the sky was the limit.