About Alaa Abdelnaby Alaa Abdelnaby (born June 24, 1968, in Cairo) is a retired Egyptian-American professional basketball player, who played in the NBA. He played at Duke University from 1986 to 1990, where he was a Third-Team All-ACC selection as a senior. He was selected by the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association with the 25th pick of the 1990 NBA Draft, and he spent five years in the league, playing for Portland as well as the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and Sacramento Kings. He was signed by Golden State Warriors but he never played for that franchise. Abdelnaby is perhaps best known for his infamous quote regarding Duke University's academic requirements: "The only way I can make five A's is when I sign my name." Abdelnaby grew up in Bloomfield, New Jersey, and played on the Bloomfield High School basketball team.