October 08, 2015
When it came to announcing who would replace the irreplaceable Malik Rose in the Sixers’ booth, Comcast SportsNet cut it pretty darn close. But on the night of the first official broadcast, we finally have our answer: Alaa Abdelnaby.
Over the past couple of years, Abdelnaby was a major presence on CBS Sports Network’s college hoops coverage, both as a studio analyst and color commentator. I specifically remember him calling a couple of Temple games this past season. Here is what he told Comcast SportsNet:
"Timing is a lot in life, and I think this team is on the rise," Abdelnaby said Thursday. "I think with the pieces that the Sixers have acquired over the offseason, a guy like [Jahlil] Okafor in particular, a Duke guy, for me in particular it's even more relatable a place because of his presence here. But this team is rising, and for me to be able to hitch my ride at this moment is a great opportunity, one I couldn't pass up."
Abdelnaby did play four years at Duke, where he averaged 15.1 points per game on 62 percent shooting as a senior in 1989-90. In a five-year NBA career, he played for Boston, Milwaukee, Portland, Sacramento, and… the Sixers, for a total of three games to end his career during the 1994-95 season.
One of us, one of us!
You can follow him on Twitter here: @alaatweets
Follow Rich on Twitter: @rich_hofmann
