BP: Talk about your decision to come to Duke back in the day?
Alaa Abdelnaby: Well, when I look back on it, ultimately why I came was because of a deal that I had to make with my parents. My parents being of an immigrant background coming from Egypt, their goal was really education, education, education. So for me, having been able to grow 6’10” and being able to play basketball, that afforded me the opportunity to go to school for free. It was like, “Okay, well now that you’ve gotten to this point, you have to go to the best school possible.” The best school at that time and in my opinion to this day — and I know I’m obviously not objective in saying this — is here at Duke University. So for me looking back on it, it was the best decision I have ever made in my entire life.
BP: Do you have any memories or stories of Coach K and the recruiting process?
AA: My senior year, first day of class, I was in my homeroom at 8:00 in the morning. My guidance counselor over the loud speaker calls out to my teacher, “We’d like to have Alaa Abdelnaby come down to the guidance office.” Now I’m just a mess. I’m thinking, “Do I not have enough credits? Could I not be a senior?” Then they say, “You know what? Forget it. He doesn’t have to come down.” Then I’m thinking that my mind is whirling. What could have possibly happened in the last five minutes? On my way to my first class a couple of kids who worked in the guidance office and were friends of mine said, “Coach K’s in the building.” I said, “You guys are out of your mind. There is no way he is in the building. Surely he would have called me and told me.” Every other time he had come up I would always get a call. Then a couple other people as the period was over say the same thing. So now I have to go check for myself. It turns out we go down to the guidance office and there he is sitting there with my transcript in his lap. And I look at him and first thing I say to him is, “You never told me you were going to be here.” And he says, and I’ll never forget this, “I’m not here for you. I’m here to see what you’re all about.” And he had my whole life in front of him. What I learned from that was that it wasn’t just about basketball with him. You had to bring everything and he had to make sure that you were capable of finishing Duke, not just getting in to Duke. And I learned a lot about the guy that day because that was who he was throughout the four years.
BP: What other things do you carry with you today that you picked up from Coach K?
AA: There are a lot of things! Not only with NBA TV but I also coached high school basketball for four years. And the thing about it is that literally everything that I have done since I left here, he has had something to do with. Whether it is playing NBA basketball or coaching basketball, I did that because he helped me learn the game and I wanted to pass it on. Now that I’m doing the broadcasting, he helped me get into that as well. What he’s taught me has opened up some doors for me and allowed me opportunities. So as far as my relationship with him, I am forever grateful. That’s the first thing. A lot of people say that you repeat what your parents told you when you were little, and I repeat Coach K all the time. The things about basketball that he taught us really do carry over to all parts of life. You find yourself sometimes thinking, “What should I be thinking? What should I be doing?” And the best way to answer that is, “What would Coach K want me to do?”
BP: When you watch an old Duke game or see the current Blue Devils on TV, what goes through your mind?
AA: I think of loyalty first and foremost because Coach K’s been, and the whole staff and everyone involved, including players past, present, and I would imagine the future ones as well, have all been loyal to me and never wavered one bit. And it’s been incumbent upon me to be as loyal and I hope I have. The other word that sticks is brotherhood. Brotherhood is about how special it is to call yourself a Duke Basketball player. I think it’s because of those two words. You know that Coach is big on words, and for me brotherhood and loyalty are two words that stick out paramount above a lot of other words because we are all truly brothers. And Coach K is the lead guy, he could be our father figure and for some guys has been a father figure over the years.
BP: Your return home to Duke must bring back some great memories. How does it feel to be back here for K Academy and what do you miss most about not being here as a student?
AA: Well you said it right, it’s home. It really is home. That’s the wonderful thing about coming back here, and this Academy really allows us all to enjoy it. You know the campers that are here have a great time, but the former players do as well because we have the opportunity to see each other again. For instance, this week J.J. Redick was one of our assistant coaches. I didn’t know J.J. that well and now I’ve gotten to know him pretty well and we’ve gotten the chance to link the eras. He recently left and I’ve been gone for quite awhile, yet we always have that common bond of having played for Coach K and you sort of speak the same language, if you will. So for me, coming back here really is like coming home. Cameron is like the womb and you come back into the womb again, not too get too philosophical, but at the same time it really is a special feeling walking into this building.
BP: Talk about Cameron. You have played in and visited quite a few gyms in your day given your college and NBA background. How does Cameron stand out?
AA: A lot of people ask me that question. They want to know what Cameron is like and to compare it to how it fits with every other place I’ve played in. I’ve played in some hotbeds, if you will, on the pro level and on the college level, especially in the ACC, but nothing is like Cameron. As far as home-court advantage is concerned, as far as being able to pick you up when you’re feeling down at times, the Crazies really and truly are the Sixth Man. It’s neat being back at this place sitting and watching the games from the sidelines. That court has my life on it in a lot of respects because you spend four years of your life putting it all out there on that floor, both proverbially and literally. So for me, when I look back and see that court in its physical shape, a lot of flashbacks come to mind. No other place in the world gives that to you, especially me.
BP: What is your most rewarding aspect of being a member of the Duke Basketball Family?
AA: It’s the “family” word that you just mentioned. It’s sort of like when Coach tells us that you are part of a team and that if you do your role then the team benefits and we all get to bask in the glow of the team’s success. You become bigger than just your role. That’s a true example of what I am benefiting from now. I’m still a part of the Duke Family and even though I haven’t played in a long time, the honor that is giving to any of the Duke players applies to me as well. That holds true to this day. I will always be a member of the Duke Basketball Family and that’s something that not a lot of people can say and makes me extremely proud to this day, perhaps even more than when I played because being away from it allows you to appreciate it a little more. When you’re in the middle of it you kind of get immersed in your own things, but when you get away from it you are able to appreciate exactly how special that time in your life was. Those are the best four years of my life.
BP: During your four years, you played in so many big games and reached three Final Fours. How do those types of games and environments help you as a player and as a person?
AA: It was huge. When I got to the NBA after that we got to the NBA finals and lost to the Bulls in ’92, I never found myself overwhelmed by any moment because I had seen so much here. I’ve played in three Final Fours and championship games, and you know there are a few people watching those games and there’s a lot at stake. And in the NBA Finals, since they are over a seven-game series, there is less of a sense of urgency night in and night out. It’s okay if you lose a game, but the NCAA Tournament is not like that. If you lose a game in a certain two-hour period, you’re going home. When you’ve been through that caldron, nothing is ever going to be that hard again. It’s a huge advantage that I had over a lot of players that I played against in the NBA who never got to experience what I experienced, let alone ACC games. When you go to Virginia, that is a tough place to play. Carolina is a tough place to play. Then, when you compare that to the Palace where the Pistons play, that is not as tough and is a walk in the park compared to some of the ACC arenas. So, you do get thick skinned, you get hardened and toughened, mentally and physically. That’s something that you can’t quantify and that’s something that a lot of guys don’t get to go through.
BP: What do you remember about Coach K and his coaching style?
AA: He’s the best X’s and O’s guy I’ve ever met, but it’s not only about the X’s and O’s. It’s about the body language and exuding confidence. I’ll never forget the NC State game here. We were down by one with about three seconds left to go, and we have to miss the second free throw and hopefully get the rebound and put it in. Now, that is not an easy thing to make happen. It’s happened before, but it’s tough to command it to happen. We come to the time out with about three seconds left to go and he sees it in our face that we do not believe that we can do this. So he said, “You know what? We are going to win this darn game.” We believed that because he sold it. He believed it first. It wasn’t talk; he actually believed it was possible. What happens? We go out there and we miss the free throw, Christian taps it in and we win. Now the least surprised person in the building was Coach K because he had already seen it. We’ve talked about imagination and he’s probably got the best imagination of us all. Plus, he’s a guy who works his tail off harder than the next guy and creates those opportunities for himself. They don’t come to somebody who doesn’t present himself. He’s always out there presenting himself by his work. The other thing that I love about him too is that as we went on to the three Final Fours and get a lot of attention, his passion never waned. It was as if we had never had that success and he was still trying to get somewhere. He was never satisfied and it rubbed off on us. Hence, now to this day, a win is something that you are supposed to do and a loss is something you are supposed to lament over. I learned that from him.
BP: Duke University is a school that excels in so many areas. Talk about being an important member of the Duke community and earning a degree from this place.
AA: Well, I have a sister who went to Cornell and a brother who went to Yale. So whenever the US News and World Reportrankings for schools come out, we always grab a copy of it and compare. Yale’s pretty much always up there and we’re up there as well, and so we give each other a good ribbing, but it really signifies not just the basketball excellence but everything else that this university has to offer. That degree that I have in my room speaks volumes because it does come from a place like this. The degree assumes that not only were you able to compete here, but you were able to finish here. That says a lot.
BP: Christian, how does it feel to be back at Duke and what do you miss most about not being here every day?
Christian Laettner: Well, I love it more than anything. I love coming back here. There’s, as you can imagine, just incredible memories for me here at Duke. And if I didn’t have just the best life going and the most amazing family, I’d be around here more. But I love coming back for the K Academy. It’s a very special situation where the older guys get to be around us and we get to coach, “hob-nob” a little bit, and just mingle with people that love Duke Basketball. It means a lot to me. The four years that I spent here were just absolutely incredible.
BP: You played in a lot of gyms in your career. What stands out most about Cameron? What goes through your mind when you think about Cameron Indoor Stadium?
Christian: When I think of Cameron Indoor Stadium, the first thing I think of is Duke Basketball and the powerhouse that Duke basketball is, and now it’s Coach K’s Court. Cameron was one of the reasons that I came to Duke. The Cameron Crazies and the atmosphere they create in our gym is just unbeatable. When you combine the Duke Basketball team and the Duke program with Cameron and the Cameron Crazies, it’s just a force that is tough to beat. That’s why all the Duke teams have been so good over the last twenty years, especially on their home court, they’re a very tough team to beat.
BP: What is the single most rewarding part about being a member of the Duke basketball family?
Christian: The most rewarding part for me was that I was able to be a part of it and able to experience the success that Duke Basketball has enjoyed for the last twenty years. It was successful before I came and I wanted to be a part of it so that it could take me to a higher level and to win championships, and that’s what happened. I couldn’t have done it by myself. You have to be part of a great team, and when you come to Duke you know you’re going to be part of a great team.
BP: What is your best memory of playing for Coach K? What has he meant to you as a mentor?
Christian: He has meant everything to me as a mentor. I had a great coach when I was younger in my father, I had a great high school coach, and Coach K just tops it off. He is the best college coach in the game, maybe one of the best college coaches in history. It means everything to play for him and that’s why I love coming back.
BP: As maybe the best player ever at Duke, what do you think about when you watch a game today or see the D-U-K-E on a jersey? What values do you think of? What are you feeling?
Christian: Well, the first thing I feel is how lucky I was to be a part of the program. Coming out of high school you can choose to go wherever you want and from a distance when I was 18 I could tell I wanted to be there. I made a great decision because I loved every second, every minute, that I was here on campus and around Coach K and around his program. That’s what it means to me. It means being a part of the best program that you could possibly play for.
BP: What aspects of your Duke experience and with Coach K help prepare you for life after basketball?
Christian: Well, you learn a lot of things through Coach K — character, leadership, determination, class, using your brain, and surrounding yourself with good people. I know Coach K always tries to do that. He tries to recruit good kids and tries to hire good people to be on his staff. I try to do the same thing in my life. I found a wonderful woman in my wife and that’s working out great. I have some business things going. You have to have the right guys on your team, and that is something that I learned from Coach K.
BP: Talk about being a part of a place like Duke, graduating from here and being someone that people think of when they think of Duke.
Christian: Well that means everything in the world to me. It’s a blessing if people think of me being synonymous with Duke. I hope people think of me in the same way they think of Duke because Duke is a great institution. It’s a top notch, classy, hardworking, committed place that has been around for a long time. Those are all good qualities to have in your character.
BP: Discuss your memory of Coach K’s attention to detail and what it meant to you as a player and afterwards.
Christian: The way that it impacted me the most was the fact that I wanted to play on a basketball team that has a very tightly-run ship. When people say “attention to detail,” I think of a coach who is going to cover every base, even the little things, and make sure that you are doing everything the right way. So that’s the attention to detail. And those are the things that you can’t forget about. You can’t forget about the little details because they make all the difference in the world. And it just shows you that he’s doing things the right way. I was saying it in 1992, he just has an incredible recipe — the perfect formula — to be successful on the basketball court every year. It would take a few days to explain it, but part of it is attention to detail, part of it is hard work, and part of it is the family feel. All those things he incorporates into his team and into his program is just unbeatable and that’s why he’s been so good for over 20 years.
BP: You played in some of the biggest games in college basketball history. Duke is known as a place where the games are going to be on national TV and every game is going to be an event. What did that mean to you as a player and how did that exposure to those types of environments, night in and night out, help you?
Christian: Well, that right there is the biggest reason that I came to Duke. I came to Duke because I wanted to be a part of the biggest games. That’s the most exciting part about Duke Basketball. Whenever you’re playing in Cameron, it’s a huge game. Playing on the road, everyone hates you and wants you to lose. I wanted 30 games a year that were going to be the highest quality of game on ESPN or CBS where everyone is watching and all the pressure and all the stress is there. That’s what I wanted because that’s what I thrive on and that’s what I look forward to. That’s when you get a chance to do great things.
BP: How did those types of pressure environments help you going forward in the NBA and on a day-to-day basis as a person?
Christian: They help me tremendously in life. I think if you can handle stressful situations, if you can handle high-intensity situations, then I think you go through life more prepared as a man, as a father, as an adult, as a husband. You definitely need it to be married. You need to know how to be a team player and how to remain calm in stressful situations. So, the environment at Duke helped me tremendously.
BP: What do you remember best about Coach K and his coaching style in general and offensively and defensively specifically?
Christian: What I love about Coach K the most is that, like we already said, he covers all the bases. He pays attention to the big things and he pays attention to the details. In terms of basketball, the thing I like the most is that he stressed defense first. And on offense, it was a motion offense and I’m a very skilled player so I don’t need to just be on the post and inside all the time. I want to do a little outside, a little inside, do some running and passing and shooting. I knew that was my game going into college and I wanted to be involved in a motion offense. That’s the way I think basketball should be played. I think it should be defense first and motion offense on the offensive end. That’s what he does and that’s why I came to play for him.
