Memphis forward Azab diagnosed with leukemia
Memphis forward Karim Sameh Azab announced on social media Saturday morning that he has been diagnosed with leukemia lymphoma.
The university’s athletic department said last month that Azab had begun medical treatment for an illness.
“I found out a few weeks ago that I had developed leukemia lymphoma (AML, ALL),” Azab wrote in a Twitter post. “I have since started treatment and am working through the process, but I wanted to spread the word and ask for prayers to help strengthen me in this journey.”
Former Memphis coach Tubby Smith told The Commercial Appeal Saturday at a Nike Elite Youth Basketball League event in the Dallas area, where he was recruiting for High Point, that Azab began complaining of discomfort in his shoulder leading into the Tigers’ appearance in the American Athletic Conference tournament last month.
Smith said he was then told about Azab’s diagnosis by trainer Brad Anderson, once he and his staff had already been fired by Memphis. Smith noted that Memphis-based attorney Richard Glassman had been working with Azab and the university to help allow his parents to come visit him from Egypt.
Greg Jones, who became Azab’s legal guardian when he arrived in the United States during the middle of the 2014-15 high school basketball season, confirmed in a text message on Saturday that Azab’s parents are now in Memphis along with their son.
Smith also returned to Memphis in order to visit Azab in the hospital after being hired by High Point last month.
“He was in good spirits, but he hadn’t started treatment,” Smith said. “He’s with the best medical people probably in the country there in Memphis, so we just pray that he’s going to be fine and he’ll overcome this. He’s such a kind person (and) caring with his teammates.”
The 6-foot-10, 270-pound sophomore appeared in 15 games this past season and averaged 1.0 points and 0.7 rebounds as a reserve.
Azab, a Giza, Egypt, native, averaged 5.6 minutes in a limited role this past season. He was a late arrival as part of Smith’s initial recruiting class and did not play during the 2016-17 season because of NCAA eligibility issues.
Memphis coach Penny Hardaway said Saturday in Dallas, where he was also recruiting at the Nike EYBL event, that he went to visit Azab in the hospital as well. When told that Azab had made his diagnosis public, Hardaway lamented how one twinge of pain could disrupt Azab’s entire college life.
“It’s just an unfortunate situation and I pray for the kid,” Hardaway said.
Smith said Azab was on track to be a starter for the Tigers this past year until a preseason knee/ankle injury sidelined him at the beginning of the year. He did not play in his first game until Dec. 9 against Bryant.
Azab scored the first points of his college career in a Jan. 31 win at USF, part of a three-game stretch in which he scored 15 points, grabbed six rebounds and played 39 minutes. But he appeared in just one of the Tigers’ final four games.
Memphis athletic director Tom Bowen said in a statement last month announcing Azab’s medical issue that “the resources available to help Karim in this fight are second-to-none and our Tiger family will do everything they can. We have a fantastic medical team and athletic training staff, and we are all with Karim as he undergoes his treatment.”