JEDDAH (Saudi Arabia) – Some players are measured by points. Others by medals. But a select few, like Fadi El Khatib, are measured by the way they change a country’s basketball identity forever.
For Lebanon, there is no bigger name. Over nearly two decades, El Khatib became the face of a national team that turned heads across the continent. The FIBA Asia Cup was his proving ground, and he made it a stage where Lebanon broke through the glass ceiling and made their mark.
El Khatib’s first Asia Cup in 2001 was nothing short of historic. The Cedars hadn’t participated in any FIBA Asia Cup until 1999, but in 2001, Lebanon rode EL Khatib’s fearless scoring and leadership all the way to the Final, claiming a silver medal. It was the start of a golden era for Lebanese basketball, and the start of a legend. El Khatib led the entire field in scoring with 22.4 points per game.
Fadi El Khatib
He missed the 2003 edition, but in Doha 2005, he did it again. Lebanon returned to the championship game, powered once more by El Khatib’s relentless offense and competitive fire. Facing mighty China, Lebanon fought valiantly, settling for another silver, but confirming that their 2001 run was no fluke. El Khatib finished second overall in scoring with 23.0 points per game.
Then came Tokushima 2007, perhaps the most memorable of all. El Khatib, now a seasoned leader, led Lebanon to a third Asia Cup silver medal in seven years. Three times in the Final, three times standing toe to toe with Asia’s best. His combination of size, skill, and fierce determination made him a nightmare matchup for any defense. WHen the dust settled, El Khatib was second overall anew, putting up 27.3 points per game along with 6.1 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.8 three-pointers per contest while shooting 50.0% from the field.
Even as the years went on, El Khatib’s impact never faded. By 2009, Lebanon were still in the mix, with the veteran forward anchoring their offense. Though his scoring dipped to 13.4 points per game, El Khatib sill helped guide Lebanon to a top four finish.
And after several years away, he returned in 2017 for one final run. At 38 years old, with the tournament hosted on home soil in Zouk Mikael, El Khatib delivered a performance for the ages: averaging 25.9 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. He returned to the very top of the scoring leaderboard and also finished as the most efficient player of the tournament (22.9 average efficiency rating). He carried Lebanon to the Quarter-Finals and was rewarded with a place on the All-Star Five, becoming the first Lebanese player to receive that honor in the modern era.
Across five Asia Cups (2001, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2017), Fadi El Khatib’s numbers tell the story of an offensive powerhouse. His impact, however, goes deeper. He was the emotional heartbeat of Lebanon’s rise from relative obscurity in the 20th century to a consistent medal contender in the last couple of decades. El Khatib was a captain who could change the energy of a game with one drive, one pull-up jumper and one roar to the crowd.
As the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 nears opening day, El Khatib’s legacy remains the reference point of Lebanon’s basketball legacy. He didn’t just play in the FIBA Asia Cup. He made it the stage where Lebanese basketball proved they belonged.
FIBA