Fadi El Khatib


Fadi El Khatib, nicknamed the Lebanese Tiger, is a Lebanese professional basketball player for Champville SC in the Lebanese Basketball League. He is regarded as one of the best in Asia and by many pundits of the new era named as the greatest one. He was also a main member of the Lebanon national basketball team that participated in the 2002 FIBA World Championship in Indianapolis in the United States, the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan, and in the 2010 FIBA World Championship held in Turkey.

Professional career

By 1997, Khatib joined Sagesse Beirut, signing a three-year contract; which was renewed by 7 more years. During his time alongside veteran Elie Mechantaf and Sagesse financing tycoon Antoine Choueiri, El Khatib would go on to win 7 Lebanese Basketball Cups, two Arab Club Basketball Championship, and three FIBA Asia Champions Cup titles with Sagesse. El Khatib would then be transferred to Sagesse rivals Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut, in which he helped the team to achieve their first ever FIBA Asia Champions Cup in 2011 and thereafter the Lebanese Basketball League title in the 2014/2015 season against Byblos Club. He also played with Champville Club and helped them to grab the Lebanese basketball title in 2012.
On November 10, 2016 Fadi El Khatib official signed with Homenetmen Beirut Basketball Club. In 2017, El Khatib started playing for Champville SC.

National team

El Khatib started playing with the Lebanese national basketball team in 1999. He helped Lebanon qualify for their first ever FIBA Asia Championship that same year, whereby Lebanon ended up in 7th place. In the 2001, 2005 and 2007 FIBA Asia Championship, El Khatib helped Lebanon reach second place and fourth place in 2003 and 2009. Lebanon would qualify to three World Championship with Fadi El Khatib taking part. Khatib led Lebanon in their hopes of qualifying for the 2008 Summer Olympics via the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament; however, following a pre-tournament injury to Joe Vogel, Khatib conceded that Lebanon did not have the "slightest possibility of winning" against host Greece. In the period of time he spent with the national team, Khatib was rated as one of the top 10 highest scorers in the two world championships Lebanon had competed in including 10th in 2002, 8th in 2006 and top 20 in 2010 coming in at 11th. He retired from the national team in 2017.

Awards and achievements