Fadi is perhaps the most iconic Lebanese player in history, and he is certainly a legend of sorts for Asian basketball fans everywhere. The 1.98m wingman first played internationally in the FIBA Asia Championship 2001, where he helped the Lebanese shock the content by finishing a strong second behind perennial powerhouse China. Fadi averaged 22.4 points per game in that tournament, establishing his reputation as an prolific offensive weapon.
He would go on to play for Lebanon on a consistent basis, culminating in appearances at the FIBA Basketball World Cups of 2002, 2006 and 2010. He last played at a FIBA Asia Championship in 2009, where Lebanon finished among the top four. Fadi has missed out on three FIBA Asia Championships (2011, 2013, 2015), though he did see action in the FIBA Asia Cup 2012 and this year’s FIBA Asia Champions Cup for Al Riyadi Beirut.
“I received a call from National Team manager Yasser El Hajj, who asked me about the possibility of returning back to the National Team,” Fadi says. “And my answer was positive.”
“My first step is to participate in the WABAl Championship and work hard on helping my team win the tournament, which is a qualifier to FIBA Asia Cup 2017,” Fadi says. “That will be our aim.”
El Khatib and the rest of the Lebanon national team will first play at the WABA Championship 2017, which will take place in Amman, Jordan from 29 January to 2 February.
