Fadi El Khatib

Fadi El Khatib — Biography

Fadi El Khatib, nicknamed the "Lebanese Tiger" and "Abu Jihad", is a Lebanese forward regarded as one of the best basketball players in Asia. At 1.98 m, he led Lebanon to three FIBA Asia Championship finals, represented his country at three World Championships and was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2025. He finished his career in 2023.

He turned professional at 17, in 1997, with Sagesse and stayed until 2004; he then spent a season at Al-Ittihad Aleppo in Syria before returning to Sagesse in 2006. With Sagesse he won seven Lebanese league titles, two Arab Club titles and three FIBA Asia Champions Cup titles. In Lebanon he also played for Al Riyadi Beirut, Champville, Amchit and Homenetmen Beirut; between 2015 and 2017 he played in China for the Foshan Long Lions and Fujian Sturgeons, and he went back to Champville in 2017, staying until 2020. In August 2022 he announced a return to Sagesse and in May 2023 he retired for good.

He played for the national team from his first tournament in 1999 until the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup. In 2001 he led the team to second place and was named to the tournament's all-star five; at the 2002 World Championship he averaged 17.6 points, among the top ten scorers. He averaged 23.0 points in 2005 and 28.4 in 2007, when Lebanon lost the final 74-69 to Iran. In 2006 he scored 35 points against Venezuela.