Basketball is one of the most popular sports in Lebanon. The Lebanese Basketball Federation FLB is a member of the Asian federation FIBA Asia and international federation FIBA and also a member of the Arab Basketball Federation.
The first time basketball was played was in the mid of 1920's.The Lebanon national basketball team has qualified three consecutive times to the FIBA World Championship in 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2023. The Lebanese national basketball team won the 2010 FIBA Asia Stanković Cup on its home court. They are ranked 24th in the world. The women national team is ranked 61st in the world and currently plays Level I in the FIBA Asia Championship for Women . The Lebanese u-19 national team participated in the 2007 FIBA Under-19 World Championship where they placed 14th. [1]
Lebanon's basketball league is the Lebanese Basketball League and there is also a cup competition. The most successful Lebanese basketball clubs are Sporting Al Riyadi Beirut and Sagesse for men, having both won the most championships in the Lebanese Basketball League, also the Arab Club Championship, WABA Champions Cup and FIBA Asia Champions Cup and Antranik SC for women, having won the Lebanese Basketball League, Arab Women's Club Basketball Championship and the WABA Champions Cup.
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Sagesse have won a record of 3 FIBA Asia Champions Cup. In addition, their rivals, Al Riyadi have won 2 FIBA Asia Champions Cups making a total of 5 cups for Lebanon.
Fadi El Khatib, nicknamed "the Lebanese Tiger", is a Lebanese professional basketball player for Sagesse SC of the Lebanese Basketball League. El Khatib played for several teams in the Lebanese Basketball League, and also played abroad in Syria, Ukraine and China. He was also a member of the Lebanon national team that finished runners-up in the FIBA Asia Championship three times, in 2001, 2005 and 2007. El Khatib also participated in the FIBA World Championship in 2002, 2006 and 2010.
Joseph Vogel is an American-Lebanese basketball player.
Homenetmen Beirut, or simply Homenetmen, is the basketball department of Homenetmen, a Lebanese-Armenian multi-sports club based in Beirut, Lebanon. The club was established in 1924 in Beirut and is part of the worldwide pan-Armenian Homenetmen association. Homenetmen Beirut won its first Lebanese League Championship in 2018.
The Basketball Champions League Asia, formerly the FIBA Asia Champions Cup, is an annual continental club men's basketball competition organised by FIBA Asia. It is the highest level club competition for basketball in Asia.
Sagesse Sports Club, known as Hekmeh in Arabic, is a Lebanese sports club based in Beirut. The basketball team currently plays in the first division, the Lebanese Basketball League.
Brian Anthony Beshara (Feghali) (born 30 December 1977) is a former Lebanese basketball player. Beshara was also a member of the Lebanese national basketball team. At 6'8", he was Lebanon's starting forward and played an important role on both the offensive and defensive sides. His former LSU coach John Brady describes him as follows:"Brian Beshara is a good basketball player. He's tough. He's competitive. He believes in what he's doing."
Al Riyadi Club Beirut is a multi-sports club based in Manara, a district in Beirut, Lebanon. Founded in 1943, the multi-sports club, which is mainly known for their basketball program, also plays ping-pong, martial arts, and other sports.
Because of Lebanon's unique geography, both summer and winter sports thrive in the country. In fact, during autumn and spring it is sometimes possible to engage in both activities on the same day; for example, skiing in the morning and swimming in the afternoon.
The Lebanese Basketball League is recognized as the top-tier professional men's basketball league in Lebanon. It is organized annually as a national championship with playoffs and a national cup by the Lebanese Basketball Federation (FLB).
Roy Nicolas Samaha is a retired Lebanese professional basketball player. He was a key player in the Lebanon national basketball team and participated lately in the 2006 FIBA World Championship,FIBA Asia Championship 2007 and FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament for Men 2008.
CS Maristes, formerly known as Champville Club SC, is a Lebanese basketball team from Dik El Mehdi, Lebanon. The team competes in the Lebanese Basketball League.
The FIBA Asia Champions Cup 2011 was the 22nd staging of the FIBA Asia Champions Cup, the basketball club tournament of FIBA Asia. The tournament was held in Pasig, Philippines from May 28 to June 5, 2011. The event is co-organized by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and FIBA Asia.
Jalaa Sporting Club, also known as Jeunesse Sportivo Alep (Shabibeh), is a Syrian basketball club based in the city of Aleppo. They compete in the Syrian Basketball League, and have qualified for the Asian Champions Cup on four occasions, with its best finish in 2006 and 2007, where they finished second on both occasions.
Miguel Raymondo Martinez is a Spanish-Lebanese professional basketball player for Beirut Club of the Lebanese Basketball League (LBL). He was a member of the Lebanese national team.
Hayk Gyokchyan is a Lebanese professional basketball player. He currently plays for Al Riyadi Club Beirut in the Lebanese Basketball League. He finished his college season at Franklin & Marshall College.
Wael Arakji is a Lebanese basketball player for Lebanese Basketball League club Al Riyadi Club Beirut and the Lebanon national team. He is nicknamed "the Fearsome".
Ismail Ahmed Abdelmoneim, also known as Somaa, is an Egyptian-Lebanese professional basketball player for Al Riyadi Club Beirut of the Lebanese Basketball League. He was a main member of the Egypt national basketball team that participated in the FIBA Africa Championship 2001 in Casablanca in Morocco and in the FIBA Africa Championship 2003 that took place in Alexandria, Egypt. He is nicknamed "The Egyptian Pharaoh".
Ghassan Sarkis is a Lebanese-French basketball coach who currently manages Al-Shorta in the Iraqi Basketball Premier League. He became especially famous during his time coaching the Lebanese team Sagesse in its golden years of success of the 1990s and 2000s. He has also coached the Lebanon national basketball team.
Ali Mansour is a Lebanese professional basketball player for the Al Riyadi Club Beirut of the Lebanese Basketball League, and for the Lebanon national team. Mansour was named MVP in the 2016 Under 18 Arab Basketball Championship, and Best point guard in the 2021 Eurasian League Basketball championship. He is widely regarded as one of the best guards in the Lebanese league.
Aziz Abdelmassih is a Lebanese professional basketball player for the Sagesse Sports Club in the Lebanese Basketball League, and the Lebanon men's national basketball team.