Lebanon men's national basketball team

This article is about the men's national team. For the women's national team, see Lebanon women's national basketball team.

Lebanon

FIBA ranking	28 (March 1, 2024) [1]
Joined FIBA	1947
FIBA zone	FIBA Asia
National federation	Lebanese Basketball Federation (FLB)
Coach	Jad El Hajj
Nickname(s)	The Cedars
FIBA World Cup
Appearances	4
FIBA Asia Cup
Appearances	10
Medals	Silver: (2001, 2005, 2007, 2022)
European Championship
Appearances	2
Home Away
Medal record FIBA Asia Cup 2001 China 2005 Qatar 2007 Japan 2022 Indonesia FIBA Asia Challenge 2010 Lebanon Arab Championship 2022 United Arab Emirates 2010 Lebanon 1974 Iraq Pan Arab Games 1954 Lebanon Team 1961 Morocco Team WABA Championship 2000 Lebanon 2008 Jordan 2012 Jordan 2015 Jordan 2017 Jordan 1999 Lebanon 2001 Jordan 2005 Lebanon 2013 Iran

The Lebanon men's national basketball team (Arabic : منتخب لبنان لكرة السلة; French : Équipe du Liban de basket-ball), controlled by the Lebanese Basketball Federation (FLB), has represented Lebanon in basketball since its inception in 1947. The squad is governed by FIBA, and is part of the FIBA Asia zone.

Lebanon has achieved success throughout its history, finishing as runners-up in the FIBA Asia Cup on four occasions: 2001, 2005, 2007, and most recently in 2022. The team has also made appearances in the FIBA World Championship on four occasions (2002, 2006, 2010, and 2023), but have not progressed beyond the preliminary round.

History

Early history

Basketball arrived in Lebanon in the mid-1920s, initially introduced at the American University of Beirut. The official organization of basketball in the country began in 1949 with the establishment of the Lebanese Basketball Federation (French : Fédération Libanaise de Basketball). This period also saw the founding of the Lebanese Volleyball Federation, marking a key moment for Lebanese sports development. ^[2]

The early years of international competition for Lebanon involved a unique approach. The Soviet Union's refusal to host Eurobasket 1949 and FIBA Europe's decision not to ask Czechoslovakia to host consecutive tournaments led to Egypt, the Eurobasket 1947 bronze medalist, hosting the competition. Due to travel challenges and concerns, few European teams participated. In an unconventional move, Lebanon and Syria, both Asian countries, were invited to participate in this European championship. ^[3] Making their Eurobasket 1949 debut, Lebanon finished in seventh place after losing all six games in the seven-team round-robin format. ^[4]

The team's second attempt at the European competition came at the Eurobasket 1953 in Moscow. During the preliminary rounds, Lebanon lost all four games, including one by forfeit due to their decision not to play against Israel. Their first victory in the tournament came against Sweden in the classification round, marking a significant milestone as Lebanon's first win in Eurobasket history. Placing fourth in their five-team group, Lebanon advanced to the 13–16 classification games. While they narrowly lost to West Germany (58–56), they secured a victory over Denmark (74–40), ultimately finishing 15th out of the 17 participating teams. ^[5]

2000–2010: Three-time Asian runners-up and World Cup Appearances

Lebanon achieved notable results in the early 2000s, solidifying their presence in the Asian basketball landscape. They finished second at the 2001 ABC Championship after a 63–97 loss to China in the final. The tournament showcased the skills of Lebanon's guard, Walid Doumiati, who was awarded the tournament's Best Playmaker. Alongside him, forward Fadi El Khatib also earned a spot on the All-Star Five lineup. ^[6] This silver medal secured Lebanon's participation in the 2002 FIBA World Championship, though their journey ended in the first round of the tournament. ^[7]

Lebanon repeated their performance by reaching the finals again at the 2005 FIBA Asia Championship. However, their attempt to win the championship was unsuccessful against China, with Lebanon losing 61–77. Fadi El Khatib's performance earned him recognition as the tournament's Best Forward. Additionally, center Joe Vogel also secured a spot in the All-Star Five lineup. ^[8] Finishing as runners-up granted Lebanon a ticket to the 2006 FIBA World Championship. Although the team secured victories against Venezuela (82–72) and France (74–73), they narrowly missed qualifying for the round of 16 in the World Championship. ^[7]

The following year, Lebanon achieved second place for the third time at the 2007 FIBA Asia Championship, facing a 74–69 loss to Iran in the final. This loss prevented Lebanon from qualifying for the 2008 Summer Olympics. ^[7]

At the 2009 FIBA Asia Championship, Lebanon's reached the semifinals. Although they fell short of automatic qualification for the 2010 FIBA World Championship after losses to China and Jordan, Lebanon received a wildcard entry, securing their third consecutive World Cup appearance. Despite a victory against Canada (81–71), Lebanon couldn't progress beyond the group stage in the 2010 FIBA World Championship. ^[7]

2013 FIBA suspension

Lebanon encountered a difficult period in July 2013 when the International Basketball Federation FIBA imposed an indefinite suspension. This suspension resulted from unresolved internal conflicts within the Lebanese Basketball Federation. Consequently, FIBA Asia suspended Lebanon from participating in all sanctioned events, effectively barring the country from international competitions until further notice. ^[9]

The suspension had significant consequences, particularly impacting Lebanon's participation in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship. This tournament served as a qualifying event for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain. Despite securing a spot in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship based on their second-place finish in the 2013 West Asian Basketball Championship, the national federation's suspension led to their exclusion from the tournament. ^[10]

Following discussions and appeals, FIBA lifted the ban in May 2014, allowing Lebanon's national team to return to international basketball competitions. ^[11]

2020–present: Asian runners-up and return to the World Cup

Lebanon displayed a significant resurgence in international basketball, culminating in a noteworthy performance at the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup, marking their return to the finals in over a decade. Despite a close contest, Lebanon finished in second place after a narrow 73–75 defeat to Australia. ^[12] This marked Lebanon's fourth silver medal at the FIBA Asia Cup, adding to their previous runner-up finishes in 2001, 2005, and 2007. ^[7] The tournament also highlighted the performance of Lebanon's point guard, Wael Arakji, who earned the tournament MVP title, best guard, and a spot on the All-Star Five. ^[13]

Building on this success, Lebanon continued their journey by securing qualification for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. ^[14] Despite facing a challenging first round with three losses, Lebanon demonstrated determination, closing their World Cup campaign with consecutive victories. They secured wins against Ivory Coast (94–84) and Iran (81–73), during the classification round, concluding their World Cup appearance on a high note. ^[15]

Lebanon finished 23rd in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, ^[16] qualifying them for the 2024 FIBA Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournaments. These tournaments will involve twenty-four teams competing for the final four spots at the 2024 Summer Olympics basketball tournament. ^[17]

Competitive record

FIBA World Cup

World Cup							Qualification
Year	Position	Pld	W	L	Squad		Pld	W	L
1950 to 1970	did not enter						did not enter
1974	did not qualify						did not qualify
1978	did not enter						did not enter
1982 to 1998	did not qualify						did not qualify
2002	16th place	5	0	5	Squad		FIBA Asia Cup served as qualifiers
2006	17th place	5	2	3	Squad
2010	20th place	5	1	4	Squad		wild card
2014	suspended						suspended
2019	did not qualify						12	6	6
2023	23rd place	5	2	3	Squad		12	9	3
2027	to be determined						to be determined
Total	4/20	20	5	15			24	15	9

EuroBasket

EuroBasket
Year	Position	Pld	W	L
1949	7th place	7	1	6
1953	15th place	7	2	5
Total		14	3	11

FIBA Asia Cup

FIBA Asia Cup							Qualification
Year	Position	Pld	W	L	Squad		Pld	W	L
1960 to 1997	did not enter						did not enter
1999	7th place	7	4	3	Squad		WABA Championship served as qualifiers
2001	Runners-up	8	5	3	Squad
2003	4th place	8	5	3	Squad		directly qualified
2005	Runners-up	8	6	2	Squad		WABA Championship served as qualifiers
2007	Runners-up	8	6	2	Squad		directly qualified
2009	4th place	9	5	4	Squad		directly qualified
2011	6th place	9	4	5	Squad		directly qualified as the champions of 2010 FIBA Asia Stanković Cup
2013	suspended						WABA Championship served as qualifiers
2015	5th place	9	5	4	Squad
2017	6th place	7	4	3	Squad		qualified as host
2022	Runners-up	6	5	1	Squad		6	6	0
2025	to be determined						2	2	0
Total	10/31	79	49	30			8	8	0

West Asian Basketball Championship

WABA Championship
Year	Position	Pld	W	L
1999	Runners-up	4	3	1
2000	Champions	4	4	0
2001	Runners-up	4	3	1
2002	did not enter
2004	4th place	4	1	3
2005	Runners-up	4	3	1
2008	Champions	3	3	0
2010	did not enter
2011
2012	Champions	5	5	0
2013	Runners-up	3	2	1
2014	did not enter
2015	Champions	4	4	0
2016	4th place	4	1	3
2017	Champions	5	5	0
Total	12/15	44	34	10

FIBA Asia Challenge

The FIBA Asia Challenge, a basketball tournament held every two years for Asian national teams, was previously known as the FIBA Asia Stanković Cup (2004–2010) and FIBA Asia Cup (2012–2014). ^[18] Lebanon participated in the tournament twice (2010 and 2012) and emerged victorious in 2010. ^[19] This championship win granted them automatic qualification for the 2011 FIBA Asia Championship. ^[20]

FIBA Asia Challenge
Year	Position	Pld	W	L
2004	did not enter
2008
2010	Champions	7	7	0
2012	7th place	7	4	3
2014	did not enter
2016
Total	2/6	14	11	3

Team

Current roster

Roster for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. ^{[21] [ non-primary source needed ] [22]}

Lebanon men's national basketball team – 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. No. Name Age – Date of birth Height Club Ctr. F 00 Mark Alkhoury 25 – (1998-02-22)22 February 1998 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) Dynamo Lebanon PF 4 Omari Spellman 26 – (1997-07-21)21 July 1997 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) Anyang KGC SG 5 Amir Saoud 32 – (1991-01-18)18 January 1991 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) Al Riyadi PG 6 Jad Khalil 26 – (1996-11-20)20 November 1996 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) Dynamo Lebanon SG 7 Karim Zeinoun 24 – (1999-06-16)16 June 1999 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) Al Riyadi SG 9 Sergio El Darwich 27 – (1996-07-25)25 July 1996 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) Beirut Club PG 10 Ali Mansour 25 – (1998-01-01)1 January 1998 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) Al Riyadi PF 11 Ali Haidar  (C) 33 – (1990-07-20)20 July 1990 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) Al-Karamah PF 14 Karim Ezzedine 26 – (1997-08-08)8 August 1997 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) Dynamo Lebanon PG 20 Wael Arakji 28 – (1994-09-04)4 September 1994 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) Al Riyadi PF 24 Hayk Gyokchyan 33 – (1989-12-11)11 December 1989 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) Al Riyadi PG 25 Ali Mezher 29 – (1994-03-22)22 March 1994 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) Beirut Club	Head coach Jad El Hajj Assistant coach(es) Viktor Janketić Legend (C) Team captain Club – describes last club before the tournament Age – describes age on 25 August 2023

See also

• Sport in Lebanon
• Lebanon men's national under-19 basketball team
• Lebanon men's national under-17 basketball team
• Lebanon women's national basketball team
• Lebanon women's national under-17 basketball team

References

1. "FIBA Ranking Presented by Nike". FIBA. 1 March 2024. Retrieved 1 March 2024.
2. "FLB History". mygameday.app. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
3. "A time when Egypt was on top of European basketball". FIBA . Retrieved 9 January 2024.
4. "EuroBasket 1949". fibaeurope.com. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
5. "EuroBasket 1953". fibaeurope.com. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
6. "FIBA Asia Cup (2001)". asia-basket.com. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
7. Flojo, Enzo (15 June 2020). "Asian Legends Series: Lebanon's Fadi El Khatib". FIBA . Retrieved 23 July 2022.
8. "FIBA Asia Cup (2005)". asia-basket.com. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
9. "PR N°19 - FIBA suspends Lebanese Basketball Federation". 19 July 2013. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
10. "27th FIBA Asia C'ship: Fray reduced to 15 after Lebanon suspension". Archived from the original on 29 October 2013.
11. "Lebanese basketball returns". Executive Magazine. 20 May 2014. Retrieved 6 January 2024.
12. "Australia outlast heroic effort from Lebanon for Asia cup title". FIBA . Retrieved 29 August 2022.
13. "Wael Arakji named TISSOT MVP, joined on All-Star Five with Maker, McCarron, Smith-Milner, and Zhou". FIBA . Retrieved 29 August 2023.
14. "Lebanon qualify for first World cup appearance in 13-years". FIBA . Retrieved 29 August 2023.
15. "Lebanon beat Iran to close with back-to-back wins". FIBA . Retrieved 3 September 2023.
16. "Final Standings". FIBA . Retrieved 12 September 2023.
17. "FIBA confirms the nations still eligible for 2024 Paris Olympic men's basketball". apnews.com. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
18. "West Asian Basketball Championship tips off". The Jordan Times. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
19. "LIB - President hands trophy to victorious Lebanon". FIBA . Retrieved 12 March 2024.
20. "LIB - Lebanon pick Ghassan Sarkis as national team coach". FIBA . Retrieved 12 March 2024.
21. "The proud Cedars up for a tough challenge". instagram.com. 23 August 2023. Retrieved 23 August 2023.
22. "Team roster: Lebanon" (PDF). FIBA. 25 August 2023.

External links

• Official website
• FIBA profile