Fadi El Khatib

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Fadi El Khatib
فادي الخطيب
File:Fadi El Khatib.jpeg
Fadi with Fujian
No. 15 – Fujian Sturgeons
Position Small forward
League Chinese Basketball Association
Personal information
Born (1979-12-18) December 18, 1979 (age 44)[1]
Mazboud, Lebanon
Nationality Lebanese
Listed height 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)
Listed weight 223 lb (101 kg)
Career information
Playing career 1996–present
Medals
Men's basketball
Representing  Lebanon
FIBA Asia Championship
Silver medal – second place 2005 Doha Team
Silver medal – second place 2007 Tokushima Team

Fadi El Khatib (Arabic: فادي الخطيب‎‎), [born December 18, 1979 in Mazboud, Lebanon] is a Lebanese professional basketball player currently playing for Fujian Sturgeons in the Chinese Basketball Association. 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, in the 2006 FIBA World Championship which took place in Japan, and in the 2010 FIBA World Championship held in Turkey. He is one of the best Lebanese basketball players in history.

Professional career

By 1997, Khatib joined Sagesse Beirut, signing a three year contract; which was renewed by 7 more years. During his time along side veteran Elie Mchantaf and Sagesse financing tycoon Antoine Choueiri, El Khatib would go on to win 7 Lebanese Basketball Cups, two Arab Club Championships, 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.

NBA

After the 2002 FIBA World Championship in Indianapolis, many NBA scouts were impressed by Fadi's shooting range, strength, athletic ability, physical and mental toughness such as the Los Angeles Clippers, Sacramento Kings, Memphis Grizzlies and New Orleans Hornets. Despite Lebanon coming dead last that year, Michael Jordan's personal trainer Tim Grover personally invited El Khatib to work out with Michael Jordan,Michael Finley, Ray Allen, Charles Oakley, Sam Mack and Juwan Howard. They were all very impressed and told Fadi he should be in the NBA. Michael Jordan was quoted in the New York Times, "Michael Jordan believes Lebanon's premiere player should be in the NBA." He was also quoted in Time Magazine that "Fadi El Khatib may be the strongest player at the moment we just need to see him play in the NBA against players like Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade, Tim Duncan... and I'm sure he'll impress us big time. I personally see that he may even be able to achieve results against me (laughs)". Khatib would later go on to receive two NBA offers including a 10 day contract with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2003, which was later rejected after the club recognized that Fadi was still under contract with Lebanese club Hekmeh BC. It was then reported in the summer of 2012 that Fadi was invited by Joe Dumars to join the Detroit Pistons on a possible guaranteed contract in the coming season. However a few days later Fadi rejected the offer due to family commitments.

National Team

File:El Khatib Izmir 2010.png
El Khatib wearing No.15 with Lebanon against France in 2010

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.

Awards and achievements

References

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External links

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