DUBAI: Lebanon’s basketball season has just concluded with a thrilling Game Seven between Sagesse and Al-Riyadi, providing a fitting finale to a fiercely competitive campaign and another reminder of the sport’s enduring popularity in the country.
For Lebanese basketball great and former Sagesse captain Sabah Khoury, the championship race also highlighted something bigger: the role the domestic league is playing in the national team’s success.
“It showed just how competitive Lebanese basketball is right now,” Khoury told Arab News.
He pointed to the Final Four as further evidence of the league’s depth, with several teams capable of challenging at a high level.
“When a Finals series goes all the way to Game Seven and is decided by such small details, it says a lot about the level of both teams,” he said.
That depth comes at an important time for Lebanese basketball.
Lebanon has advanced to the second round of the Asian Qualifiers for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar, continuing its pursuit of a second consecutive appearance on the sport’s biggest international stage.
Since making its World Cup debut in 2002, Lebanon has established itself as a regular contender in Asian basketball despite the challenges the sport has faced at home.
Khoury believes the quality of the domestic championship has been central to that progress, giving Lebanese players meaningful competition throughout the season while high-level international players help raise standards.
“Having a competitive domestic league, strong Lebanese players and high-level imports raises the standard of basketball throughout the country,” he said. “Our national team benefits directly from players competing in that environment throughout the season.”
From Sagesse success to the world stage
Khoury speaks from experience of one of the most successful periods in Lebanese basketball.
He began his professional career with Sagesse in 2002 and won Lebanese league titles in 2003 and 2004, while the club also captured the West Asian championship and Asian club title in 2004.
His success extended to the national team.
Khoury was part of the Lebanon side that finished runners-up at the 2005 FIBA Asia Championship, securing qualification for the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan.
There, Lebanon produced one of the most memorable results in the country’s basketball history, stunning France 74-73. Lebanon also defeated Venezuela during the tournament to finish with two victories from five group games.
The national team returned to the World Championship in 2010, where it defeated Canada 81-71, before making its fourth World Cup appearance in 2023.
Khoury, who later moved into coaching after a playing career that also saw him represent Champville, Al-Mouttahed, Amchit and Hoops, as well as Qingdao in China, has watched the Lebanese game evolve over more than two decades.
The biggest transformation, he believes, has been the pace and physical demands of the modern game, requiring players to become more versatile and adaptable.
“Basketball today is much quicker and more dynamic,” Khoury said. “Teams play at a higher tempo, transitions are faster and players have to make decisions in a very short amount of time.”
Lebanon’s unique basketball culture
Lebanon is set to host the Arab Club Basketball Championship later in 2026, bringing teams from across the region to a country renowned for its basketball following.
For Khoury, hosting the tournament reinforces Lebanon’s longstanding status as an important basketball destination in the region.
The domestic championship has regularly attracted international players, with the atmosphere inside Lebanese arenas among its biggest draws.
“Lebanese basketball fans are among the most passionate in Asia, and that energy makes playing here a unique experience,” he said.
Khoury said international players who come to Lebanon often want to return, attracted by the basketball environment, the country and its supporters.
That culture, combined with the standard of competition on the court, has helped create an environment in which Lebanese players can develop before representing their country internationally.
The next generation
Lebanon progressed to the second round of the 2027 Asian Qualifiers after a first-round campaign that included a dramatic 75-74 victory over Qatar in Doha and a 98-72 win against India.
Khoury sees reasons for optimism as an emerging generation develops alongside the national team’s established players.
“We have young players with a lot of talent and potential who are gaining experience alongside established players,” he said.
Many of those players will eventually take on greater responsibility and form the core of the national team, continuing a tradition that has seen Lebanon regularly compete among Asia’s leading basketball nations.
Khoury believes the combination of a strong domestic competition and greater international experience can help prepare that generation for the challenges ahead.
Training camps and games against high-level international opposition, he said, can provide players with valuable experience ahead of major tournaments.
“The more our players are exposed to that level of basketball, the better prepared they will be when they represent Lebanon in major international competitions,” he said.
With young talent emerging and the domestic league continuing to provide a competitive platform, Khoury sees plenty of potential for Lebanese basketball to build on its standing in Asia.
For the Lebanese great, the next move is to continue that momentum and ensure the next generation has the opportunities to develop and compete.
“If we can combine a strong domestic league with proper preparation and a clear pathway for the next generation, Lebanese basketball can continue to be one of the leading forces in Asia for many years to come.”
