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Fadi El Khatib
	El Khatib as a guest of MTV Lebanon in 2019
Personal information
Born	1 January 1979 (age 45); Shheem, Lebanon
Listed height	2.11 m (6 ft 11 in)
Career information
Playing career	1997–present
Position	Small forward
Career history
1997–2004	Sagesse
2004–2005	Al-Ittihad Aleppo
2005–2006	Sagesse
2006–2007	Blue Stars
2007–2008	Cherkaski Mavpy
2008–2009	Al Riyadi Beirut
2009–2010	Champville
2010–2011	Al Riyadi Beirut
2011–2013	Champville
2013–2014	Amchit
2014–2015	Foshan Long Lions
2015	Al Riyadi Beirut
2015–2016	Fujian Sturgeons
2016–2017	Homenetmen Beirut
2017–2020	Champville
2022–2023	Sagesse
Career highlights and awards
	11x Lebanese League champion (1998–2004, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2016); 8x Lebanese Cup champion (1995, 1997–2003); 3x Lebanese League Best Domestic Player (2006, 2009, 2010); 4x Lebanese League All Tournament Team (2004, 2006, 2007, 2010); 4x Lebanese League Player of the year (2001–2004); Lebanese League Forward of the year (2007); Lebanese League scoring leader (2010); Syrian League regular season champion (2005); 4x FIBA Asia Champions Cup champion (1999, 2000, 2004, 2011); 2x FIBA Asia Champions Cup MVP (2005, 2011); 2x FIBA Asia Champions Cup All-Star Team (2005, 2011); 3x Arab Cup champion (1998, 1999, 2010); Arab Cup All-Star Team (2010); Arab Cup Best Domestic Player (2010); 3x FIBA Asia Championship Silver Medal winner (2001, 2005, 2007); 2x FIBA Asia Championship All-Star Team (2001, 2005); FIBA Asia Championship Best Forward (2005); FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup winner (2010); 2x WABA Championship champion (2000); West Asia MVP (2001, 2002); Efes Pilsen World Cup 9 Bronze Medal winner (2010);
Men's basketball
Representing Lebanon
FIBA Asia Championship
William Jones Cup
FIBA Asia Challenge
WABA Championship

Fadi El Khatib (Arabic: فادي الخطيب; born 1 January 1979),^[1] nicknamed the "Lebanese Tiger",^[2] and "Abu Jihad" is a Lebanese former professional basketball player. 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.

Professional career

El Khatib began playing professionally in 1997, aged 17, at Sagesse, staying with them until 2004.^[3] He then moved for one year to Al-Ittihad Aleppo in Syria, before moving back to Sagesse in 2006.^[3] With Sagesse, El Khatib won seven Lebanese Basketball League titles, two Arab Club titles, and three FIBA Asia Champions Cup titles.^[3]

Throughout his career, El Khatib also played for other Lebanese Basketball League teams such as Al Riyadi Beirut, Champville, Amchit, and Homenetmen Beirut.^[3] Between 2015 and 2017, he played in China for Foshan Long Lions and Fujian Sturgeons.^[3] El Khatib then returned to Champville in 2017,^[3] playing there until his retirement in 2020.^[4] In August 2022, El Khatib announced his return to Sagesse Club in a big announcement held in Hotel Le Gabriel Achrafieh in which attended his former coach Ghassan Sarkis and former teammate Elie Mechantaf.^[5] He announced his final retirement in May 2023.^[6]

National team career

In 1999, El Khatib made his debut for the Lebanon national team at the 1999 ABC Championship; Lebanon reached the quarter-finals and finished in seventh place.^[3] At the 2001 ABC Championship, El Khatib led Lebanon to a second-place finish; he was named to the 2001 FIBA Asia All-Star Five.^[3] With the runners-up finish, Lebanon qualified to the 2002 FIBA World Championship; despite Lebanon losing in the first round, El Khatib finished the tournament among the top ten scorers, with an average of 17.6 points per game.^[3]

At the 2005 FIBA Asia Championship, El Khatib averaged 23.0 points per game, and helped Lebanon to reach the final; once again, Lebanon qualified to the 2006 FIBA World Championship.^[3] He scored 35 points in the opener against Venezuela, and 29 in a 74–73 win against France. Despite the two wins, Lebanon fell short of qualifying to the round of 16.^[3] El Khatib led Lebanon to a third runners-up finish at the 2007 FIBA Asia Championship; he averaged 28.4 points per game throughout the tournament, but lost to Iran 74–69 in the final.^[3]

El Khatib eventually participated with Lebanon at the Asia Championship in 2009 and at the World Championship in 2010. He would not participate for Lebanon until 2017, playing his last national-team games at the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup.^[3]

Personal life

In July 2020, El Khatib obtained Turkish citizenship by investment in the country. His son, Jihad El Khatib, joined Turkish club Fenerbahçe in October 2020.^[7]

Awards and honours

Domestic club

11x Lebanese Basketball League champion: 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2012, 2015, 2016
8x Lebanese Basketball Cup champion: 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
3x Lebanese Basketball League Best Domestic Player: 2006, 2009, 2010
4x Lebanese Basketball League All Tournament Team: 2004, 2006, 2007, 2010
4x Lebanese Basketball League Player of the year: 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004
Lebanese Basketball League Forward of the year: 2007
Lebanese Basketball League scoring leader: 2010
Syrian Basketball League regular season champion: 2005