‘Competitive’: How Lebanon’s thriving basketball league is fueling national team ambitions

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.”