Sagesse Club - Basketball team
نادي الحكمة - فريق كرة السلة
Sagesse Club - Basketball team نادي الحكمة - فريق كرة السلة logo
NicknameThe Green Castle
LeaguesLebanese Basketball League (FLB League): Div.1 ; West Asia Super League (WASL)
Founded1992
HistorySagesse SC
(1943–present) Sagesse BC
(1992–present)
ArenaPresident Antoine Choueiri Stadium, Ghazir
Capacity5,000
LocationAshrafieh - Lebanon
Team colorsDark Green, White
   
PresidentMaître Ragheb Haddad
Head coachJad El Hajj
Affiliation(s)Collège de la Sagesse of the Maronite Catholic Archeparchy of Beirut
Championships8 Lebanese Basketball League
3 WABA Champions Cup
3 Asia Champions Cup
2 Arab Club Championship
7 Lebanese Cup Championship
Websitewww.sagesseclub.com

Sagesse Sports Club (French: club sportif de la Sagesse), known as Hekmeh in Arabic, is a Lebanese sports club based in Beirut. The team currently plays in the Lebanese Basketball League, the top tier of Lebanon.

The basketball team was established in 1992, as part of the Club Sagesse with mainly the football (soccer) team.

History

Al-Hikma in classical Arabic, El-Hekmeh in Lebanese dialect stands for "wisdom", thus also the French alternative name of the club, Sagesse (meaning wisdom in French).

The historical Hekmeh club was founded in Beirut in 1943 under the patronage of the late father Boulos Kik, supported by late Mgr. Jean Maroun, with affiliation to the Collège de la Sagesse of the Maronite Catholic Church a leading educational institution in Lebanon and the East since 1875 but despite the affiliation with the Sagesse College the club has its own independent administration. The basketball program was founded in 1992.

In 1992 the club was financed by media tycoon also dubbed as the Godfather of Lebanese basketball, president Antoine Choueiri, he wanted a team that will achieve unprecedented success and popularity in a bid to change Lebanese sports history forever and unite all Lebanese behind a successful team that will represent Lebanon and Lebanese basketball in every possible competition on a national and international level.[1][2][3]

After the Choueiri takeover in 1992 Hekmeh/Sagesse included on its roster some of the most impactful player names including Lebanese national basketball team legends Elie Mechantaf and Fadi El Khatib, notable foreigners that at the time were among the elite of foreign basketball players in Asia including ex-NBA players and FIBA world cup participants a high level of players that was never seen before in the Lebanese league and the neighbouring countries and under the management of the most decorated national basketball coach Ghassan Sarkis, a dominant dream team was born taking Lebanese Basketball to new heights, achieving the goals that were set by Choueiri such as the ones mentioned in the previous passage.[4][3]

Sagesse became one of the most successful basketball clubs in Lebanon and the MENA region with 8 Lebanese Basketball League Championships, 7 Lebanese Basketball Cups, 2 Arab Club Championships, and 3 FIBA Asia Champions Cup titles. Hekmeh made history as well by being the first Lebanese club to win the Arab Club Championship[5] and the first Lebanese and first Arab club to win the FIBA Asia Champions Cup.[6]

Also, Sagesse is the only Arab and only Asian club to ever participate in the basketball club world championship, the McDonald's Championship organized by FIBA and the NBA, it was at the 1999 edition when Sagesse went as the Asian champions. The 1999 McDonald's Championship was the first and only time FIBA Asia was represented in the tournament.[7][8]

This exceptional participation and the way Sagesse represented Asia at the Mcdonald's Championship in Milano was praised by then Commissioner of the NBA David Stern and by former Secretary General of the FIBA Borislav Stanković among other officials.[9]

In 2012 Sagesse B.C. won a friendly game against Turkish team Galatasaray S.K. during a training camp that the club was holding in Turkey, this was the most significant game and win for a Lebanese team or any team in the region against a European team in recent times.[10]

In the post Choueiri era, from 2004 onwards, which was the last year the team won the Lebanese Championship, the club struggled to find consistency at the administrative level despite the involvement of many businessmen and political figures, these involvements were seen as well as a possible reason for the club's struggles rather than being helpful gestures; and despite having the finances to build a good team the club was still struggling with debt; compared to the Choueiri era the club has achieved mediocre success with inconsistent overall form through the seasons in spite of reaching many finals in different competitions.[11]

In the latest election of the club's general assembly "Choueiry Group" top official Mr. Elie Yahchouchi was elected club president; he was Antoine Choueiri's vice president during the late tycoon's tenure at the club. Also Deputy Prime Minister of Lebanon H.E. Ghassan Hasbani was elected head of the board of trustees. Many reforms, overhauls and major investments have been made since in addition to constructive future plans that were announced in the club's huge team presentation ceremony ahead of the 2019/20 season.[12][13]

Rivalries

Beirut Derby

There is often a fierce rivalry between the two strongest teams in a national league, and this is particularly the case in the Lebanese basketball league, where the classical game between Club Sagesse and Riyadi is known as Beirut Derby. From the start of the national league the clubs were seen as successful representatives of two different sides in Lebanon and the two most popular teams in the country.[14][15]

Honours

Source:[16][17][18][19]

Lebanese Basketball league
  • Champions (8): 1992–93, 1993–94, 1997–98, 1998–1999, 1999–2000, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04
Lebanese Basketball Cup
  • Champions (7): 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003
FIBA Asia Champions Cup
  • Champions (3):[20][21] 1999, 2000, 2004. (Record)
WABA Champions Cup
  • Champions (3): 2002, 2004, 2005
  • Runner-up  : 2006 ( Shared with Saba Battery, therefore no champion was crowned )
International friendly tournaments
  • 1999 McDonald's Championship (Participant) [22][23]
  • 2010: Damascus International Tournament (champions)
  • 2012: Dubai International Tournament (champions)
  • 2014: Qadisiya International Tournament (champions)
  • 2015: Abu Dhabi International Tournament (champions)
  • 2016: Dubai International Tournament (champions)
  • 2022 : Doha International basketball championship (champions)
Special Awards
  • 1999: Best professional basketball team in Asia.

(Specially awarded by FIBA Asia known as the Asian Basketball Confederation back then for the first time in 1999 with Sagesse Club as the inaugural winner.)[24]

Medals and decorations

Lebanon National Order of the Cedar

Knight in 1999 [25]

Officer in 2000 [26]

Awarded to the club for its unprecedented success in the Lebanese, Arab and Asian basketball championships that highly contributed into the development and rise of the Lebanese basketball and sports in Lebanon on many levels.

Roster

Note: Flags indicate national team eligibility at FIBA-sanctioned events. Players may hold other non-FIBA nationality not displayed.

Sagesse roster
PlayersCoaches
Pos.No.Nat.NameHt.Age
SG 0 Lebanon Abdelmassih, Aziz 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) 27 – (1996-07-22)22 July 1996
G 1 Lebanon Jamaleddine, Omar 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) 23 – (2000-06-13)13 June 2000
C 2 South Sudan Acuoth, Deng 2.08 m (6 ft 10 in) 27 – (1996-10-02)2 October 1996
G 3 Lebanon Khoueiry, Marc 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) 22 – (2001-08-21)21 August 2001
SG 8 Lebanon Harfouch, Bassel 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) 30 – (1993-12-16)16 December 1993
F 9 Lebanon Ibrahim, Ahmad 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) 31 – (1992-02-18)18 February 1992
PG 11 Lebanon Akl, Rodrigue 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) 35 – (1988-09-30)30 September 1988
G 13 Lebanon Hajj Moussa, Rudy 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) 21 – (2003-01-01)1 January 2003
PF 14 Lebanon Ezzeddine, Karim 2.07 m (6 ft 9 in) 26 – (1997-08-08)8 August 1997
C 20 Lebanon Sebaaly, Elias 2.02 m (6 ft 8 in) 27 – (1997-01-01)1 January 1997
PF 45 Tunisia Slimane, Radhouane 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) 43 – (1980-08-16)16 August 1980
PG 55 United States Gibson, Jonathan 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) 36 – (1987-11-08)8 November 1987
Head coach
  • Lebanon Jad el Hajj
Assistant coach(es)
  • Serbia Viktor Janketic
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • Injured Injured
Updated: 2023 December 28
Pos. Starting 5 Bench 1 Bench 2
C Deng Acuoth Elias Sebaaly
PF Karim Ezzeddine Radhouane Slimane
SF Ahmad Ibrahim Aziz Abdelmassih
SG Omar Jamaleddine Bassel Harfouch Marc Khoueiry
PG Jonathan Gibson Rodrigue Akl Rudy Hajj Moussa

Notable players

Notable coaches

See also

References

  1. ↑ "A VERY SAD DAY FOR LEBANESE BASKETBALL - Federation Libanaise de Basketball". SportsTG. Retrieved Nov 18, 2020.
  2. ↑ "الـ"بريزيدان" أنطوان شويري باني نهضة كرة السلة الحديثة". Lebanese Forces Official Website. Mar 10, 2010. Retrieved Nov 18, 2020.
  3. 1 2 "حلم كرة السلة… حقيقة". Lebanese Forces Official Website. Mar 10, 2010. Retrieved Nov 18, 2020.
  4. ↑ "How Much Did Antoine Choueiry Invest in Building Sagesse and Lebanese Basketball Glory? - Sports 961 Sports 961". Archived from the original on 2016-03-18. Retrieved 2016-03-26.
  5. ↑ http://daharchives.alhayat.com/issue_archive/Wasat%20magazine/1998/4/13/الحكمة-بطل-الأندية-العربية-لكرة-السلة-لبنان-يرتدي-اللون-الأخضر.html
  6. ↑ "صفحة 16 (30-5-1999)". Addiyar. Apr 11, 2014. Retrieved Nov 18, 2020.
  7. ↑ "FIBA.com Coaching Library - Training - Article". Archived from the original on 2015-02-11.
  8. ↑ "الصفحة غير موجودة". www.annahar.com. Retrieved Nov 18, 2020.
  9. ↑ "TALKING ABOUT DAVID STERN". Retrieved 29 March 2023 – via www.youtube.com.
  10. ↑ "Sports News Lebanon - Malaeeb Mobile". www.malaeeb.com. Retrieved Nov 18, 2020.
  11. ↑ "SportKello - 8 استقالات رئاسية في الحكمة خلال 11 سنة: شويري ،فريحة ،شلهوب ،شهوان، خوري،المقدسي،مشنتف وحكيم و.....!!!!". www.sportkello.com. Retrieved Nov 18, 2020.
  12. ↑ /نادي-الحكمة-يقدم-فريقي-كرة-السلة-وكرة-السلة-في-حفل-تاريخي Eurosport Arabic
  13. ↑ "الحكمة بيروت قدم فريقيه لكرتي القدم والسلة.. ورسالة من رئيس الجمهورية". Lebanon24. Retrieved Nov 18, 2020.
  14. ↑ reporter, Charles Storch, Tribune staff (17 June 2003). "For drama, NBA Finals aren't in Lebanon's league". chicagotribune.com. Retrieved Nov 18, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  15. ↑ http://vidzi.tv/y5n6zuzid7e9#.WOizsZ-EbqA a New Zealand documentary about the Beirut Derby the Classical game of the Lebanese basketball league.
  16. ↑ Lebanon sports 2011
  17. ↑ "نادي الحكمة: تاريخ مرصّع بالذهب". Archived from the original on 2012-07-13. Retrieved 2011-11-09.
  18. ↑ "منتديات كووورة". forum.kooora.com. Retrieved Nov 18, 2020.
  19. ↑ "الصفحة غير موجودة". Archived from the original on 2016-08-06. Retrieved 2016-05-27.
  20. ↑ check last paragraph
  21. ↑ "All Time Medalists". FIBA.basketball. Retrieved Nov 18, 2020.
  22. ↑ "NBA.com: Global Games 13: Printable All-Time Games". NBA.com. Archived from the original on 2014-12-19. Retrieved 2015-02-18.
  23. ↑ "Archived copy". NBA.com. Archived from the original on 2015-09-26. Retrieved 2015-02-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  24. ↑ "BEST PROFESSIONAL TEAM IN ASIA AWARD". Retrieved 29 March 2023 – via www.youtube.com.
  25. ↑ "الصفحة 16 (3-6-1999)". Addiyar. Apr 11, 2014. Retrieved Nov 18, 2020.
  26. ↑ ""LA SAGESSE" ADULÉE PAR UN PEUPLE EN DÉLIRE". www.rdl.com.lb. Retrieved Nov 18, 2020.
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