Early history

The inception of basketball in Lebanon dates back to the mid-1920s when the sport was first introduced at the American University of Beirut. The roots of organized basketball took shape with the establishment of the Lebanese Basketball Federation (French: Fédération Libanaise de Basketball) in 1949, a pivotal moment marking the formalization of basketball governance in the country. Notably, this founding coincided with the establishment of the Lebanese Volleyball Federation, marking a significant period for sports development in Lebanon.^[3]

The dynamics of early international competition saw Lebanon navigating a unique path within basketball. The refusal of the Soviet Union to host Eurobasket 1949 and FIBA Europe's unwillingness to ask Czechoslovakia to host consecutive tournaments meant that 1947 bronze medallist Egypt hosted the competition. Due to travel difficulties and fears, few European teams would travel to the Egypt to compete. In an unconventional move, Lebanon and Syria, both Asian countries, were invited to participate in that European championship.^[4] However, Lebanon struggled in the seven-team round-robin of the European championship tournament, culminating their debut with a seventh-place finish after losing all six of their games.^[5]

The team's second foray into the European competition came at Eurobasket 1953 in Moscow. In the preliminary rounds, Lebanon lost all four games, including one by forfeit as the team opting not to play against Israel. Their first victory in the tournament came against Sweden in the classification round, a significant milestone marking Lebanon's first win in Eurobasket history. Due to placing fourth in their five-team group, Lebanon advanced to the 13–16 classification games. While they faced a narrow defeat against West Germany 58–56, they secured a resounding victory over Denmark 74–40, ultimately securing the 15th position out of the 17 competing teams.^[6]

2000–2010: Three-time Asian runners-up and World Cup Appearances

Lebanon showcased remarkable performances in the early 2000s, securing notable finishes in the Asian basketball landscape. The 2001 ABC Championship saw Lebanon claim a commendable second place, despite a challenging final where they faced China and succumbed to a 63–97 loss. The tournament highlighted the outstanding skills of Lebanon's guard, Walid Doumiati, recognized as the tournament's best playmaker. Alongside him, forward Fadi El Khatib earned a spot in the All-Star Five lineup.^[7] This silver medal secured Lebanon's participation in the 2002 FIBA World Championship, although their journey ended in the first round of the tournament.^[8]

Lebanon's national team made another remarkable appearance at the 2005 FIBA Asia Championship, reaching the finals for the second time. However, their quest for gold was cut short by China, with Lebanon conceding defeat at 61–77. Fadi El Khatib's stellar performance earned him the distinction of being the tournament's best forward, while center Joe Vogel also earned a spot in the All-Star Five.^[9] Securing the runners-up position granted Lebanon a ticket to the 2006 FIBA World Championship. Although the team secured victories against Venezuela 82–72 and France 74–73, they narrowly missed qualification to the round of 16 in that World Championship.^[8]

The following year, Lebanon clinched the runners-up spot for the third time in the 2007 FIBA Asia Championship, facing a 74–69 loss to Iran in the final. Unfortunately, this defeat halted Lebanon's qualification for the 2008 Summer Olympics.^[8]

At the 2009 FIBA Asia Championship, Lebanon's journey led them to the semi-finals. However, losses to China and Jordan prevented the team from securing an outright spot in the 2010 FIBA World Championship. Fortunately, Lebanon was granted a wildcard entry, marking their third consecutive appearance at the World Cup. Despite a significant win against Canada 81–71, Lebanon couldn't progress beyond the group stage in the 2010 FIBA World Championship.^[8]

2013 FIBA suspension

Lebanon faced a challenging period beginning in July 2013 when a FIBA-sanctioned indefinite suspension was imposed. The suspension stemmed from internal disputes within Lebanon's national basketball federation that remained unresolved. The internal strife prompted FIBA Asia to enforce a suspension on Lebanon from all sanctioned events, effectively barring the country's participation in international competitions until further notice.^[10]

This suspension had significant repercussions, notably affecting Lebanon's participation in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship, a crucial tournament serving as the Asia qualifying event for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain. Despite initially earning a spot at 2013 FIBA Asia Championship through their second-place finish in the 2013 West Asian Basketball Championship, the suspension of Lebanon's basketball federation led to their exclusion from the tournament.^[11]

After appeals and discussions, FIBA eventually lifted the ban in May 2014, allowing Lebanon's national team to resume their participation in international basketball competitions.^[12]

2020–present: Asian runners-up and return to the World Cup

Lebanon experienced a remarkable resurgence in international basketball, culminating in a noteworthy performance at the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup, marking their return to the finals after an over-a-decade hiatus. Despite a hard-fought game, Lebanon secured a commendable second-place finish following a narrow 73–75 loss against Australia.^[13] This marked the fourth occasion Lebanon secured the Silver at the FIBA Asia Cup, adding to their previous second place medals in 2001, 2005, and 2007.^[8] The tournament also showcased the stellar performance of Lebanon's point guard, Wael Arakji, who not only earned the title of tournament MVP but also claimed the accolades for best guard, solidifying his spot in the All-Star Five.^[14]

Building on this success, Lebanon continued their journey by securing qualification for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.^[15] Despite a challenging start in the first round, where the team suffered three losses, Lebanon displayed resilience, closing their World Cup campaign with back-to-back victories. They secured wins against Ivory Coast 94–84 and Iran 81–73, during the classification round, concluding their World Cup appearance on a high note.^[16]

The 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup performance earned Lebanon a 23rd overall ranking,^[17] granting them an opportunity to compete in the 2024 FIBA Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournaments. These tournaments set to be contested by twenty-four teams, all competing for the last four coveted spots at the 2024 Summer Olympics basketball tournament.^[18]

Asian Games

Asian Games Record
Year	Position	Pld	W	L
1951 to 1998	Did not enter
2002	Withdrew
2006	9th place	7	3	4
2010	Did not enter
2014
2018
2022	Withdrew[19]
Total	1/19	7	3	3

Current roster

Roster for the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.^[20][21]

Lebanon men's national basketball team – 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup roster
Players	Coaches
Pos. No. Name Age – Date of birth Height Club Ctr. F 00 Mark Alkhoury 25 – (1998-02-22)22 February 1998 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) Dynamo Lebanon PF 4 Omari Spellman 26 – (1997-07-21)21 July 1997 2.05 m (6 ft 9 in) Anyang KGC SG 5 Amir Saoud 32 – (1991-01-18)18 January 1991 1.87 m (6 ft 2 in) Al Riyadi PG 6 Jad Khalil 26 – (1996-11-20)20 November 1996 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) Dynamo Lebanon SG 7 Karim Zeinoun 24 – (1999-06-16)16 June 1999 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) Al Riyadi SG 9 Sergio El Darwich 27 – (1996-07-25)25 July 1996 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in) Beirut Club PG 10 Ali Mansour 25 – (1998-01-01)1 January 1998 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) Al Riyadi PF 11 Ali Haidar (C) 33 – (1990-07-20)20 July 1990 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) Al-Karamah PF 14 Karim Ezzedine 26 – (1997-08-08)8 August 1997 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) Dynamo Lebanon PG 20 Wael Arakji 28 – (1994-09-04)4 September 1994 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) Al Riyadi PF 24 Hayk Gyokchyan 33 – (1989-12-11)11 December 1989 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) Al Riyadi PG 25 Ali Mezher 29 – (1994-03-22)22 March 1994 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in) Beirut Club	Head coach Jad El Hajj Assistant coach(es) Viktor Janketić Legend (C) Team captain Club – describes last club before the tournament Age – describes age on 25 August 2023