Do u want President Choueiry to come back?

[Rubisco]

Not that i'm really into lebanese baskletball, but I voted no because I really didn't like how he didn't allow fadi al khatib to play in the NBA last year. i mean even if he had a contract with sagesse, it would have been a great pride for all lebanese to see a genuine lebanese play there. just look at rida antar with his german clubs, last year I think he was the second best scorer in his team. Now, fadi's chances of ever joining the NBA look pretty slim...

[Superman]

I really didn't like how he didn't allow fadi al khatib to play in the NBA last year. i mean even if he had a contract with sagesse,

rubisco, fady did go to try out in the NBA last year, and precisley with the LA clippers. he was from the last five players that the team wants to join three of them to their roster. But unfortunatly fady was not of these 3 players. So he did have his chance to join the nba but he wasn't that good as an nba pro player.

[Rubisco]

September 26 2003

Fadi el-Khatib, Hekmeh's ace forward and a cornerstone of Lebanon's national basketball team, has joined the NBA, his new team, The Los Angeles Clippers, announced on its internet website Sunday.
He was one of five signed in as 'free agents' to play with the Clippers in the upcoming NBA season, the website announcement said.
The posting gave a brief background on Khatib, citing his record of excellence playing for Hekmeh and the national team:

'El Khatib, who averaged 32.0 points, 6.5 rebounds for CS Sagesse of Lebanon last season, is a member of the Lebanese National Team and has led his team to five consecutive league championships.'

Khatib is the second-ever Lebanese after Rony Saikaly to join the NBA. Saikaly is reportedly filling the vacuum left by Khatib's departure in Hekmeh's line-up.


September 29 2003:

The Clippers waived Fadi El Khatib.
Jihad Khatib, father of Lebanon's basketball ace Fadi Khatib, says his son will not play in the NBA this season because the Los Angeles Clippers "waved" him upon receiving a telephone warning from Beirut that Fadi is a professional, not an amateur.
"The Clippers had thus dropped my son. They failed to sign him up within the legal period that ended on Monday Sept. 29, 2003," Jihad Khatib said in an interview carried Tuesday morning by Premier Hariri's Al Mustaqbal newspaper.
NBA teams run the legal risk of being sued before courts of law if they sign up foreign players registered in their countries as professionals. Recruiting amateurs is permissible.

The elder Khatib did not identify the 'Beirut party' involved. But only Hikmeh and Lebanon's Basketball league can serve such a warning on the NBA or NBA clubs.

Judy Gardner, Fadi's U.S. business manager, had informed the Lebanese star of the Beirut call that rendered the Clippers unable to sign him up from a legal standpoint, Jihad Khatib told Al Mustaqbal.

He said Fadi left for Los Angeles a few weeks ago to train with the Clippers, hoping to land a three-year contract to play with the NBA. "But hopes are one thing, realities another," the saddened father said.

Basically Choueiri just wanted to keep him for himself.

[Superman]

Choueiry was out, how could he keep him for himself???

Plus fady had offers from varezi italy, real madrid spain and a club in greece.

[Rubisco]

Tazzzi

this was in september 2003,last year before he left basketball. i don't know about the clubs you mentioned but I was talking about what happened in 2003 (if you read my post carefully) .choueiri acted in the utmost selfish wayback then.

[HeartBreak Kid]

Kahtib has just joined AL ittihad al HAlabi (syria) with a unique & chocking contract, the first time ever for an arab BBall player. Now he is there with ex-hikmeh coach sarkis. News also say that Kahtib will reside there in syria at some relatives..

[Superman]

rubisco, i think there was a big misunderstanding between u and me, when u said last year i thought u meant last season, ya3neh when this last season was finished. Ya3neh u were talking about 2003 off season and i was talking about 2004 off season.

Kahtib has just joined AL ittihad al HAlabi (syria) with a unique & chocking contract, the first time ever for an arab BBall player. Now he is there with ex-hikmeh coach sarkis. News also say that Kahtib will reside there in syria at some relatives..

heartbreakkid, this was known from a week, but yesterday it was official. And also kosay 7atem joined ghassan and fady to al itti7ad aleppo.

[Rubisco]

Hey if I was offered 200 000$ + bonuses i would do the same thing

[Superman]

rubisco, u are right. After all, kill wa7ad masle7to abil kill chi.

[Chrysostomos]

i think that Antoine Choueiry's purpose was very clear in the final game last year against Champville where the referees were totaly pro-Sagesse...We are with the great achievments of the Lebanese basketball but we are also with the right of all teams to achieve!!!!