DUBAI (United Arab Emirates) - It was literally just last year when Wael Arakji and Jonathan Gibson were slugging it out in what many fans and pundits alike consider as the greatest FIBA WASL Final to date.
Sixteen months later, both stars are now competing side-by-side for a ball club that's aiming for basketball relevance in the region, beginning with the recently opened 2025-26 Gulf League competitions.
And the tandem immediately showed how exciting the times ahead could be when they powered the Saudi Arabian side to a rousing debut in the pan-regional contest by beating Sharjah SC in convincing fashion.
Gibson set a new league record 10 threes for 38 points, while Arakji finished with 35 - 23 of which he made in the first half alone - as Al Ula rolled to a 108-74 victory for the early lead in Group B of the Sub-Zone League.
Yes, we're the Big Three, but the Big Three means nothing for only one game. We need to win this tournament, and this is our goal.
"It's amazing, honestly," raved the lefty playmaker shortly after the match at the Sheikh Saeed Bin Maktoum Sports Hall - the very same venue in which he steered Al Riyadi to the inaugural BCL Asia crown.
It was no longer a surprise that the duo would submit stupendous performances individually, having done as much during their time in the Lebanese Basketball Championship playing for the country's biggest rivalling sides.
Gibson was part of the Sagesse SC team that played in WASL for the first time during the 2023-24 season, where they went all the way to the Final 8 in Doha, Qatar and fought the Yellow Castle for the ultimate prize.
The former NBA cager himself was in his element by nailing six triples to chalk up 23 points, but Arakji stole the show by delivering one of the greatest clutch performances that the young league has seen.
In a showing that further elevated his status as one of the continent's best, the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup MVP knocked down three consecutive treys to make it a 79-all count and eventually send the game into overtime.
Probably, Gibson still remembers that third three as Arakji made it all over his outstretched arms. The latter, by the way, would go on to finish with 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists as Riyadi took the crown, 100-90.
Needless to say, they've grown familiar with the game of one another but the Lebanese guard never imagined how good of an experience it would be playing alongside an old foe until he joined Al Ula last July.
Well, the fact that the two of them nearly matched Sharjah's total output should be enough proof.
"I never thought playing alongside Gibson would be this nice," he said. "He's one of my closest guys ever since I arrived in Al Ula. He's so unselfish. And the way we've been helping each other is amazing, honestly."
Oh, and lest we forget that Al Ula still has another weapon in Thon Maker, who helped Arakji & Co. achieve not only a breakthrough WASL title but an unprecedented 'three-peat' in the WASL-West Asia League as well.
The 2.13 M (7'0") forward was solid in their opening win, too, finishing with 13 points and 11 rebounds plus 2 blocks as he helped the aforementioned combo in the telling 18-0 second-quarter rally to take control for good.
Not a few are looking at the troika as the new 'Big Three' to dread about - a kind of team-up which further adds to the excitement of what some believe as arguably the most loaded edition of the WASL-Gulf League so far.
Arakji, however, would rather stay on an even keel as what he always does.
Because for him, it would mean nothing if Al Ula, as a whole, won't be able to win the whole thing.
"We need to keep our feet down," said the reigning WASL MVP. "It's still a long way. Yes, we're the Big Three, but the Big Three means nothing for only one game. We need to win this tournament, and this is our goal."
"There are a lot of things we need to improve, and hopefully we'll be able to," he added. "It's just one game."
FIBA