El Khatib to play two more years before calling it a career

CHENZHOU (FIBA Asia Champions Cup 2016) - Fadi El Khatib doesn’t need to prove anything. He has already proven that he’s one of the best Asian players to ever don a kit and shoot some hoops. There are hardly any other players out there with the same list of achievements and accolades as Fadi, and there’s an even shorter list of players who can say they’ve been playing this well for this long.

At 37 years old, Fadi is no doubt in the twilight of his playing career. He has retired from playing for the Lebanese national team, but he still opted to see action for Al Riyadi Beirut here in Chenzhou, hoping to reclaim the title they last won in 2011.

“We’ve been preparing for some time for this championship, and we are very much able to replicate the achievement we did in 2011 in Manila,” said Fadi after their opening day win over Al Rayyan.

Riyadi turned up in that game, defeating their Qatari rivals in convincing fashion, 92-78. Fadi wasn’t the team’s leading scorer, but he still played solidly, scoring 16 points and grabbing 9 rebounds. Clearly, the Lebanese Tiger still has sharp fangs.

“I’m happy with the win today,” he said. “We showed great character and executed well at both ends.”

Riyadi showcased its strengths in that victory, outshooting, outrebounding and outrunning Al Rayyan. Fadi emphasized this after the win, noting that they have a good chance of going far in this competition.

“Our team is a very capable and strong team,” he said. “We can hurt a lot of opponents with our inside and outside game, and, of course, don’t forget our strong defense, too.”

As for his playing days, Fadi still believes he has a couple of good years in his old legs. The grizzled veteran wants to go out and be remembered as someone who really gave his all to the game, and he’ll continue to lace up those sneakers till his body tells him he can no longer do so.

“I want to keep on playing two more years because I feel I’m still capable,” he said. “I want to stop when I’m still at the top.”

The top is certainly where Fadi belongs, given how many times he has reached the pinnacle of Asian hoops and how many times he has turned heads on the world stage.

His retirement plans are not foremost in his mind, though, as, for now, the goal is clear — bring the Champions Cup crown back to Beirut.

This he made crystal clear when he declared, “All I want right now is to win the FIBA Asia Champions Cup for the 5th time.”

FIBA