ZOUK MIKAEL (Lebanon) - Stedmon Lemon chose the perfect moment to catch fire.
The Tabiat star exploded for 45 points in a stunning performance at the 2025 FIBA WASL Final 8, setting a new all-time scoring record for competition and powering his team to a statement win in their opening game.
I just thank coach and my teammates for trusting me to get it done.
Lemon's 45 points shattered the previous Final 8 mark of 42, set by BC Astana’s Markell Johnson in 2024 against Manama. It also came within a whisker of the overall FIBA WASL scoring record of 46, held by Edgar Sosa.
"First off, glory to God," Lemon said after the game. "It's always special when you can come and play the way I did tonight. My teammates trusted me and I just made shots. Sometimes it goes in, sometimes it doesn't. Tonight for me it went in."
That trust was real - and measurable. Tabiat recorded 30 assists in the game, breaking the FIBA WASL Final 8 record previously held by Al Riyadi (27 assists). Guard Sina Vahedi was a key catalyst, dishing out 10 assists to become only the fourth player ever to hit double digits in dimes at the Final 8 stage.
Lemon repaid that trust with one of the most dynamic scoring showcases the league has ever seen. He hit from all over, whether it was from long range where he knocked down four three-pointers or from close-up, highlighted by an alleyoop slam that set the record of 45 points.
But this wasn't just an out-of-nowhere explosion. It was a timely reminder of the damage Lemon is capable of when he's locked in.
Earlier this WASL season, the 31-year-old scored in double figures in his first four games for Tabiat, averaging 20.3 points per outing. But then came a cold stretch - just one double-digit game over his last four in the West Asia League, with his scoring average dipping to 7.5 points per contest through that time.
The doubts may have crept in, but not for long.
With the lights brightest, Lemon responded in the best way possible - with a record-setting night that put both his name and his team squarely in the Final 8 spotlight.
"I just thank coach and my teammates for trusting me to get it done," he said.
He did more than that - he and the team made history.
FIBA