Seven Points for Antranik Lebanese Players in Forty Minutes: A Red Alarm for Lebanese Basketball

This was not just another loss. This was a warning sign for Lebanese basketball.

In Antranik’s heavy defeat against Riyadi, the most alarming statistic had nothing to do with the final score. It was the production, or rather the absence of production, from Antranik’s Lebanese players.

Across 40 total minutes, Lebanese players combined for only 7 points.
Antonio Habib finished with 5 points.
Majd Nassar added 2 points.
All seven points came in the fourth quarter, when Riyadi had already eased off defensively.

Let that sink in.

In a professional Lebanese league game, local players were virtually non-existent offensively for three full quarters.

This is not an individual failure.
This is a system failure.

The current 3-imports-per-team rule is suffocating Lebanese talent. When three foreigners dominate usage, minutes, and ball-handling, local players are pushed into the corners, reduced to spectators, and stripped of any rhythm or confidence. They are asked to defend, rebound, and stand still — but rarely to create, attack, or grow.

Development does not happen in practice alone.
Development happens in games.
And Lebanese players are not being given real games anymore.

On top of that, the league’s 12-team structure is making things even worse.

Talent is stretched thin.
Quality minutes are diluted.
Budgets are scattered.
Development becomes an afterthought.

The Lebanese league should be 8 strong teams, not 12 weakly constructed rosters. Fewer teams means:

• Better concentration of Lebanese talent

• Higher internal competition

• More meaningful minutes for locals

• Stronger coaching focus

• Higher overall product level

Right now, we are running a league that looks busy… but is not building anything.

If nothing changes, the consequences will be severe:

• Fewer Lebanese players capable of creating their own shot

• Smaller national team pool

• Increased dependency on naturalized players

• Declining international competitiveness

The national team’s success over the past decade was built on Lebanese stars playing major roles at club level. That pipeline is drying up.

This is a moment for the federation, league organizers, and clubs to be honest with themselves.

If the goal is only entertainment and short-term results, then keep things as they are.

But if the goal is to protect Lebanese basketball, then difficult decisions must be made:

• Reduce imports

• Reduce number of teams

• Force minutes for locals

• Incentivize youth development

• Prioritize Lebanese player usage

Seven points in forty minutes is not just a bad night.

It is a red alarm.

And if Lebanese basketball keeps ignoring it, the price will be paid very soon — at the national team level, where it hurts the most.