Bassel Bawji

Bassel Bawji (born December 26, 1989) is an American/Lebanese professional basketball player who plays the power forward. He is 2.03 m (6 ft 8 in) tall and weighs 102 kg (225 lb).

Junior career

At age 15, Bawji started his international career with the Lebanese Junior National Team. In 2006, Bawji travelled to the United States to continue his high school education and compete at the high school level. In 2006 he registered in Cypress Christian school located in Houston TX. The same year Bawji got to win the Texas state championship. The following year Bawji attended Klein Collins High school, where he averaged a double-double (11 pts 12 rebs),^[1] which helped him get selected to the Texas All-Star game event, in which he had an impressive 14 points and 18 rebounds. In 2009 Bawji got recruited to the University of Tulsa, Oklahoma(NCAA Div1), which he decided to leave one year later to pursue a professional career overseas. In 2010 Bawji signed a 1-year contract with Mouttahed club (Tripoli), the same year he got the most improved player award (MIP). He then renewed his contract for two more years.

Personal life

Bassel Bawji was born in Santa Monica, Los Angeles in December 26, 1989, to parents Nazih Bawji and Sawsan El Sayed. His father Nazih, a former basketball player and captain of Riyadi Club and the Lebanese National team, established the Harlem Basketball Academy(Beirut), the first one in the region.^[2] Bassel joined the academy when he was 10 years old. His mother Sawsan was the captain of the Lebanese Volleyball National team. She currently works as a TV presenter at Heya TV and is the owner of El Sawsan Establishment, which specializes in advertising.

Player profile

Bawji is a small forward. Bawji has established himself as an athletic wingman who constantly attacks the basket. When attacking the basket, Bawji is known to draw the defense in the paint, which allows his teammates to have open shots. At 6 feet 8 inches, Bawji is an above average rebounder, averaging 8.9 rebounds throughout his first three seasons. Bawji is constantly able to get to the free throw line(78% in 2012), contributing to the average of 15.9 points per game throughout his first three seasons. The main weakness cited in Bawji is his lack of ability in three-point range; he has averaged .267 on three-point field goal percentage throughout his first three seasons. He can also defend multiple positions due to his athletic ability and strength.

References