Paul Afeaki Khoury
Paul Afeaki Khoury (born April 27, 1968 in Tonga)[1] is Tonga born Lebanese former professional basketball player of American descent. He played most of his career in Japan and Lebanon.
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | April 27, 1968 Tonga |
| Nationality | Tongan / Lebanese / American |
| Listed height | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) |
| Listed weight | 283 lb (128 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College | Utah (1988–1992) |
| Playing career | 1994–2006 |
| Position | Center |
He was born in Tonga from American parents, he went to the United States and graduated from University of Utah[2] in 1992.[3] He joined Utah Jazz summer league camp in 1992.[4]
He selected with the 9th overall selection in the 1992 CBA Draft.[5]
Career
He played his first pro season in Turkey before heading to Japan (played for Saitama Broncos, Sumitomo Metal Sparks, Hamamatsu Higashimikawa Phoenix) for 5 years. In 2001, he signed a contract with the Lebanese team Al Ryadi the top team in the country and three years later he joined Sagesse. His Lebanese years were the best of his career and he was granted by a Lebanese passport by the government.
- 1994-95
- 1995
- 1996-01 in Japan
- 2001-04
- 2004-06
Lebanon National Team
With the Lebanon National Team, he played the 2002 FIBA World Championship in Indianapolis. The team didn't manage to win a single game and got the last rank after a 70-100 loss to Algeria in the classification game despite a 16 pts 9 rbs effort from him. During the tournament, he averaged 6.4 pts 56.5 %FG 6.0 rbs in 19 min per game including a 7 pts 10 rbs game against Turkey.
Last year, Lebanon secured the silver medal in the Asian Championship with a loss in the final game against Yao Ming's China and Paul was one of the best post player in the tournament.