Bassel Bawji was born in Santa Monica, Los Angeles on 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.[3] Bassel joined the academy when he was 10 years old.