Gary Forbes
Encyclopedia
Gary Orlando Forbes is a Panama
nian professional basketball
player who plays for the Denver Nuggets
. The 6 ft 7 in, 220 lb (99.8 kg) swingman
played college basketball initially at the University of Virginia
, then transferred to the University of Massachusetts
following his sophomore season at Virginia.
, New York
when he was a child. He went on to attend and play basketball at Benjamin Banneker Academy
in Brooklyn. He scored 1,512 points and grabbed 766 rebounds during his high school career, and established career records for points, rebounds and blocked shots. In local awards, he was selected the Newsday
Player of the Year in Brooklyn as a senior, nominated for City Player of the Year, and earned first-team All-City and All-Tri-State honors. He was also a McDonald's
All-American finalist.
As a junior, Forbes averaged 27 points, 11 rebounds and six assists a game. As a senior, he averaged 31 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and three blocked shots a game. That year, he scored 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in Benjamin Banneker's 75-69 loss to Lincoln High School in the Public School Athletic League
"A" Championship game at Madison Square Garden
.
, after also receiving scholarship offers from Georgia Tech
and Mississippi State
. Coach Pete Gillen
's group of newcomers was ranked #17 on the list of top recruiting classes on Rivals.com
.
As a freshman in 2003-04, Forbes played in all of Virginia's 31 games, starting in 17. He averaged 7.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. He finished second on the team in blocked shots (28) and steals (30). Tallied 22 points (season high) and 9 rebounds against Minnesota
in the ACC – Big Ten Challenge. As a sophomore in 2004-05, Forbes played in 29 games, started 4, and averaged 9.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. Scored 23 (season high), on 8-11 shooting, in a loss at #4 North Carolina
. After starting the game at Duke
, Forbes tallied a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Gillen resigned from Virginia after the end of the 2004-05 season, and Forbes decided to transfer out of the school. He transferred to the University of Massachusetts
, and due to NCAA transfer rules, he was forced to sit out the 2005-06 season.
In the 2006-07 season, his first with the Minutemen
, Forbes started in 23 of the team's 33 games. Playing behind established seniors Rashaun Freeman
and Stephane Lasme
, Forbes still averaged 13.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. He scored a career high 31 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a game at Temple
. Forbes scored 20 or more points on three other occasions and snared 16 rebounds in a game versus Richmond
. Helped the Minutemen win their first Atlantic 10 title since the 1995-96 season. UMass also advanced to the second round of the NIT
, their first post-season play since the 1999-2000 season.
Coming into his senior year in 2007-08, Forbes was named to Preseason Atlantic 10 Third Team. By the end of the regular season, he was averaging 20.3 points per game, tied for the league lead in scoring with Temple's Dionte Christmas
. Forbes scored 25 or more points on six occasions, including a 29 point high at Northern Iowa
. The A-10 honored him as the league's Player of the Year
, and also placed him on the all-conference First Team. Forbes helped UMass make a deep run in the NIT
, advancing past Syracuse
, two-time defending NCAA champion Florida
, and on to the final before falling to Ohio State
. He was named to the NIT's All-Tournament team.
Forbes scored a total of 1,639 points over his college career (698 at Virginia, 1,128 at UMass).
He was also named to the Panama team for the 2011 FIBA Americas Championship.
in the summer of 2008. However, he was not selected in the 2008 NBA Draft
. The Washington Wizards
invited him to participate in their summer mini-camp, and he played in all 5 games, but he only averaged 3.8 points and 0.6 rebounds per game.
In August 2008, Forbes had signed with Italian
club Basket Napoli
, but the team soon dissolved.
Forbes was selected as the #4 overall pick in the NBA Development League
's 2008 draft, by the Sioux Falls Skyforce
. In the D-League's 2008-09 season, he played 22 games for Sioux Falls before being traded to the Tulsa 66ers
, where he played in 30 games. Overall that season, Forbes averaged 17.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. He also participated in the league's All-Star weekend, finishing third in the Three Point Shootout.
Forbes then played several short stints with international clubs.
In July 2010, Forbes returned to the US for another shot at the NBA. He was invited to play with the Houston Rockets
on their summer league team in Las Vegas
. Forbes played in 4 of the team's 5 games, averaging 3.8 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.
On September 18, 2010, the Denver Nuggets
invited Forbes to training camp. Playing in 8 games, Forbes averaged 19.0 minutes, 10.1 points, and 2.9 rebounds per game. He survived pre-season cuts and made the season roster.
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
nian professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player who plays for the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
. The 6 ft 7 in, 220 lb (99.8 kg) swingman
Swingman
A Swingman is a basketball term denoting a player who can play both the small forward and shooting guard positions, and, in essence, swing between the shooting guard and small forward positions." Swingmen males are often between 6'5" and 6'8" .John Havlicek, who played for the Boston Celtics in...
played college basketball initially at the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, then transferred to the University of Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
following his sophomore season at Virginia.
High school
Forbes and his mother moved to BrooklynBrooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
when he was a child. He went on to attend and play basketball at Benjamin Banneker Academy
Benjamin Banneker Academy
Benjamin Banneker Academy for Community Development is a public high school located in the Clinton Hill section of Brooklyn, New York City. The school was originally a Drake's Cakes factory. Still today, different floors of the school are in Drake's colors. It has a small, but family type...
in Brooklyn. He scored 1,512 points and grabbed 766 rebounds during his high school career, and established career records for points, rebounds and blocked shots. In local awards, he was selected the Newsday
Newsday
Newsday is a daily American newspaper that primarily serves Nassau and Suffolk counties and the New York City borough of Queens on Long Island, although it is sold throughout the New York metropolitan area...
Player of the Year in Brooklyn as a senior, nominated for City Player of the Year, and earned first-team All-City and All-Tri-State honors. He was also a McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
All-American finalist.
As a junior, Forbes averaged 27 points, 11 rebounds and six assists a game. As a senior, he averaged 31 points, 13 rebounds, three assists and three blocked shots a game. That year, he scored 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in Benjamin Banneker's 75-69 loss to Lincoln High School in the Public School Athletic League
PSAL
The Public Schools Athletic League, known by the acronym PSAL, is an organization that promotes student athletics in the public schools of New York City. It was founded in 1903 to provide and maintain a sports program for students enrolled in New York City public schools. The PSAL serves both boys...
"A" Championship game at Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
.
College
Forbes was ranked as the #4 shooting guard, and the #20 overall prospect on ESPN's Top 100 for the incoming class of 2003. He committed to play at the University of VirginiaUniversity of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, after also receiving scholarship offers from Georgia Tech
Georgia Institute of Technology
The Georgia Institute of Technology is a public research university in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States...
and Mississippi State
Mississippi State University
The Mississippi State University of Agriculture and Applied Science commonly known as Mississippi State University is a land-grant university located in Oktibbeha County, Mississippi, United States, partially in the town of Starkville and partially in an unincorporated area...
. Coach Pete Gillen
Pete Gillen
Pete Gillen is an American former college basketball head coach of the Division I Xavier Musketeers, Providence Friars and Virginia Cavaliers and is a member of the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame...
's group of newcomers was ranked #17 on the list of top recruiting classes on Rivals.com
Rivals.com
Rivals.com is a network of websites that focus mainly on college football and basketball recruiting. The network was started in 1996 and currently employs more than 300 personnel.-Schools:The individual collegiate sites can be found...
.
As a freshman in 2003-04, Forbes played in all of Virginia's 31 games, starting in 17. He averaged 7.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. He finished second on the team in blocked shots (28) and steals (30). Tallied 22 points (season high) and 9 rebounds against Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
in the ACC – Big Ten Challenge. As a sophomore in 2004-05, Forbes played in 29 games, started 4, and averaged 9.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. Scored 23 (season high), on 8-11 shooting, in a loss at #4 North Carolina
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill is a public research university located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States...
. After starting the game at Duke
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
, Forbes tallied a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Gillen resigned from Virginia after the end of the 2004-05 season, and Forbes decided to transfer out of the school. He transferred to the University of Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts Amherst
The University of Massachusetts Amherst is a public research and land-grant university in Amherst, Massachusetts, United States and the flagship of the University of Massachusetts system...
, and due to NCAA transfer rules, he was forced to sit out the 2005-06 season.
In the 2006-07 season, his first with the Minutemen
UMass Minutemen basketball
The UMass Minutemen basketball team, also known as the Massachusetts Minutemen, represents the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Massachusetts, in NCAA Division I men's competition...
, Forbes started in 23 of the team's 33 games. Playing behind established seniors Rashaun Freeman
Rashaun freeman
Rashaun Demier Freeman was an American college basketball player at the University of Massachusetts. He was a prospect for the 2007 NBA Draft. He received a tryout for the Memphis Grizzlies...
and Stephane Lasme
Stephane Lasme
Yann Ulrich Stephane Lasme is a Gabonese professional basketball player. Lasme played NCAA college basketball at the University of Massachusetts , and he was selected by the Golden State Warriors in the second round, 46th overall, in the 2007 NBA Draft...
, Forbes still averaged 13.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. He scored a career high 31 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a game at Temple
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
. Forbes scored 20 or more points on three other occasions and snared 16 rebounds in a game versus Richmond
University of Richmond
The University of Richmond is a selective, private, nonsectarian, liberal arts university located on the border of the city of Richmond and Henrico County, Virginia. The University of Richmond is a primarily undergraduate, residential university with approximately 4,000 undergraduate and graduate...
. Helped the Minutemen win their first Atlantic 10 title since the 1995-96 season. UMass also advanced to the second round of the NIT
2007 National Invitation Tournament
The 2007 National Invitation Tournament was a single-elimination tournament of 32 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I teams which did not participate in the 2007 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament...
, their first post-season play since the 1999-2000 season.
Coming into his senior year in 2007-08, Forbes was named to Preseason Atlantic 10 Third Team. By the end of the regular season, he was averaging 20.3 points per game, tied for the league lead in scoring with Temple's Dionte Christmas
Dionte Christmas
Dionte Christmas is an American basketball player. Christmas is listed as 6 ft 5 in and 205 lb .-High school career:...
. Forbes scored 25 or more points on six occasions, including a 29 point high at Northern Iowa
University of Northern Iowa
The University of Northern Iowa is a college located in Cedar Falls, Iowa, United States. UNI offers more than 120 majors across the colleges of Business Administration, Education, Humanities and Fine Arts, Natural Sciences, and Social and Behavioral sciences, and graduate college.UNI has...
. The A-10 honored him as the league's Player of the Year
Atlantic 10 Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year
The Atlantic 10 Conference Men's Basketball Player of the Year is a basketball award given to the Atlantic 10 Conference's most outstanding player. The award was first given following the 1976–77 season. David West of Xavier is the only player to have won the award three times...
, and also placed him on the all-conference First Team. Forbes helped UMass make a deep run in the NIT
2008 National Invitation Tournament
-Semifinals and Final:Played at Madison Square Garden in New York City on April 1 and 3* - Overtime game.-External links:*...
, advancing past Syracuse
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
, two-time defending NCAA champion Florida
University of Florida
The University of Florida is an American public land-grant, sea-grant, and space-grant research university located on a campus in Gainesville, Florida. The university traces its historical origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its present Gainesville campus since September 1906...
, and on to the final before falling to Ohio State
Ohio State University
The Ohio State University, commonly referred to as Ohio State, is a public research university located in Columbus, Ohio. It was originally founded in 1870 as a land-grant university and is currently the third largest university campus in the United States...
. He was named to the NIT's All-Tournament team.
Forbes scored a total of 1,639 points over his college career (698 at Virginia, 1,128 at UMass).
2007 FIBA Americas Championship
In the summer of 2007, Gary played for Panamanian National Team in the FIBA Americas Championship in Las Vegas. In four games with the team he averaged 17.8 points and 4.5 rebounds a game. He scored a game high 29 points against Argentina.He was also named to the Panama team for the 2011 FIBA Americas Championship.
Professional career
After UMass, Forbes participated in the NBA Pre-Draft Camp in OrlandoOrlando, Florida
Orlando is a city in the central region of the U.S. state of Florida. It is the county seat of Orange County, and the center of the Greater Orlando metropolitan area. According to the 2010 US Census, the city had a population of 238,300, making Orlando the 79th largest city in the United States...
in the summer of 2008. However, he was not selected in the 2008 NBA Draft
2008 NBA Draft
The 2008 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2008 at the Washington Mutual Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur college basketball players and other first-time eligible players, including...
. The Washington Wizards
Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards are a professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C., previously known as Washington Bullets. They play in the National Basketball Association .-Early years:...
invited him to participate in their summer mini-camp, and he played in all 5 games, but he only averaged 3.8 points and 0.6 rebounds per game.
In August 2008, Forbes had signed with Italian
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
club Basket Napoli
Basket Napoli
Basket Napoli is an Italian professional basketball club that is based in the city of Naples. For past club sponsorship names, see the list below.-History:...
, but the team soon dissolved.
Forbes was selected as the #4 overall pick in the NBA Development League
NBA Development League
The NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League , the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001...
's 2008 draft, by the Sioux Falls Skyforce
Sioux Falls Skyforce
The Sioux Falls Skyforce is a professional basketball team that plays in the NBA Development League. They are based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. The team plays at the Sioux Falls Arena. The Skyforce began in the CBA in 1989...
. In the D-League's 2008-09 season, he played 22 games for Sioux Falls before being traded to the Tulsa 66ers
Tulsa 66ers
The Tulsa 66ers are an NBA Development League team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma and the minor league affiliate of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Their logo design is a basketball behind mountains with a road leading up to them, all on a U.S...
, where he played in 30 games. Overall that season, Forbes averaged 17.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. He also participated in the league's All-Star weekend, finishing third in the Three Point Shootout.
Forbes then played several short stints with international clubs.
- May 2009: played for the Talk N Text Tropang Texters club in the PhilippinesPhilippinesThe Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. Played in 2 games, averaged 27.5 ppg. - May/June 2009: played for Carabobo Globetrotters in VenezuelaVenezuelaVenezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
. Played 5 games. - July 2009: signed with Italian club Soresina.
- August 2009: signed with Italian club Gruppo Triboldi.
- 2009-10: played for Italian club Vanoli Cremona. Played in 15 games, averaged 13.3 ppg.
- 2010: played for Ironi Kfar Hamaccabia Ramat GanIroni Ramat GanIroni Ramat Gan is a basketball club based in Ramat Gan in central Israel. The team plays in Liga Leumit, the Second division in Israeli basketball.The club was formed by a merger of Beitar Ramat Gan and Maccabi Ramat Gan...
in the Israeli Basketball Super League. The club started 2-11 before Forbes joined, then went 4-5 the rest of the regular season with him. Forbes scored 28 in his team debut, then went on to average 20.3 ppg (best in the league). However, the team's poor season record forced them to the Relegation Playoffs, where they lost their series, and would be demoted to the National LeagueLiga Leumit (basketball)Liga Leumit is the second tier of league basketball competition in Israel, below the Israeli Basketball Super League.-League system:The league contains 14 clubs that compete in a home-and-away round-robin. At the end of the season, the top eight clubs advance to the play-offs. The first round is...
in the 2010-11 season.
In July 2010, Forbes returned to the US for another shot at the NBA. He was invited to play with the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
on their summer league team in Las Vegas
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. Forbes played in 4 of the team's 5 games, averaging 3.8 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.
On September 18, 2010, the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
invited Forbes to training camp. Playing in 8 games, Forbes averaged 19.0 minutes, 10.1 points, and 2.9 rebounds per game. He survived pre-season cuts and made the season roster.
Personal life
Forbes has diabetes, which has a history in his family. He has five older siblings.External links
- NBA Player File
- Gary Forbes Player Info @ DraftExpress.com
- UMass Player Bio
- Player page on UMassHoops.com