Gary Forbes facts for kids
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| Small forward | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | February 25, 1985 Colón, Panama |
| High school | Benjamin Banneker Academy (Brooklyn, New York) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 220 lb (100 kg) |
| Career information | |
| College |
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| NBA Draft | 2008 / Undrafted |
| Pro career | 2008–2020 |
| Career history | |
| 2008 | Sioux Falls Skyforce |
| 2008–2009 | Tulsa 66ers |
| 2009 | Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters |
| 2009 | Trotamundos de Carabobo |
| 2009–2010 | Vanoli Cremona |
| 2010 | Ironi Ramat Gan |
| 2010–2011 | Denver Nuggets |
| 2011–2012 | Toronto Raptors |
| 2012–2013 | Zhejiang Lions |
| 2013–2014 | Springfield Armor |
| 2015–2016 | Atenienses de Manatí |
| 2016 | Grand Rapids Drive |
| 2016–2017 | Long Island Nets |
| 2017 | Boca Juniors |
| 2017 | Cocodrilos de Caracas |
| 2017 | Faros Larissas |
| 2017–2018 | Universitarios |
| 2018 | Al-Ittihad Jeddah |
| 2020 | Saigon Heat |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Gary Orlando Forbes (born February 25, 1985) is a former professional basketball player from Panama. He played as a small forward. Gary started his college basketball journey at the University of Virginia. Later, he moved to the University of Massachusetts after his second year.
Contents
High School Basketball Journey
Gary Forbes moved to Brooklyn, New York with his mom when he was young. He played basketball at Benjamin Banneker Academy in Brooklyn. During his high school career, he scored 1,512 points and grabbed 766 rebounds. He set new records for points, rebounds, and blocked shots at his school.
As a senior, Gary was named the Newsday Player of the Year in Brooklyn. He was also a finalist for the McDonald's All-American award. In his junior year, he averaged 27 points, 11 rebounds, and six assists per game. As a senior, he averaged 31 points, 13 rebounds, three assists, and three blocked shots.
Championship Game Performance
In his senior year, Gary scored 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a big game. This was during Benjamin Banneker's 75–69 loss to Lincoln High School. It was the Public School Athletic League (PSAL) "A" Championship game. The game took place at the famous Madison Square Garden.
College Basketball Career
Gary Forbes was a top basketball prospect coming out of high school. ESPN ranked him as the #4 shooting guard in the country. He was also the #20 overall prospect for the class of 2003. He chose to play for the University of Virginia. Other schools like Georgia Tech and Mississippi State also offered him scholarships.
Playing for Virginia
As a freshman in 2003–04, Gary played in all 31 games for Virginia. He started in 17 of those games. He averaged 7.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. He was second on the team in blocked shots and steals. He scored a season-high 22 points against Minnesota.
In his sophomore year (2004–05), Gary played in 29 games and started 4. He averaged 9.4 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. He scored a season-high 23 points against #4 North Carolina. He also had a "double-double" (17 points and 10 rebounds) against Duke.
Transfer to UMass
After his sophomore year, Gary's coach at Virginia resigned. Gary decided to transfer to the University of Massachusetts. Because of NCAA rules, he had to sit out the 2005–06 season. This means he couldn't play in games that year.
Success with UMass Minutemen
In the 2006–07 season, Gary played his first games for the UMass Minutemen. He started in 23 of the team's 33 games. He averaged 13.0 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. He scored a career-high 31 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in a game against Temple. He also had 16 rebounds in a game against Richmond.
Gary helped the Minutemen win their first Atlantic 10 title since 1995–96. UMass also made it to the second round of the NIT (National Invitation Tournament). This was their first time in a post-season tournament since 1999–2000.
Senior Year Highlights
Before his senior year (2007–08), Gary was named to the Preseason Atlantic 10 Third Team. By the end of the season, he was averaging 20.3 points per game. This tied him for the league lead in scoring. He scored 25 or more points six times.
The Atlantic 10 Conference named him their Player of the Year. He was also placed on the all-conference First Team. Gary helped UMass make a deep run in the NIT. They beat strong teams like Syracuse and Florida. UMass reached the final before losing to Ohio State. Gary was named to the NIT's All-Tournament team.
Overall, Gary scored 1,639 points during his college career. This included 698 points at Virginia and 1,128 points at UMass.
Professional Basketball Journey
After college, Gary Forbes tried to join the NBA. He attended the NBA Pre-Draft Camp in 2008. However, he was not chosen in the 2008 NBA draft. The Washington Wizards invited him to their summer camp, but he didn't make the team.
Playing in the D-League
In August 2008, Gary signed with an Italian club, but the team closed down. He was then picked #4 overall in the NBA Development League (D-League) draft by the Sioux Falls Skyforce. In the 2008–09 season, he played 22 games for Sioux Falls. He was then traded to the Tulsa 66ers, where he played 30 games. That season, Gary averaged 17.4 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. He also competed in the D-League's Three-Point Shootout.
International Teams and NBA Chances
Gary played for several international clubs for short periods. He played in the Philippines, Venezuela, and Italy. In 2010, he played for Ironi Kfar Hamaccabia Ramat Gan in the Israeli Basketball Super League. He averaged 20.3 points per game, which was the best in the league.
In July 2010, Gary returned to the US for another chance at the NBA. He played for the Houston Rockets in their summer league. On September 18, 2010, the Denver Nuggets invited him to their training camp. He played well in pre-season games and made the team's roster for the season.
On December 10, 2011, Gary signed with the Toronto Raptors. He officially joined the Raptors on December 13, 2011. In July 2012, he was traded to the Houston Rockets. However, Houston waived him (released him from the team) in October 2012.
After his time in the NBA, Gary continued to play professionally around the world. He joined the Zhejiang Lions in China in December 2012. He also played for the Springfield Armor in the D-League. Later, he played for teams in Puerto Rico, the D-League again (Grand Rapids Drive, Long Island Nets), Argentina, Greece, and Saudi Arabia. In 2020, he played for the Saigon Heat in Vietnam.
Playing for Panama
Gary Forbes also played for the Panama men's national basketball team. In 2007, he played in the FIBA Americas Championship in Las Vegas. In four games, he averaged 17.8 points and 4.5 rebounds. He scored 29 points against Argentina. He also played for Panama in the 2011 FIBA Americas Championship and the 2017 FIBA AmeriCup.
The Basketball Tournament (TBT)
Gary Forbes has also competed in The Basketball Tournament (TBT), which is shown on ESPN. In 2017, he played for the Talladega Knights. He scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds in their first-round game. He also played for Talladega in 2016, averaging 16.0 points per game. In TBT 2018, Gary played for Gael Nation.
Personal Life and Health
Gary Forbes has type 1 diabetes. This condition runs in his family. He was diagnosed when he was 19 years old. At first, he kept his diagnosis a secret. He was worried it might affect his chances of playing professional basketball. Gary has five older brothers and sisters.
See also
In Spanish: Gary Forbes para niños
