James Forbes (basketball) facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
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| Born | July 18, 1952 Fort Rucker, Alabama |
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| Died | January 21, 2022 (aged 69) El Paso, Texas |
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| High school | Bel Air (El Paso, Texas) | |||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | |||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 201 lb (91 kg) | |||||||||||||
| Career information | ||||||||||||||
| College | UTEP (1971–1974) | |||||||||||||
| NBA Draft | 1974 / Round: 4 / Pick: 70th overall | |||||||||||||
| Selected by the Chicago Bulls | ||||||||||||||
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Medals
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James Ricardo Forbes (born July 18, 1952 – died January 21, 2022) was an American basketball player. He played college basketball at the University of Texas at El Paso, also known as UTEP. A big moment in his career was joining the U.S. national team for the 1972 Olympics. He was part of the very debated 1972 Olympic Men's Basketball Final. Because of how that game ended, Forbes and his teammates never accepted their silver medals.
Contents
Early Life and College Basketball
James Forbes was born in Fort Rucker, Alabama, on July 18, 1952. He grew up and went to Bel Air High School in El Paso, Texas. After high school, he continued his basketball journey at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP).
Olympic Journey
While playing for UTEP, James Forbes earned a spot on the U.S. national basketball team. This team competed in the 1972 Summer Olympics held in Munich, Germany. The final game of the tournament was against the Soviet Union. It became one of the most talked-about games in Olympic history.
The Controversial Final Game
The 1972 Olympic Men's Basketball Final was very unusual. The U.S. team thought they had won the game. However, the clock was reset multiple times in the final seconds. This allowed the Soviet Union to score and win the gold medal. Because of these confusing events, James Forbes and his teammates felt the game was unfair. They decided not to accept their silver medals. To this day, those medals remain unclaimed.
Life After Playing Basketball
After his college career, James Forbes was chosen by the Chicago Bulls in the 1974 NBA draft. However, he did not play professionally in the NBA. Instead, he decided to become a coach.
Coaching Career
Forbes first worked as an assistant coach for the UTEP Miners, the same college team he played for. Later, he became a high school basketball coach in El Paso, Texas. He was a very successful coach, guiding his teams to many victories.
High School Coaching Success
As a high school coach, James Forbes led the Riverside Rangers to the Texas 5A Final Four in 1995. This is a big achievement in high school sports. He also coached the Andress Eagles to the Texas 5A Sweet Sixteen in 2009. Over his career, Forbes achieved more than 700 wins as a high school coach. This shows how dedicated and skilled he was.
Later Years
James Forbes passed away in El Paso, Texas, on January 21, 2022. He was 69 years old.
See also
In Spanish: Jim Forbes para niños
