James Curtnyle Forrest (born August 13, 1972) is an American former professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player.

High school career

He was born in

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina, the county seat of Charleston County, and the principal city in the Charleston–North Charleston metropolitan area. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint o ...

but he then moved to

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

with his family and attended Southside High School (now Maynard H. Jackson) there. He established himself as one of the top recruits of the state of

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

and as a sophomore he was named Mr. Georgia Basketball; he won the award again the following year, having been part of the Southside team that won the state championship in 1990, winning the final game against Columbia with a final record of 31–2. In his senior year at Soutside High he averaged 30.5 points and 11.4 rebounds, and scored 55 points and grabbed 19 rebounds in a playoff semifinals game against Dougherty on March 8, 1991 during the state championship. He was also a two-time Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year (1990 and 1991). He was ranked among the top 10 seniors in the nation by most scouting reports.HOOP SCOOP'S FINAL RANKING OF THE NATION'S TOP 100 SENIORS
Hoop Scoop. During his high school career he scored more than 2,000 points; scout Bob Gibbons compared Forrest to Larry Johnson due to similarities in size, scoring ability and physical strength. In 1991 he was also named in the ''Parade'' All-America First Team and was a McDonald's All-American. In the McDonald's All-American Game of 1991 he was the top scorer of the East team and the second highest scorer of the game (only

Chris Webber Mayce Edward Christopher Webber III (born March 1, 1973) is an American former professional basketball player. Drafted number one overall by the Orlando Magic, though arguably best known and remembered as the star forward for the Sacramento King ...

had more points, with 28), and also added 10 rebounds. In March 1991 Forrest announced his commitment to play for

Georgia Tech The Georgia Institute of Technology, commonly referred to as Georgia Tech or, in the state of Georgia, as Tech or The Institute, is a public research university and institute of technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Established in 1885, it is part of ...

College career

Forrest and

point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Point guards are expected to run t ...

Travis Best Travis Best (born July 12, 1972) is an American former professional basketball player, who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and in Europe. High school career Best attended Springfield Central High School, starring on teams tha ...

were considered the top two freshmen of the 1991–92 Georgia Tech team that had lost its star player, Kenny Anderson, who decided to declare for the 1991 NBA Draft. They both started in the team along with

Jon Barry Jon Alan Barry (born July 25, 1969) is an American former basketball player and current television analyst for ABC and ESPN. Biography Barry is the son of Hall of Famer Rick Barry and Pam Connolly, and has three brothers: Scooter, Brent, and ...

Malcolm Mackey Malcolm Malik Mackey (born July 11, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Phoenix Suns in the first round (27th pick overall) of the 1993 NBA draft. Born in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Mackey played only ...

and

Matt Geiger Matthew Allen Geiger (born September 10, 1969) is an American former professional National Basketball Association player who played at the center position. Collegiate career Geiger played for Countryside High School in Clearwater, Florida and w ...

. Forrest scored 16 points in his debut on November 20, 1991 against

James Madison James Madison Jr. (March 16, 1751June 28, 1836) was an American statesman, diplomat, and Founding Father. He served as the fourth president of the United States from 1809 to 1817. Madison is hailed as the "Father of the Constitution" for hi ...

. Forrest had a very good season, being the third top scorer (13.3) and the third best rebounder (6.4) in the team. While he mainly played as

power forward The power forward (PF), also known as the four, is one of the five traditional Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. Traditionally, power forwards have played a role similar to center (basketball), centers. When on Of ...

and

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentricity ...

during his high school career, the presence of Mackey made him move to the

small forward The small forward (SF), also known as the three or swingman, is one of the five positions in a regulation basketball game. Small forwards are typically shorter, quicker, and leaner than power forwards and centers but taller, larger, and stronger t ...

position. Forrest's freshman season is also remembered for one of the most iconic

buzzer beater In basketball and other such timed sports, a buzzer beater is a shot that is taken before the game clock of a quarter, a half (if the half is the second one, then, a game), or an overtime period expires but does not go in the basket until after t ...

s in the history of the NCAA Tournament: during the Midwest Regional second-round game against

USC USC most often refers to: * University of South Carolina, a public research university ** University of South Carolina System, the main university and its satellite campuses **South Carolina Gamecocks, the school athletic program * University of ...

, Georgia Tech was losing 78–76. With 0.8 seconds remaining, Geiger inbounded the ball to Forrest, who scored a 3-point shot (his only one of the season, having missed the previous 3 attempts) for a 79–78 win that qualified Georgia Tech for the Sweet 16. Forrest improved significantly in his sophomore year and became the top scorer of the team during the 1992–93 season with an average of 19.5 points. He won the Everett Case Award as the MVP of the 1993 ACC men's basketball tournament and was an honorable mention in the All-ACC selection at the end of the season. At some point before the

1993 NBA Draft The 1993 NBA draft took place on June 30, 1993, at The Palace of Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The draft had some talented players at the top, but injuries and personal problems hurt many of them. Chris Webber, Penny Hardaway, Allan Ho ...

, it seemed that Forrest could be planning to declare early for the draft, and some mock drafts predicted him to be a top-15 pick, but he decided to stay at Georgia Tech and continue to play college basketball. His junior season saw the departure of Mackey, and Forrest became the top rebounder of the team, and once again he was the top scorer, with Georgia Tech finishing 6th in the ACC conference. In March 1994 he was named in the All-ACC First team. Forrest's senior season was marked by his best rebounding average (8.3), but his scoring declined (18.8 points), while his teammate Travis Best scored 20.2. At the end of the season he was named in the All-ACC Third team and was an

NCAA All-American The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

honorable mention.

College statistics

, - , align="left" , 1991–92 , align="left" ,

, 35 , , 34 , , 29.9 , , .509 , , .250 , , .708 , , 6.4 , , 1.8 , , 0.9 , , 0.5 , , 13.3 , - , align="left" , 1992–93 , align="left" ,

, 30 , , 29 , , 34.5 , , .542 , , .500 , , .687 , , 7.5 , , 1.4 , , 1.0 , , 0.9 , , 19.5 , - , align="left" , 1993–94 , align="left" ,

, 25 , , 22 , , 34.5 , , .468 , , .000 , , .716 , , 7.9 , , 1.4 , , 0.8 , , 0.7 , , 19.0 , - , align="left" , 1994–95 , align="left" ,

, 24 , , 23 , , 34.6 , , .488 , , .000 , , .664 , , 8.3 , , 1.6 , , 1.4 , , 1.0 , , 18.8 , - , align="left" , Career , align="left" , , 114 , , 108 , , 33.1 , , .503 , , .167 , , .694 , , 7.4 , , 1.6 , , 1.0 , , 0.8 , , 17.4 , -

Professional career

After the end of his senior season, Forrest was automatically eligible for the

1995 NBA Draft The 1995 NBA draft took place on June 28, 1995, at SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It marked the first NBA draft to be held outside the United States and was the first draft for the two Canadian expansion teams, Toronto Raptors and Vancouve ...

. While his teammate Best was selected with the 23rd pick by the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...

, Forrest was not drafted, and in August had to undergo surgery for an injury to the Achilles tendon. He came back in 1996, and since he did not find a team in the United States, he began his professional career abroad. His first team was Hapoel Eilat of the

Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...

i top division. He averaged 14.5 points and 7.8 rebounds in 20 games during the 1996–97season, with a season high of 26 points versus

Hapoel Holon Hapoel Holon Basketball Club ( he, מועדון הכדורסל הפועל חולון), known for sponsorship reasons as Hapoel Atsmon Playgrounds Holon (), is a professional basketball club based in Holon, Israel. The team plays in the Israeli B ...

. In July 1997 he was signed by the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

, but he was cut in October and he did not make the final roster. He then moved to

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

, signing with Ciudad the Huelva of

Liga ACB The Liga ACB, known as Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional basketball division of the Spanish basketball league system. Administrated by the Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto (ACB), Liga ACB is contested by 18 teams, wi ...

in November 1997, and played 12 games averaging 18.8 points (with a season high of 31) and 5.9 rebounds. He moved to

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

for the following season, playing for Mabo Pistoia where he averaged 19.6 points and 9.3 rebounds in 37.0 minutes of playing time. The club did not participate in the following season and Forrest moved to

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders with ...

, signing a deal with Iraklio. He played 4 consecutive seasons in the Greek league, changing team every year: Iraklio, Aris Thessaloniki, Olympiacos (where he had the chance to play in the EuroLeague where he averaged 12.5 points and 6.0 rebounds) and Olympia Larissa. He briefly came back to Spain in 2003 and played 1 game with Unicaja Málaga, then played once more for Itaklio where he averaged 17.5 points and 7.2 rebounds. Ecco Forrest, la Mabo è più forte
Legabasket.it] He then played in Italy for 2 more seasons, and retired in 2005 after having played for Fabriano.

References

External links

Career stats at ProBallers.comStats at Legabasket.itIsraeli League statistics
{{DEFAULTSORT:Forrest, James 1972 births Living people African-American basketball players American expatriate basketball people in Greece American expatriate basketball people in Israel American expatriate basketball people in Italy American expatriate basketball people in Spain American men's basketball players Aris B.C. players Baloncesto Málaga players Basketball players from Atlanta Basketball players from South Carolina Basket Livorno players Fabriano Basket players Forwards (basketball) Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball players Hapoel Eilat basketball players Irakleio B.C. players McDonald's High School All-Americans Olimpia Basket Pistoia players Olympia Larissa B.C. players Olympiacos B.C. players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Sportspeople from Charleston, South Carolina Victoria Libertas Pesaro players 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American sportspeople