El Paso basketball icon Jim Forbes dies
EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- Jim Forbes, one of the Borderland's biggest basketball icons died Friday morning. Forbes was 69.
The legendary Andress High School Basketball coach was hospitalized with Covid-19 for a few weeks.
"He was the definition of a legend, a selfless leader. Coach would give you the sweater of his back to warm you up. He saved my life for taking a chance on me," Forbes' former assistant coach Rodney Lewis said. "I wouldn't be in this position as a head coach and man without his influence and guidance. There will never be another Jim Forbes."
After starring at Bel Air High School, and then for Don Haskins at UTEP, Forbes represented the United States in the 1972 Olympic Games.
His 1972 team famously did not accept their silver medals, after protesting a loss to the Soviet Union.
Following his playing career Forbes came back to El Paso, where he served as an assistant under Haskins at UTEP.
Forbes then transitioned to the El Paso high school game, where he is the only coach in the modern era to take two schools, both Riverside and Andress, to the State Final Four.
