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Home > Terence Moore > Archives > 2008 > July > 10
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Ex-GT hoopster Forrest ‘gets it’
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We’ll take a break from the slew of Bulldogs arrested in Athens, the pending bankruptcy of what was a $130 million quarterback and the inability of the Braves to hit or score on most days to bring you James Forrest, a 6-foot-7 example that some former pro athletes actually get it.
No question, Forrest has done much since leaving the Georgia Tech basketball team in the early 1990s as the guy who nailed that miracle shot against USC. He also spent three days carrying the Yellow Jackets on his massive back to a title during the ACC tournament. Then he dribbled professionally for more than a decade in Greece, Italy, Israel and Spain.
After Forrest retired from professional basketball two years ago, he returned to his hometown of Atlanta, where he runs a construction company, is part owner of several local restaurants and sells vehicles in Newnan. Mostly, at 35, he has evolved into an instant Pied Piper for underprivileged youth, and it began last summer with his first basketball camp that became more than that at Southside High School, his alma mater.
“The first two days, it was more of a matter of talking to them and trying to discipline them,” said Forrest, of the 80 or so boys and girls at his five-day camp that he paid for himself. The sessions featured tutoring and mentoring between picks and rolls. Added Forrest, “By that Friday, a couple of kids said, ‘See you tomorrow, coach.’ I was like, ‘Nah, tomorrow is Saturday.’ And they were like, ‘Well, we’ll see you on Monday.’ And I had to tell them that the camp was over.
“Some of them were crying, because they didn’t want to leave, and that’s when it really hit me like, ‘Wow. We have to have more of this. We have to do whatever it takes to make more of these things happen for these kids.’”
Forrest’s “we” involves athletes from the Atlanta area with the cash and the fame. Whether they have the will is another matter. For every Forrest and former Braves star Marquis Grissom, who was Forrest before Forrest regarding local philanthropy, there are scores of others who need to do something to help the cause.
That’s opposed to whatever they’re not doing now.
“It’s a lot of work, and guy’s schedules may not allow them to do this, but look at Reggie Bush,” said Forrest, referring to the New Orleans player who hosted a summer camp in his hometown of San Diego and had 2,000 youth and participation from 33 current and former NFL players. “I can’t speak for everybody who has made it from Atlanta, but Atlanta should be one of the best cities for athletes doing those types of things.”
Atlanta isn’t, by the way, but Forrest is doing his part. He staged another camp last month, and his next one is July 21 at Southside High School. He can be reached through his e-mail address at jfbbcamp@yahoo.com.
Among those slated to assist Forrest at his upcoming camp is former Hawk Anthony Johnson, as well as former Tech players Dennis Scott, Travis Best and Brian Oliver.
“There is so much unnecessary violence and things going on that there aren’t enough men giving hope to these kids,” said Forrest, who has three children ages 12, 8 and 4. “All of these kids need role models. It doesn’t necessarily come from us being athletes but from us being men.”
Active men.
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