UTEP names men's basketball classic after late legend Jim Forbes

Bret Bloomquist, El Paso Times
·1 min read

The UTEP men's basketball team's four-team Thanksgiving "multi-team event" has a new name that draws on the program's and El Paso's sports history: the Jim Forbes Classic Presented by Speaking Rock.

The previously-scheduled classic which had been going under the name MTE takes place from Nov. 22-25 and includes UTEP, Alcorn State, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Cal-State Bakersfield playing in a six-game round-robin format.

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Now it will honor the name of Forbes, an all-time Miner great who played in the 1972 Olympics and went on to become a coaching legend after long tenures at Riverside and Andress where he won more than 700 games. Forbes, a Bel Air alum, passed away on January 21 from complications from COVID.

Nov. 12, 2012: From left, Bel Air boys varsity coach Rob Dibler, Jim Forbes and wife Mary Jo Forbes watch as Jim Forbes’ basketball jersey number is retired at Bel Air. Forbes’ number 50 is the first to be retired in the history of Bel Air High School.
Nov. 12, 2012: From left, Bel Air boys varsity coach Rob Dibler, Jim Forbes and wife Mary Jo Forbes watch as Jim Forbes’ basketball jersey number is retired at Bel Air. Forbes’ number 50 is the first to be retired in the history of Bel Air High School.

In 2020, he was one of four people voted by El Paso Times readers to the Mount Rushmore of El Paso sports.

"Jim Forbes has meant so much to UTEP Basketball and the El Paso community, and we are delighted that our MTE will carry his name,” UTEP coach Joe Golding said. “We look forward to honoring Jim at the tournament, and giving Miner fans three days of great basketball on Thanksgiving week. "

Bret Bloomquist can be reached at 915-546-6359; bbloomquist@elpasotimes.com; @Bretbloomquist on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: UTEP men's basketball classic named after late legend Jim Forbes