Gary Forbes: Unlocking Success Strategies From the NBA to Entrepreneurship

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Speaker 2 Plan B all the way to Z is to make plan A work.

Speaker 2 Always have that kind of mindset and vision and just that love. Like when you were a child, plan A was to play basketball and have fun and be the best and score a whole bunch of points.

Speaker 2 So to have that same mentality and love for the game and around the game and what you do, I think it, you know, those kind of experiences will come to you.

Speaker 3 Welcome to Mick Unplugged, the number one podcast for self-improvement, leadership, and relentless growth.

Speaker 3 No fluff, no filters, just hard-hitting truths, unstoppable strategies, and the mindset shifts that separate the best from the rest. Ready to break limits? Let's go!

Speaker 1 Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to another exciting episode of McUnplugged. And today, we're talking about going from the NBA to navigating life with diabetes.

Speaker 1 He's a global hooper, turned advocate, entrepreneur, and mentor. His story is one of grit, grind, and giving back.

Speaker 1 Please join me in welcoming the resilient, the driven, the unshakable, Brooklyn's finest, Mr. Gary Forbes.
Gary, how you doing today, brother?

Speaker 2 I'm well, I'm well. I'm blessed and highly favored, as my grandmother would say.

Speaker 1 Yes, sir. Yes, sir.
Grandma always had the right words for us all the time, right?

Speaker 1 Gary, man, been a huge fan of yours.

Speaker 1 I remember your days at Virginia. I'm a UNC Tar Hill.

Speaker 1 So I actually got to see you play at UVA, then going on to UMass, and then

Speaker 1 having a wonderful professional career, man. I always love starting out by asking my guests, what's your because?

Speaker 1 That thing that's deeper than your why, right? Like, I could ask you your why, but I could probably guess it. But there's a reason that your why is your why.
And I like to call that your because.

Speaker 2 I think for me,

Speaker 2 I'm learning it as I'm in it right now. I think my because

Speaker 2 is

Speaker 2 I think the world is missing optimism.

Speaker 2 I feel like that's one of my superpowers.

Speaker 2 I just look at every opportunity or every situation as an opportunity to either win or learn. Obviously, being an athlete has taught me that.

Speaker 2 You lose some games. Obviously, I had to learn that very young.
I used to cry about every loss and that would show my passion and my dedication to it.

Speaker 2 But I would also have to learn the lessons from it and how to get better and how to not make those same mistakes.

Speaker 2 That's what I'm learning now with life after basketball, you know, managing, you know, a business and then also being a new father.

Speaker 2 So all these different kinds of things are new and I'm enjoying the process of it.

Speaker 2 Obviously, just having that athlete mindset in it.

Speaker 1 Yeah, well, congratulations on new fatherhood, man.

Speaker 1 Big honor, big responsibilities.

Speaker 2 It's amazing, man. I created, helped create a little best friend, a digital twin of myself, or

Speaker 2 a replica, not digital.

Speaker 1 I love that, man. I love that.

Speaker 1 So talking about, you know, the optimism that you have and that being your superpower, I would say, for anyone that ever saw Gary play ball, man, like you saw it in your expression.

Speaker 1 I think it was infectious with your team. Like, no matter what was going on, you always were like that bright spot.
When did you know that you had that superpower?

Speaker 2 I think it was around in high school.

Speaker 2 One of my coaches would say, you know,

Speaker 2 I kind of have like an energy. I'm always like smiling.

Speaker 2 I'm always, you know, thinking the best situation possible uh you can ask my family i always have the for to them these wild imaginations or these wild dreams yeah um and i'm a big cliche guy so you know the saying if you you know you can see it you know it's true and all these different things if you know what's in the mind is you know can be a reality so

Speaker 2 i've I didn't know that I was practicing these things growing up. This was kind of like, man, this is what you're supposed to do.
My father would always

Speaker 2 say these things, and I didn't notice till recently in the last couple of years, he would always say, man, you're a Forbes. He would never be surprised if we would do good in school.

Speaker 2 He wouldn't be really surprised if we, if I scored a whole bunch of points or we did great things. He would be like, you're so, you're a Forbes.
You're supposed to do these things.

Speaker 2 So I think in high school, it may have come off of this arrogance kind of thing, like, you know, oh, he's, you know, thinks he's better than.

Speaker 2 But now that I'm learning what I was practicing during high school, it was like a form of optimism. Like, I believe that I can do anything that I put my mind to, and that goes for anybody.

Speaker 2 If my last name was Jones, or if my last name was Rodriguez, whatever my last name would have been, he would have said that your last name is whatever it is.

Speaker 2 You know, you're a descendant of me. I'm this way.
So you're, you know, a better version of me. So, you know, pass that on.

Speaker 1 I love it, man. So I always like to ask this to sons and fathers who play sports.
How old were you when like your dad couldn't beat you anymore?

Speaker 2 My dad, I think, let me see. I think around like, I want to say like eight, nine years old, man.
It was over for him, man.

Speaker 2 I don't think it was, he didn't, he didn't last too long.

Speaker 2 My older brother is the one who taught me how to play basketball.

Speaker 2 I remember when I first moved to the United States, we were in New York. We went to 258 Park and we watched NBA on NBC Michael Jordan against the Knicks or something like that.

Speaker 2 And I was like, man, this is what I want to do. And I remember we went to the park.
I was doing the dribbling between my legs. Obviously, you know, the pavement in New York is kind of rocky.
So

Speaker 2 you got to deal with that. But I remember we were at the park and, you know, we were practicing layups and all these different shots.
And there was something that I wasn't that good at yet.

Speaker 2 And it was something I was, you know, I wanted to do, I wanted to get better at it. I was something, you know, basically addicted to it.
Yeah.

Speaker 1 I love that, dude. I love that.
So superstar in high school.

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Speaker 1 College, your choices, right?

Speaker 1 I'm a little upset you didn't choose my tar heels. You didn't choose UNC.

Speaker 2 I got this. That's a funny story.
I used to wear a UNC shirt. Every single day to practice.
I remember my sophomore year in high school.

Speaker 2 Every single day I would wear it under my practice jersey, go home and wash it. That was the school I wanted to go to.
And I remember UNC was recruiting me going into my senior year.

Speaker 2 The week before i go on to visit my plan was to go and commit there i had other schools acc schools but my plan was to go and commit there while i'm there and the week before i go there rayshawn terry commits uh a week before i go to

Speaker 2 to commit

Speaker 2 so man that was a hometown guy kind of guy i was like oh man that's tough Yeah, Rayshawn's from Greensboro.

Speaker 1 You guys are about the same height.

Speaker 1 Couldn't have two of you on the roster, huh?

Speaker 2 I mean, we don't know, man. We don't know.

Speaker 1 That's dope, man. But you had an illustrious career, man.
Like, did some amazing things at UMass. I think your senior year conference player of the year, right?

Speaker 2 Yep, yep, yep.

Speaker 1 Man, so, so, what was that like?

Speaker 2 Gary Forbes,

Speaker 1 Brooklyn's finest, right?

Speaker 1 You're at UMass in your senior year, your conference player of the year. And for those that are listening and watching, I don't think you understand.

Speaker 1 There's a lot of players in your conferences, right? Like, Like, so for you to win player of the year, like, what did that mean for you? What was that moment like for you?

Speaker 2 For me, I was really trying to win.

Speaker 2 And

Speaker 2 for me, what my role in winning was scoring, rebounding, passing, kind of doing everything at a high level.

Speaker 2 And I was literally focused on winning and doing the best. I was trying to get the most rebounds, trying to get the most points, you know, steals.

Speaker 2 I didn't have to do the assist too much because I would get past the ball.

Speaker 2 yeah

Speaker 2 so that was my take on it it wasn't necessarily chucking even though I was kind of putting a lot of shots up there

Speaker 2 but for me I was just so driven at being the best at every single thing and it would seem that way

Speaker 2 and I remember I was in my apartment and coach called me and he was like how does it feel to be player of the year and I was just like what are you talking about and he was like yeah you're the you're the player of the year in the conference I was like oh man that's like cool and I didn't realize, like I said, until now, it's like my father would always put these things in your Forbes, you're supposed to do that.

Speaker 2 And I felt like, yeah, I am the best player in the conference. Like, I am supposed to be the player of the year.

Speaker 2 So that kind of thing always kind of, it kind of messed with me a little bit, I guess, in a sense, where I wouldn't necessarily appreciate these, these, like, these goals.

Speaker 2 Now that I look back, I was like, man, I was the player of the year in the conference. Like, man, I did this.
I did this. I was like, wow.

Speaker 2 But during it, it was almost a, yeah i'm supposed to be this way i'm supposed to be awarded this yep yep yep so i want to go back to this optimism thing man because

Speaker 1 you know

Speaker 1 going into the nba your professional career

Speaker 1 you have type one diabetes bro and for a lot of people like even that smile you have right now right for a lot of people man like

Speaker 1 Like, I know it was life-changing for you,

Speaker 1 but when you talked to Gary Forbes about it, when you in that moment, it was like, all right, it's just another thing I got to deal with, right?

Speaker 1 Like, it's just another thing today I got to make sure I'm prepared for, but I'm still going to be Gary Forbes, man.

Speaker 1 So when you find out the diagnosis of type 1 diabetes and obviously it alters, you know, how you can handle life professionally being an athlete. Talk us through that moment a little bit.

Speaker 2 I remember when I was dying, well, the week or prior that i had the symptoms uh i remember i gained uh gained a whole bunch of weight like muscle at the university of virginia we were drinking these gatorade protein shakes i remember i had 52 grams of sugar or carbs and then another 20 something grams of added sugar and my father would always be on me he's like man you're not supposed to be you know eating too much of that telling me all these different things and my hard-headed stubbornness is like man like you don't know what you're talking about i'm in the accused i'm i go in at 190.

Speaker 2 I'm like, man, I got to play against Rashad McCantz and all these, you know, the Dukes, the Carolinas, the Clemsons, all these big schools. So I got to get stronger.

Speaker 2 So my idea is, like, I got to drink these shakes, get in the weight room. And my father would always tell me that it's too much.
And I guess

Speaker 2 in a way, we didn't, he didn't really talk about. diabetes too much.
He would more so show it. Like, I didn't see a weakness.

Speaker 2 My father would take injections, go to work, lift, teach me how to, you know, do Olympic lifts and do everything normal. I didn't see any kind of disability in a sense.
I didn't see a lack.

Speaker 2 And when I was diagnosed, I remember I got the test. The doctor said, you know, you may need to put basketball to the side,

Speaker 2 you know, to focus on your health. And I understood, I understand that now, what he was saying, but, you know, my stubbornness is like, all right, this doctor doesn't think I could do it.

Speaker 2 All right, watch.

Speaker 2 And, you know, I remember everybody in the family was sad. Obviously, I was like nervous.
I was like, all right, what's, you know, what is this?

Speaker 2 And it's like, my, my dad talked to me and I'm like, all right, my, see my dad do it. All right, I could do it.
Only thing I did have a fear of needles. I've always had a fear.

Speaker 2 I've had, I watched this movie, Saw, when the lady was in the little pit with all the needles. So ever since all these different things, I had this.

Speaker 2 But I remember the first day,

Speaker 2 I remember the nurse was trying to teach me how to do injections with saline.

Speaker 2 And I was like, nah, you know, maybe there's a pill or something you guys can come up with, some kind of formal way.

Speaker 2 See, and there goes my thinking of there has to be some kind of different way, you know, to figure this out. And I was like, nah, you got to do this.

Speaker 2 And I missed class that first day because I'm just sitting there at my, you know, my table in my dorm looking at the syringe and looking at the vibes like, all right, I see my dad do this.

Speaker 2 All right, I could do this. I could do this.
And I talked myself. It took me a couple of hours until I talked myself into doing it.
And once I did it, it's like, oh, okay, it's not that bad.

Speaker 2 And I can still do everything. I went to practice.
I'm still playing. It's like, all right, it's not really a big deal.
I just have to be more attentive to me.

Speaker 2 Right. Right.

Speaker 1 Nah, that's good stuff, dude. That's really good stuff.
So you transition from professional sports into the business world, right?

Speaker 1 But there's that mentality that you had. So, so, how did that mentality help you into the business world?

Speaker 2 I remember in 2018 when I came up with the concept of Soul Survivors, which is the platform that I created.

Speaker 2 And I was like, man,

Speaker 2 it's not that I didn't want to do coaching. It's like I didn't feel like it would wake me up every single day.
I didn't feel like that was my purpose.

Speaker 2 I knew that. having a diabetic coma, six knee surgeries, you know, being one of three players to ever play in the NBA with type 1 diabetes, it's like, all right, this has to mean something.

Speaker 2 This has to be more than,

Speaker 2 you know, just coaching basketball. And that's, you know, for some people, that's their purpose.
That's their, you know, reason. I just didn't feel like that was solely mine.

Speaker 2 And I looked at all the experiences and creating soul survivors.

Speaker 2 I've played in different countries, met different people, experienced different situations, and I just had a different perspective of it.

Speaker 2 And I wanted to figure out what was that way to, you know, impact or share that with the world.

Speaker 2 And I love children. I have this kind of childlike mentality.
Anyway, everyone says I always play around. I'm just that giggly kid.

Speaker 2 So it's like, man, I have to find a way to connect with the youth who are going to be adults someday and carry that on and pass on a legacy and that shared optimism through difficult challenges.

Speaker 2 I didn't realize until a couple of years ago, it's like, man, you're one of three players to have ever played in the NBA with type 1 diabetes and the only Afro-Latino.

Speaker 2 It's like only 5,000 people ever played in the NBA and you're the only one, just, you know, first. It's like, wow, that's kind of, you know, unique.

Speaker 2 And just, I want to share that perspective and that mindset with the youth who are, I've, from what I've seen, what my, my take on it is there's a lack of confidence, there's a lack of optimism in seeing kind of that, man, you can, you, you know, you will, you must, you got to keep trying all these different cliche things that I live by and follow by.

Speaker 2 So that's what I want to pass on

Speaker 2 with

Speaker 2 the platform. And it's taken, it's taking, it's still, it's still, uh, it's still taking some time, but I believe in the 10,000-hour rule.

Speaker 2 Uh, you know, if you put in 10,000 hours, you become a professional at it. I think I'm just about 10,000.
I mean, I'm a published author.

Speaker 2 So, you know, now the goal is to get New York Times and just create a global impact.

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Speaker 1 So, let's talk about that, man. Like,

Speaker 1 publish author about to be a bestseller. Again, that mentality that you have, that mindset that you have.
When did you just say, all right, I'm about to write a book?

Speaker 2 It was in, it was in towards 2017, 2018. I wasn't getting the same deals.
And I started to understand it from a business side. It's like, all right, this guy's getting older.

Speaker 2 Even though I can do the same things, it's like, all right, six knee surgeries. He has type 1 diabetes.

Speaker 2 I kind of...

Speaker 2 play it in a funny way to it's like a car facts reports like all right you got two toyotas one has or two lexuses uh one has a hundred thousand miles one has fifty the other one has been in an accident you know the other one hasn't.

Speaker 2 It's like, all right, which one do you, you know, you choose? The same car, but one is a little bit, you know, more damaged.

Speaker 2 Even though this one is still reliable, it can still get you from A to B, still do all the same things. It's like, you're going to choose the one with less mileage, I guess.

Speaker 2 So I started to understand that. And I remember I came home from,

Speaker 2 I forget what, maybe Argentina. And I was like, man, it's like, I got to figure something out.
And I remember I like sat in a room and I cried. It's like, I'm a super emotional guy.

Speaker 2 So it's like, man, I got it. I had, there has to be a way.
There has to be something else.

Speaker 2 And it took a little bit, bit of time to figure it out.

Speaker 2 And it just clicked for me one day. It's like, I could, I write it, I have to write a comic book.
And I remember my parents is like, you can just go coach. You know, you do this, do this.

Speaker 2 Everyone had the answers. And I think, you know, it could have been there.
There's a space where, you know, I do do that. But I don't know.

Speaker 2 I felt like what I, what I've, what I'm creating and what I've created thus far is needed especially in the space that that I'm doing it in

Speaker 1 yeah

Speaker 1 I I've always wanted to ask you this Gary right because you're you're a huge

Speaker 1 in in my mind and I know people that look up to you we have the same circle of friends you're you're a big-time mentor right

Speaker 1 When did you know that also you could mentor others? Because I get asked that question and I'm like, I don't know. I think I just looked up one day and like

Speaker 1 people were reaching out to me people were wanting advice from me and it was like people were calling me mentor and I was like that's different when did you know that moment for you

Speaker 2 I kind of looked back and I was doing it the entire time without really knowing that I was being a mentor I remember one of my

Speaker 2 diabetes awareness events. It was a softball event and one of the parents came to me and she was like, thank you for what you do.

Speaker 2 You know, you're amazing and it's like i'm thinking in my head it's i'm playing basketball i'm doing something for the community it's

Speaker 2 being you know a normal human being and she said she gave she told me a story that her son wanted to play basketball and he got in the car with his father after school and he was with his friend he was like dad the um basketball trials are tomorrow um you know you know can you sign me up he was like oh you can't because you have type 1 diabetes and you know fortunately his friend was in the car he's like gary forbes has diabetes he plays in the NBA and I like that it still kind of gives me like chills like thinking about it and I remember when she told me that and I gave her a hug I was like wow that's really cool and I it still it still didn't really click with me

Speaker 2 until recent years you know I had

Speaker 2 athletes who have reached out to me you know who are type one diabetic how do you manage type one diabetes playing and you know in the NBA in college and all these different things

Speaker 2 and it's it's been really really cool to go through those those experiences and be able to share, you know, my, you know, my path and my journey to success or, you know, to help them even be better than what I did.

Speaker 2 I love that, dude. I love that.

Speaker 1 For the listeners and viewers

Speaker 1 right now that are going through something,

Speaker 1 it could be something health related. It could be something spiritually related.
It could be something at their job, right?

Speaker 1 What's some advice that Gary Forbes has to help people just push through whatever it is that you're going through in this season of life, man?

Speaker 2 Big cliche guy. I live by it.

Speaker 2 I have it in my Soul Survivors

Speaker 2 series. Your present situation is not your final destination.

Speaker 2 That's something that's super powerful for me. It's like, all right, you know, whatever troubles, you know, are happening now,

Speaker 2 the goal is for tomorrow or the next day or whenever it is in my future self, it's it's not going to be there um and even another one is to always doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith uh you know i it's like my grandmother enlisted i'm i'm not super religious but i uh i am spiritual i do you know have a you know conscious knowledge of a greater power um you know my grandmother always told me you know i'm a child of this great creator it's like all right you know these these challenges i i never call it you know even having type 1 diabetes a disease or illness illness.

Speaker 2 I kind of changed the wording to, you know, change something in my mentality. It's like it's a challenge, it's a health challenge.

Speaker 2 And I can overcome a challenge. I can manage it, live with it, be the best.

Speaker 2 Obviously, be one of three to do it. So, you know, these things, you know, I know I can do it.
So, whatever has been put in front of me,

Speaker 2 I'm up for it. I love it.

Speaker 1 And last question, Gary, for that athlete, right, that's like needing that push to keep going, because

Speaker 1 you know how it is, especially in the NBA, right? Like free agency period we're in right now. And, you know,

Speaker 1 you might not get the call that you want, right? Or you've got to play the waiting game because teams are like, well, I got plan A.

Speaker 1 And what Gary can tell you is teams have all the way down to like plan Z, right? So you might be plan Y

Speaker 1 and you don't realize it yet. For that athlete that's like, man, like, should I keep pursuing my dream? What's your advice for that athlete?

Speaker 2 I even have an up. I have a plan A is to be, you know, a New York Times bestseller, a successful business person.

Speaker 2 You know, plan B all the way to Z is to make plan A work.

Speaker 2 Always have that kind of mindset and vision and just that love. Like when you were a child, plan A was to play basketball and have fun and be the best and score a whole bunch of points.

Speaker 2 So to have that same mentality and love for the game and around the game, and what you do, I think it, you know, those kind of experiences will come to you.

Speaker 2 I've seen it done, I've done it. So,

Speaker 2 there we go.

Speaker 1 There we go. All right, we're going to do my hot five with Gary Forbes.
Rapid fire. All right, Gary.
So,

Speaker 1 you know, I have a lot of friends and mentors and buddies from New York. What's the best borough of basketball players?

Speaker 1 All right. So,

Speaker 1 Kenny Anderson, my goat, you heard that. Kenny Smith, you heard that.

Speaker 2 I'm from the town, man.

Speaker 2 I got to go home. I got to go with home court.
I got to go. Brooklyn.

Speaker 1 What's the best place to get a slice in Brooklyn?

Speaker 2 Right now, cuts and slices in Brooklyn. That's a promo.
That's a promo.

Speaker 1 Cuts and slices. That is my spot, man.
I went to the one in Manhattan down in

Speaker 1 the topping selection.

Speaker 2 Yeah, they got it. That's my boy.
That's my boy.

Speaker 1 Cuts and slices is it. All right.
So what's one team that you never got to play for that you always wanted to play for?

Speaker 2 New York Knicks. I wanted to be in that trade with Mello when he went to the Knicks.
I thought I was. But that would have been fun to be home playing at, you know, my dad loved the Knicks.

Speaker 2 Playing at the Garden would have been cool.

Speaker 2 That's what's up. That's what's up.

Speaker 1 Who was your best teammate of all?

Speaker 2 Still, my guy today, Al Harrington. One of the godfathers of his

Speaker 2 children, my goddaughter, Leia.

Speaker 2 Yeah, my boy Al.

Speaker 1 Okay.

Speaker 1 What's the post post-NBA, post-professional sports? What's the best piece of advice you ever got?

Speaker 2 You're a Forbes.

Speaker 2 I love it.

Speaker 1 You're a Forbes. That's that's very similar to my grandfather, man.
My grandfather always told me, like, the one thing you have is a name, and what you do with it is what you do with it, right?

Speaker 1 Like, your name precedes you and will outlive you. So, it's what do you want to do with it? So, I like Pop said, you're a Forbes, bro.

Speaker 2 You're a Forbes. I love it.

Speaker 1 So, Gary, man, where can people follow and find you? And what's something exciting you have going on?

Speaker 2 Find me at Gary at Gary Forbes underscore at the Soul Survivors,

Speaker 2 www.thesoul survivors.com.

Speaker 2 Right now, this week, we're going to Friends for Life in Orlando. It's a big diabetes awareness event.
We're doing a campaign to sell

Speaker 2 100 trilogies.

Speaker 2 Would love for everyone to be a part of that. The goal is to impact and empower children with chronic health conditions.
There are over 200 to 300 million children globally.

Speaker 2 So this is a global impact that are affected by a chronic health challenge.

Speaker 2 So we're just not just, we're going to impact and change the mindset and lifestyle of children all across the world and make them feel like heroes because they are.

Speaker 2 And that's the mission and goal with Soul Survivor. So a lot to, lot to come, a lot to do.

Speaker 2 We're doing big things. The goal is to be everywhere.

Speaker 1 I love it, man. So I'll make sure we have links to everything in the show notes and the descriptions.
Everyone, do me a huge favor. Follow Gary on all his platforms.
Go check out Soul Survivors

Speaker 1 and just

Speaker 1 appreciate the human being that Gary Forbes is, man.

Speaker 2 I can't think about Gary. My love, big love, big love.
Likewise, to you, everybody who's on this, if you ain't subscribed to the McHunt giant, you know, gotta click, gotta click.

Speaker 1 Let's do it. Let's do it.
Well, Gary, I appreciate you, brother. I know how busy you are.
This meant the world for me to chop it up with you.

Speaker 1 And to all the viewers and listeners, remember: your because is your superpower.

Speaker 2 Go unless

Speaker 3 for tuning in to this episode of Mick Unplugged. If today hits you hard, then imagine what's next.
Be sure to subscribe, rate, and share this with someone who needs it.

Speaker 3 And most of all, make a plan and take action because the next level is already waiting for you. Have a question or insight to share? Send us an email to hello at MickUnplugged.com.

Speaker 3 Until next time, ask yourself how you can step up.