Joseph Forte
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| Position | Shooting guard |
|---|---|
| Height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
| Weight | 194 lb (88 kg) |
| League | Serie A (Italy) |
| Team | Fortitudo Bologna |
| Born | March 23, 1981 Atlanta, Georgia |
| Nationality | American |
| College | North Carolina |
| Draft | 21th overall, 2001 Boston Celtics |
| Pro career | 2001–present |
| Former teams | Boston Celtics (2001–2002) Seattle SuperSonics (2002–2003) Asheville Altitude (2004–2005) Apollon Patras BC[1] (2005–2006) Montepaschi Siena (2006–2007) |
| Awards | 2000 ACC Freshman of the year 2001 ACC Co-Player of the year |
Joseph Xavier "Joe" Forte (born March 23, 1981 in Atlanta, Georgia) is an American professional basketball player. He currently plays in Italy with Fortitudo Bologna.
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[edit] Beginnings
Forte got his start at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. There, Forte played under the instruction of legendary high school prep coach Morgan Wootten. Forte's teammate at DeMatha, Keith Bogans, currently plays for the NBA's Orlando Magic.
[edit] Career highlights
After a 2-year college career at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (highlights of which included winning the 2000 ACC Rookie of the Year as well as 2001 ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year) that was marked by flashes of brilliant play, he was selected by the Boston Celtics with the 21st pick in the 2001 NBA Draft (at a time when later star players Tony Parker and Gilbert Arenas were still available on the guard position).
Unfortunately, his most memorable moment with the Celtics came when he wore a Scooby-Doo shirt on the sidelines during the playoffs. In two seasons with the Celtics and the Seattle SuperSonics, Forte averaged 1.2 points and 0.7 assists per game, struggling to convert from his natural shooting guard position to point guard. He was eventually waived by the Sonics due mostly to attitude and legal problems. While with the Sonics, he was arrested on gun and drug charges in Maryland, as well as an assault charge in which he allegedly punched a man in the face during a pickup game.
After being released by the Sonics, Forte could not find a roster spot in the NBA and joined the Asheville Altitude of the NBA D-League. During the summer of 2005, Forte played with Team Certified of the EBC at Rucker Park, and many say it revived his career as a star basketball player. Forte showcased his talent to New York City, led Certified to the playoffs, and gained his confidence back. After the summer, he went off to Greece to play with Apollon Patras, and this past season for the Italian club Montepaschi Siena, which won the 2007 Italian championship.
In July of 2007 he signed with the Russian team UNICS Kazan. Since January of 2008 he plays for Fortitudo Upim Bologna with a franchise option for the following season.
[edit] Family
His younger brother, Jason Forte, played college basketball for Brown University and was named Ivy League player of the year in 2004.[2][3]
[edit] External links
- Joseph Forte Info Page at NBA.com
- Joseph Forte Statistics at Basketball-Reference.com
- Joseph Forte NBA Development League info
| Preceded by Chris Williams |
Atlantic Coast Conference Freshman of the Year 2000 |
Succeeded by Chris Duhon |
| Preceded by Chris Carrawell |
Atlantic Coast Conference Co-Player of the Year (with Shane Battier) 2001 |
Succeeded by Juan Dixon |
