Former Michigan State basketball sharpshooter Bryn Forbes joined an exclusive club on Tuesday night, joining only Kobe Bryant.
Who could have seen Bryn Forbes, a Cleveland State transfer, starring at Michigan State and then going on to start for the San Antonio Spurs a few years later?
We all knew he was good and he was one of the best shooters Tom Izzo had ever coached but he was a little-known player from Cleveland State who didn’t quite have a name made for himself until he came to Michigan State.
It didn’t take long for him to become a fan favorite and one of Izzo’s most trusted players as he helped lead the Spartans to a 2015 Final Four.
Though he went undrafted, Forbes found a job with the Spurs out of college and there’s always a demand for shooters. He impressed the organization and has stuck around for three seasons, even cracking that starting lineup this year.
It’s been a strong season for the former Spartan as he’s averaging 12.3 points per game and shooting 43 percent from 3-point range.
On Tuesday night, though, he had his best game as a Spur, presumably, joining an exclusive NBA club that only Kobe Bryant was in.
Tonight Bryn Forbes of the @spurs had 24 pts and 11 reb while going 5-for-5 from three.
— OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) December 12, 2018
He's only the 2nd guard in NBA history to have a 20-point/10-rebound game while going 5-for-5 or better from three; the other was Kobe Bryant on 1/6/2006 vs. Phi (48 pts, 10 reb, 7/7 threes).
Against the Suns, Forbes finished with 24 points and 11 rebounds, making 5-of-5 from 3-point range, making him just the second guard in NBA history to have a 20/10 game while making 100 percent of his 3-pointers (five attempt minimum).
Now that’s impressive.
No, this isn’t comparing Forbes to Bryant but it does put him in that exclusive club and any time you share a stat with one of the greatest players of all time, you know you’ve done something right.
But I thought Izzo can’t develop players?