{{Short description|American basketball player (1932–2026)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox basketball biography | name = Forest Able | image = File:Forest Able.jpg | width = | caption = | height_ft = 6 | height_in = 3 | weight_lb = 180 | birth_date = {{birth date|1932|07|27}} | birth_place = Louisville, Kentucky, U.S. | death_date = {{death date and age|2026|01|04|1932|07|27}} | death_place = Fairdale, Kentucky, U.S. | high_school = Fairdale (Louisville, Kentucky) | college = Western Kentucky (1953–1956) | draft_year = 1956 | draft_round = 3 | draft_pick = 20 | draft_team = Syracuse Nationals | career_start = 1956 | career_end = 1957 | career_number = 6 | career_position = Guard | years1 = {{nbay|1956|full=y}} | team1 = Syracuse Nationals | highlights = }}
'''Forest Edward Able''' (July 27, 1932 – January 4, 2026), nicknamed '''Frosty''', was an American professional basketball player.<ref>{{cite web |title=Great Fairdale career follows one minute in NBA |url=https://www.bgdailynews.com/opinion/commentary/great-fairdale-career-follows-one-minute-in-nba/article_571a616f-c2b3-5a40-a973-79a4ced3c404.html |website=Bowling Green Daily News |access-date=September 6, 2023 |date=January 8, 2023}}</ref>
==Biography== A {{convert|6|ft|3|in|m|adj=on}} guard, Able attended Fairdale High School in Louisville, Kentucky. He enrolled at the University of Louisville and played a season on their freshman team during the 1951–52 season. Able was the subject of controversy when he announced his intention to enrol at Western Kentucky State College (now Western Kentucky University) to be closer to his girlfriend who also attended the college.<ref name=whitaker /> Able starred with the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers, where he tallied 1,221 career points.<ref name=whitaker>{{cite news|last1=Whitaker|first1=Dave|title=Forest Able weds 'girl who' today|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/97645838/the-courier-journal/ |newspaper=The Courier-Journal|date=July 31, 1955|page=31|via =Newspapers.com|access-date = March 14, 2022}} {{Open access}}</ref> As a senior, Able was named the Hilltoppers’ most valuable player and named to the Newspaper Enterprise Association 26-man All-America squad.<ref>{{cite news|title=Able honored as Toppers' "most valuable player"|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/97645962/the-park-city-daily-news/ |newspaper=The Daily News|date=March 6, 1956|page=9|via =Newspapers.com|access-date = March 14, 2022}} {{Open access}}</ref>
After his college career, Able had a brief stint with the Syracuse Nationals, who selected him in the 1956 NBA draft. He appeared in one game against the Rochester Royals where he recorded two field goal attempts, an assist and a rebound.<ref name=pickman /> Able considered himself "a nervous wreck" during his appearance and was released shortly after his debut.<ref name=pickman>{{cite web|last=Pickman|first=Ben|title= In It for a Minute |url= https://www.si.com/nba/2022/02/22/nba-one-minute-club-daily-cover |date=February 22, 2022|publisher=Sports Illustrated|access-date=March 14, 2022}}</ref>
Following the close of his playing career, Able became head coach at his alma mater Fairdale High School in 1959 and coached for more than 10 years.<ref>{{cite news|title=Forest Able to return to Fairdale as coach|url= https://www.newspapers.com/clip/97646041/the-courier-journal/ |newspaper=The Courier-Journal|date=May 23, 1959|page=18|via =Newspapers.com|access-date = March 14, 2022}} {{Open access}}</ref><ref name=pickman /> He taught physical education and health for 30 years.<ref name=pickman />
Able was inducted into the WKU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011.<ref>{{cite web |title=WKU Athletic Hall of Fame |url=https://wkusports.com/sports/2017/6/8/ot-hall-of-fame-2-html |website=Western Kentucky University |access-date=September 6, 2023 |date=June 8, 2017}}</ref>
Able died at his home in Fairdale, Kentucky, on January 4, 2026, at the age of 93.<ref>{{cite news |title=WKU Athletics Hall of Famer Forest "Frosty" Able Passes Away |url=https://wkusports.com/news/2026/1/6/general-wku-athletics-hall-of-famer-forest-frosty-able-passes-away |access-date=7 January 2026 |publisher=WKU Sports |date=6 January 2026}}</ref> His grandson, Kameron, played on the Morehead State Eagles football team.<ref>{{cite web |last=Maloney |first=Mark |title=Able-bodied: Kameron considers communication key to success |url=https://msueagles.com/news/2016/9/19/football-able-bodied-kameron-considers-communication-key-to-success |website=Morehead State University |access-date=September 6, 2023 |date=September 19, 2016}}</ref>
==NBA career statistics== {{NBA player statistics legend}}
===Regular season=== {{NBA player statistics start}} |- | style="text-align:left;"| {{nbay|1956}} | style="text-align:left;"| Syracuse | 1 || – || 1.0 || .000 || – || .000 || 1.0 || 1.0 || – || – || 0.0 |- class="sortbottom" | style="text-align:left;"| Career | style="text-align:left;"| | 1 || – || 1.0 || .000 || – || .000 || 1.0 || 1.0 || – || – || 0.0 {{S-end}}
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== {{basketball stats}} * [https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/forest-able-1.html College statistics] * [https://web.archive.org/web/20130310091633/http://www.wkusports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=5400&ATCLID=1568601 WKU HOF List] * [http://www.thedraftreview.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=5668 Draft Review- College Stats]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Able, Forest}} Category:1932 births Category:2026 deaths Category:20th-century American sportsmen Category:American men's basketball coaches Category:American men's basketball players Category:Basketball coaches from Kentucky Category:Basketball players from Louisville, Kentucky Category:Fairdale High School alumni Category:High school basketball coaches in Kentucky Category:Point guards Category:Shooting guards Category:Syracuse Nationals draft picks Category:Syracuse Nationals players Category:Western Kentucky Hilltoppers basketball players