From the WNBA and NBA, Diabetes Legends Lauren Cox and Gary Forbes share their stories

Summary

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Diabetes Connections | Type 1 Diabetes

Episode: From the WNBA and NBA, Diabetes Legends Lauren Cox and Gary Forbes Share Their Stories
Host: Stacey Simms
Date: September 9, 2025

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Episode Overview

This inspiring episode brings together three standout figures from the diabetes and basketball communities: Lauren Cox (WNBA, NCAA champion), Gary Forbes (NBA veteran), and Rob Howe (founder of Diabetics Doing Things and former professional basketball player) for a roundtable discussion recorded live during the “Diabetes Legends” basketball clinic at Friends for Life conference. Host Stacey Simms explores with these athletes what it takes to reach the pinnacle of professional sports with type 1 diabetes (T1D), the setbacks and victories they’ve experienced, and the advice they offer to families and young people with T1D.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Diabetes Legends Basketball Clinic Experience

(05:28–06:57)

• The panel discusses the thrill of coaching almost 80 kids with T1D, an unprecedented number for the event.
• Rob Howe: Shares the joy and sense of purpose of organizing the clinic and coaching alongside his idols.
  • “These are the best days of my life, I think... Being in here with my friends and my idols, these two is just a great privilege of my life.” (05:33)
• Lauren Cox: Talks about seeing so many people with visible diabetes technology—pumps and sensors.
  • “Walking around and seeing everyone’s insulin pumps and patches on their arms, it’s really cool... I don’t think I’ve ever been around this many diabetics before.” (06:14)
• Gary Forbes: Finds connection and joy being part of a community he never had during his playing career.
  • “This is my family… This feels really good.” (06:57)

2. Personal Journeys: Developing Confidence and Community

(07:27–10:41)

• Lauren’s Early Isolation: Lauren attended only one diabetes camp as a child, and it significantly shaped her approach to diabetes—initially shy about public management of her condition until college.
• Lauren on Visibility: Coach Kim Mulkey at Baylor encouraged Lauren to use her platform to inspire others.
  • “Coach Mulkey was like, you are on this huge platform here at Baylor... you need to use this platform to inspire kids. That's kind of where it took off from there.” (09:30)
• Gary’s Family and Determination: Gary attributes his resilience to his father’s encouragement.
  • “He’d always remind me, ‘You’re a Forbes, you can do anything that you think of.’ ...Having type one almost gave me a chip on my shoulder.” (11:04)

3. Family Ties: Diabetes in the Household

(12:03–14:14)

• Both Lauren and Gary’s families are touched by T1D; Lauren’s sister was diagnosed while watching Lauren’s game, and Gary’s father and nephew also live with T1D.
• Lauren: Describes supporting her sister through diagnosis and management.
  • “We sat on the couch together and we just kind of cried a little... I wouldn't wish diabetes on my worst enemy, especially my sister, my best friend.” (13:39)

4. The Reality of Type 1 Diabetes in Elite Sports

(14:28–20:04)

• Managing Imperfection:
  • Rob, Lauren, and Gary share the message that diabetes doesn’t have to be “perfect” to succeed—including missing target numbers, playing while high or low, and learning from mistakes.
• Lauren’s Scary Experience Abroad:
  • “I took a lot more insulin than I should have. That night I had to go to the hospital... It was on my birthday. Yeah, it kind of sucked.” (15:52)
  • She emphasizes learning through errors, adapting to different health systems and equipment.
• Gary’s Diabetic Coma:
  • He describes going into a diabetic coma in Argentina but maintaining his athlete’s resilience.
  • “I remember waking up in the hospital in Argentina, and I asked the coach, I was like, ‘I'm good to practice tomorrow, right?’ And everyone is looking like, 'yo, this guy is crazy.'” (19:18)
• Rob on Mindset:
  • The “pros do every day what amateurs do occasionally” philosophy helped him persist in both diabetes management and basketball.
  • “Adopting that mindset of a professional is really what you do with diabetes.… You have to adopt this relentless mentality.” (21:23)

5. Letting Kids Play: Advice for Parents and Families

(24:34–26:44)

• All three encourage parents to let their children experiment and play sports, reassuring that setbacks are learning experiences.
• Lauren’s Message: “It's a lot of trial and error, and diabetes is never going to be perfect... It's scary, but you kind of have to push them into that and let them go a little bit and learn from their mistakes.” (24:58)
• What Their Parents Did Right:
  • Lauren: “They just never discouraged me from doing whatever I wanted to do... There was never a question of whether or not we were ever going to play sports again. They always encouraged us to do that.” (26:12)
  • Gary: “My father would never be surprised if I scored a whole bunch of points, if I got an A in my class. He would be like, you're Forbes, you're supposed to do that....” (27:12)

6. The Importance of Support, Community, and Optimism

(28:56–31:19)

• Gary underscores the importance of an “outlet” (sports, arts) to provide relief from the daily stress of T1D.
• Rob shares how seeing Gary in the media at the right moment inspired him not to quit basketball, eventually leading to his own advocacy work.
• The “Diabetes Legends” clinics are evolving with support from USA Basketball and the formation of a nonprofit.

7. Reflections and Final Thoughts

(31:43–32:17)

• Lauren: Shares excitement about returning to Australia for her season and her continued enjoyment of the game.
  • “I love it. Yeah. I wouldn’t be playing if I didn’t enjoy it.” (32:05)
• Rob and Gary discuss how they still engage with basketball on their own terms, even after their pro careers.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Rob Howe:
  • “These are the best days of my life, I think.” (05:33)
  • “Pros do every day what amateurs do occasionally.” (21:23)
  • “Everybody else gets to stay alive automatically. And like, we have to adopt this relentless mentality of doing these little things every day to make ourselves we're alive, make yourself stay alive.” (21:41)
• Lauren Cox:
  • “It means so much to me because this is why I do it. I do it for these kids that are not sure if they can play basketball or if they can do anything with their diabetes.” (06:22)
  • “It's so good for them [kids]… Being around other people like you means a lot to a kid, and it can do a lot for them socially, mentally.” (24:58)
• Gary Forbes:
  • “I love it. I'm a big kid myself, so I fit right in.” (06:57)
  • “My always answer is, what if it does? So I always have this vision of, you know, there's always a possibility. To quote KG, anything is possible.” (27:12)

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Segment Timestamps

• 05:28 Clinic chaos and joy – first impressions and atmosphere
• 06:14 Lauren on community and representation
• 06:57 Gary on finding family in the diabetes community
• 09:30 Lauren on evolving from shyness to advocacy
• 11:04 Gary’s “chip on my shoulder” and parental optimism
• 13:39 Lauren on her sister's diagnosis
• 15:52 Lauren's scary insulin overdose in Italy
• 17:49 Gary’s diabetic coma in Argentina
• 21:23 Rob on the athlete and diabetes “pro” mindset
• 24:58 Lauren on advice for parents and young athletes
• 26:12 Lauren credits parental encouragement
• 27:12 Gary’s father’s mindset and family environment
• 31:43 Lauren returning to Australia and love of the game

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Tone & Language

The conversation is candid, encouraging, and vibrant, demonstrating the resilience, humor, and optimism of all three athletes. There’s a consistent theme of perseverance, community support, and a drive to inspire others—spoken in their own authentic voices. The camaraderie and mutual respect are evident, especially as Rob shares how Lauren and Gary helped shape his own path.

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Conclusion

This episode provides a powerful reminder that young people with T1D can pursue their athletic dreams, learn from setbacks, and find community. By sharing both their struggles and their triumphs, Lauren Cox, Gary Forbes, and Rob Howe offer valuable insights for families, parents, and T1D youth—emphasizing the importance of encouragement, resilience, and letting kids play.

For more on the Diabetes Legends clinics and future events, visit diabetes-connections.com and follow Rob Howe's "Diabetics Doing Things."

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Transcript

[Stacey Sims]

Hi, everyone. Quick reminder about our Mom's Night out events. These are a unique combination of education, technology, community and cocktails. They are in person events geared toward moms of children with diabetes and women with type one. We're going to be in Minneapolis this September and Phoenix in October, and registration for Minneapolis is closing soon, so please spread the word. We will be in four more cities next year. Nashville and D.C. in the spring and Detroit and Seattle in the fall. You can sign up for city specific alerts and emails on the Moms Night out page over at diabetes-connections.com See you there. This week on Diabetes Connections, we're talking basketball with the Diabetes Legends. Lauren Cox and Gary Forbes both lived with Type one and both played at the very highest level of the sport, the WNBA and the NBA. Rob Howe brought them together as part of the Diabetes Legends Basketball Clinic, an ongoing event for kids and teenagers with Type one that takes place in different cities around the country. I sat down with all three of them to talk about what it takes to get to that level of Pro Sports with T1D, what setbacks they had along the way, what keeps them going and advice they have for families right now. This podcast is not intended as medical advice. If you have those kinds of questions, please contact your healthcare provider. Welcome to another week of Dr. Diabetes Connections. I'm your host, Stacey Sims, and I'm always so glad to have you here. You know that we aim to educate and inspire about diabetes with a focus on people who use insulin. This was a really fun episode to put together. Rob Howe, who founded Diabetics Doing Things, he has a podcast and more, created the Diabetes Legends event. He started these a couple of years ago and they are clinics. They are a great chance for the kids to run around and play. They are a great chance for the parents to let their kids do that. And the next one is happening just a couple of days, September 13th in Denver. I'm going to link that up in the show notes. You can find out more about everybody in the show notes [e-mail] but if you're in that area and you're at all interested, please check it out. These are so much fun and they were holding one of them at the Friends for Life conference this past July in Orlando and that is where we taped this roundtable. The kids got coaching from Rob, from Lauren Cox, from Gary Forbes, and then they played basketball. This wasn't, you know, a big basketball court, but they, this was top notch. It was great. Medtronic sponsored the Diabetes Legends Clinic at Friends for life. So thanks to them for doing that. Okay, well, you have heard Rob on the show before. We're friends, you know. I love what he's doing in person. Events are just my thing, as you know. You may not know that Rob played professional basketball himself. We believe he is the only person with Type one to play for the Washington Generals. That's the team that usually loses to the Harlem Globetrotters. Lauren Cox is the first professional woman basketball player with type one. She had already won an NCAA championship. In 2019. She was named a Big 12 player of the Year award, which she won in her senior year at Baylor University when she was drafted by the Indiana Fever in 2020. And these days she plays for the WNBL. That's in Australia. She was back home for the summer and she just went back to Australia earlier this month. Gary Forbes is one of only three NBA players with Type one. I spoke to him for the podcast about a year ago when he announced his Sole Survivors comic book series. So I'm going to link that up in the show notes as well. So you can go back and listen to that if you've missed it. He goes more in depth about his journey to the NBA there. I got to tell you though, everything that could go wrong with recording this roundtable went wrong. As I mentioned, we were in a giant convention hall, which makes sound difficult to begin with, and people were still kind of putting basketballs away and moving on. And right behind us, maybe 12ft away, were two basketball machines. I don't know what these are called. A Papa Shot. You've seen these in arcades, and some of them are just a net with, you know, some support. These were fully electronic machines that just kept making noise. So we've been able to smooth that out as best we can. But if you hear a random whoosh here and there, that's what that's all about. All right, my conversation with these diabetes legends right after this.

[Lauren Cox]

Did you hear the pod drop?

[Stacey Sims]

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[Interviewer/Host]

What just happened in here? It was mayhem for a couple of.

[Stacey Sims]

Hours with lots of kids.

[Rob Howe]

Yeah. We're here at friends for life 2025. We just had a Diabetes Legends basketball clinic. It was a first for many reasons. It was the first time with all three of Gary, Lauren, and myself in here. It was the first as part of a bigger diabetes conference, and it was the most kids we've had at one time. Almost 80 kids came through the clinic today. So I don't know. These are the best days of my life, I think. And being Coach Rob is a little bit of a weird hat for me to wear, but I don't know. Being in here with my friends and my idols, these two is just a great privilege of my life.

[Interviewer/Host]

Lauren, let me ask you the same kind of question. What is it like hanging out with these kids?

[Lauren Cox]

It's a lot of fun. I have never been to a diabetic conference like this before, so walking around and seeing everyone's insulin pumps and patches on their arms, it's really cool. I don't think I've ever been around this many diabetics before, so it was a lot of fun. A lot of people coming up saying, you're such an inspiration. And that means so much to me because this is why I do it. I do it for these kids that are not sure if they can play basketball or if they can do anything with their diabetes. So it really means a lot to me.

[Interviewer/Host]

I want to come back to that in just a minute, but let me ask Gary. We've talked on the show before. You have such enthusiasm for doing this, but when you have 80 kids running around here, you know, and they're all. Every kid is wearing a pump and a sensor, what is that like?

[Gary Forbes]

I love it. I'm a big kid myself, so I fit right in. I've been to a lot of diabetes conferences for adults and. And this one tops it. This is my family. This is my first time here at Friends for Life. And in doing this with Rob, this is our third. Basically our third year doing this. So this fits right in with how I am and being obviously around other type 1 diabetics, which I've never been in none of my life playing basketball. This feels really good.

[Interviewer/Host]

That's amazing. Lauren. I'm really surprised, and maybe I shouldn't Be. You've been basically a professional athlete. You're. I mean, not your whole childhood, but growing up, did you not go to, like, diabetes camps or have diabetes community or anything like that growing up?

[Lauren Cox]

I went to Camp Sweeney one time. It was a lot of fun. I think that was the first time that I had met anyone my age with diabetes. So going there and just kind of being able to forget about my diabetes and not really have to be like, oh, my gosh, I have to take insulin for my food. No, it's. Everyone around me has to stop and take insulin from their food. So it was a really cool experience, but that was kind of the only camp that I ever went to.

[Rob Howe]

Can I brag on Lauren for a second?

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah, please.

[Rob Howe]

Because you said, like, yeah, she's basically been a professional athlete her whole life. You know, number one player in high school. So my first panel that I ever was on in the diabetes space, I was on with Lauren 10 years ago. Wow. And I think you were maybe going into your junior, senior year.

[Lauren Cox]

Yeah, something like that.

[Rob Howe]

You know, was a top player in the country and was. You're pretty shy, I would say. Like, but it's like, Lauren today is, like, way out of her shell compared to Lauren.

[Lauren Cox]

Absolutely.

[Rob Howe]

But Silent killer, Just an absolute dog. And, you know, now national champion, Italian league champion, Australian league or defensive player of the year, WNBA draft pick. I just. You're my idol.

[Gary Forbes]

Definitely mine.

[Interviewer/Host]

Don't you worry I'm going to give everybody the big Hollywood buildup when you produce the episode, because you're all bad at explaining who you are and what you've done.

[Rob Howe]

He'll.

[Interviewer/Host]

He's a good hype man, but most.

[Rob Howe]

People are professional hype man.

[Interviewer/Host]

They're pretty bad at doing that. But you've been visible for a long time with your diabetes. I mean, I remember people send me screenshots. I don't remember if it was. Something was like their tape was loose or right years ago. But so many people sent me that screenshot. And I'm still trying to wrap my head around us knowing so much about your diabetes, but you not being connected with too many people. So would you mind just sharing, like, what it's like when something like that happens?

[Lauren Cox]

When I was younger, I was pretty shy about my diabetes. I didn't want people watching me check my blood sugar, take my insulin pump out. Like, if I was at a restaurant and I was checking my blood sugar on my glucose meter, and the waiter would come back over, I would put it under the table so they didn't See it. And I didn't start coming out of my shell until I got to Baylor. Coach Mulkey was like, you are on this huge platform here at Baylor. You're playing competitive basketball. You need to use this platform to inspire kids. That's kind of where it took off from there. So I started talking about my diabetes more. We started having an annual diabetic game at Baylor. A bunch of kids would always come. I would talk to them, sign autographs, everything. After the games, I wear my sensor on my arm. I wrap it up. There are shots of me checking my pump during games. So it's a part of my life. So I'm not necessarily shy about it anymore. I like talking about it. I like inspiring people. I love hearing other people's stories. So it's been a big stepping stone for me coming out of that shell.

[Interviewer/Host]

So we've talked before and, you know, I'm going to refer people back to that episode, obviously, but you have talked about not having community. You're the one that a lot of people look to as inspiration to let them know it could be done. When you look back on that, are you sometimes surprised?

[Stacey Sims]

Like, I know your dad was a.

[Interviewer/Host]

Big influence, but, like, you got it all done without really looking to anybody?

[Gary Forbes]

Yeah. I've been hearing from families and they asked me, you know, how did you do it manually delivering injections and just pricking your finger and no pump and things like that. I owe all of my optimism, confidence and stubbornness to my dad. He'd always remind me, you're a Forbes. You can do anything that you think of. I mean, that helped me a lot. My confidence was at an all time high. And then having type one, it almost gave me a chip on my shoulder. It's like, I'm better than you guys because I'm doing this and I'm scoring all these points. I'm at practice before you guys, after you guys. So it kind of boosted my confidence and my ego in the sense of, I can do this with this chronic health condition.

[Rob Howe]

I've never heard you say that before. I was like that, too. I'm like, man, they didn't know. Like, I'm cooking you and I'm thinking about my blood sugar. You think you're good? Like, I'm doing this. And my diabetes.

[Interviewer/Host]

Lord, you. Your sister has type 1.

[Lauren Cox]

She does as well.

[Interviewer/Host]

And your dad?

[Gary Forbes]

Yeah, my dad and my nephew.

[Interviewer/Host]

I have your nephew now, too. You're a competitive person.

[Stacey Sims]

Very. Is your sister. I mean, I know diabetes isn't sports, but I'm just.

[Interviewer/Host]

I'm curious. Like, what's that dynamic? Like, if you.

[Stacey Sims]

And if you don't want to share.

[Interviewer/Host]

Too much, please don't. Yeah.

[Lauren Cox]

No. Yeah. So she was diagnosed when she was 17. I want to say it was my junior year at Baylor, maybe. And they were at one of my games to kind of give you her diagnosis story. They were at one of my games down in Waco, and Whitney was just drinking a ton of water. She was going to the bathroom, like, two times a quarter. Like, all of the signs of a high blood sugar. And it's funny because my youngest sister at the time was like, whitney, you're either diabetic or you're pregnant. So they got home that night and she. They had one of my old meters and they pulled it out. And I'm sure the sticks were probably expired, but tested her blood sugar. I think she was in the 3002, maybe, which isn't crazy for someone who doesn't know they have diabetes. I think they caught it really early on. She was in the hospital for less than 24 hours. I think that was a Saturday night. And we had Sunday off the next day. So I actually drove home to be with her. When she came home from the hospital, we sat on the couch together and we just kind of cried a little, little bit, because it sucks. I mean, I wouldn't wish diabetes on my worst enemy, especially my sister, my best friend. I'm getting a little emotional now, but, yeah, it's been fun, I guess, kind of learning from each other. She saw me grow up with it, so she knew what she had to do. She'll call me sometimes and be like, hey, what do I do for this? Like, what? We'll be out to eat together. She's like, how many carbs are you counting for this? So it can be fun. And we. We make the most of it.

[Interviewer/Host]

That's great. Yeah. I think it's hard when you know what they're going to go through.

[Lauren Cox]

Yeah, exactly.

[Interviewer/Host]

It's tough. It's tough sometimes. Like, we were when my son was diagnosed. We had no idea. And it's almost easier until you learn.

[Lauren Cox]

Yeah.

[Interviewer/Host]

Okay. So Rob has shared that when he was probably playing basketball at the highest level, his diabetes may not have been the best managed of his life. Different time, different technology. I'm trying to give you lots of excuses before I start.

[Lauren Cox]

That's true.

[Rob Howe]

I mean, my A1C was seven. Come on. I mean, like. But that's the highest it was ever, Ever was.

[Interviewer/Host]

Oh, but I was. I mean, like, playing with three hundreds playing with 400, stuff like that. Right. But. But good baseline. We're not talking about an A1C of 12 or anything crazy. But I say that because. And again, I leave this to you. You don't have to answer that. But I'm always pushing back against the narrative that we have to be perfect with diabetes. I worry that some parents won't let their kids play sports because they will go high or they will go low. Would you mind sharing some diabetes? It's very scary for newer diagnosed families to go back to soccer or go back to basketball or go back to. They're just so afraid, like we don't have any control. But let the kids play. Which is the point of why I'm asking.

[Stacey Sims]

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[Lauren Cox]

I have a couple, but I'll share. I guess the most recent one. It was actually my birthday last year. We had a game and I was having a high blood sugar, my infusion set had failed and I just was not getting any insulin and so I was super high. I wanted to play in the game, so I ended up taking an injection. But the syringes that they had, the. I don't know if they were just different. And so I took a lot more insulin than I should have. And that night I had to go to the hospital because I had just taken way too much insulin and I was eating a bunch of sugar, drinking a bunch of juice, like doing whatever I could to get it back up. And it wasn't dangerously low, but it was just staying low and it was not coming back up, so had to go to the hospital. It was on my birthday. Yeah, it kind of sucked. But I had my coaches or my trainers there and everything and they supported me and all that. I was on the phone, I was in Italy at the time, so I was on the phone with my parents. So it was scary. But I mean, I learned from it and Learned not to necessarily trust the different syringes and all that in other countries.

[Interviewer/Host]

Before I move on to Gary, though, but quick follow up to that. You have a team that supports you. Were you, like, worried what their reaction might be? Were you concerned that there's judgment? Like, you did that wrong?

[Lauren Cox]

Not necessarily. I think now I teach my trainers stuff, but I pretty much take care of it on my own. They're there if I need anything. They're asking, are you okay? What can I get for you? Stuff like that. But for the most part, I'm taking care of it on my own, so I'm not necessarily worried about the judgment. But it is nice to have that support system and know somebody has your back. Definitely.

[Interviewer/Host]

I know you have stories.

[Gary Forbes]

So for me, while I was playing in college, I never really had any kind of scary experiences. I had lows during practices where I have to go to the side. Luckily for me, I had a whole bunch of New York teammates that would just get on me. It's like, oh, this guy's taking a break and stuff like that. So they would make fun of me, but they would kind of make light of the situation that I was going through. I didn't have any kind of issues as a pro. We always. It was almost kind of like an ultimatum where, like, your numbers have to be at this in order for you to play. So I was always so super hyper focused on making sure my levels are at this because I want to play. Maybe not until the end of my professional career where, you know, I was messing around with different nutritions and things like that. Playing in Italy, where the food is cooked, totally different. I'm taking a whole bunch of, you know, insulin that I would take here, I had. And as Lauren said, you know, we're taking care of it on our own. Like, at school, you have your team, doctors, trainers, staff getting all the stuff for you. When you're in a different country, language barrier, you're on your own. And that was kind of a learning experience for me. But I think it actually made me better because I was really learning about myself, my body, what I need for, you know, to be healthy. So, yeah, towards the end of my basketball career, I did have one of the scariest instances where I went into diabetic coma.

[Interviewer/Host]

Oh, my God.

[Gary Forbes]

I have this optimistic, stubborn mindset. I remember waking up in the hospital in Argentina, and I asked the coach, I was like, I'm good to practice tomorrow, right? And everyone is looking like, yo, this guy is, like, crazy. But I think having the, you know, that athlete mindset. Dealing with type one is really, really important. And I've even spoken to parents of having an out. But like basketball for me, I was just focused on making it to the NBA, wanting to play the game that I love. And I didn't have to worry about diabetes burnout because I was, you know, it made me a better type one because I have to make sure all these things are in order. My proper rest, hydration, food, making sure my blood sugar is at a certain level to do something that I love.

[Interviewer/Host]

And rob any mistakes, any stories.

[Rob Howe]

Yeah, you know, I could go. For a long time, I didn't think this was really a diabetes related. I thought it was like related to partying or whatever. My girlfriend in high in college took me to the urgent care one time because I was like nauseous after like a long party night and I partied a little too hard and I was super dehydrated, probably going into dka, but it was all fine and safe and like I didn't have any issues. I'm very fortunate. I've never been to the hospital since I've been diagnosed, knock on wood. Like, that's not a badge of honor. But like them, I got really used to managing it on my own. Like my rookie year playing against the Globetrotters, we were in Afghanistan on military bases and like, no one knew I had diabetes because there's plenty of reasons to cut me other than my diabetes, and I wasn't going to give them that one. But to me, in the middle of my college career, I was very fortunate. I got to spend a summer at IMG Academy working with NBA trainers and players and real pros, like guys who have been overseas 8 to 10 years at that time. And I'm a young man, like, trying to be that way. And one of the coaches there talked about, like pros do every day, what amateurs do occasionally. And adopting that mindset of a professional is really what you do with diabetes. Like, everybody else gets to stay alive automatically. And like, we have to adopt this relentless mentality of doing these little things every day to make ourselves we're alive, make yourself stay alive. And that applied really well to the work of basketball. You know, from the time I left my high school, I was never the best player in the gym again. So what other things can you bring? Not everybody can be the leading scorer. Not everybody is the best defender. Can you. Are you the person who gets the right defensive schemes? Are you nice to be around in the locker room? Are you reliable? Are you a good mentor? To other people. Can you communicate to the guy who's a little bit of a head case but is the best player by far? And, like, you know, those are always my dudes. So I think that that mindset, learning to be a pro early from diabetes, taught me how to be a pro in basketball. In business, as a partner and husband, you learn things. And I think for what Gary said, that stubborn mentality, everything good in this world, I got from the game of basketball. And the shooter's mentality is the number one, because Steph Curry, the best shooter of all time, misses six out of 10. But he's not thinking about that next miss, and neither are we, because every time he catches it wide open on the wing, the whole energy in the stadium changes. And everybody goes. And he shoots it and he makes it and goes crazy, but we don't notice all the misses that he has. And you have to keep that. Keep trying. So if you're in the hospital the night before or you're in the hospital. Well, you got practice tomorrow. Can I go to practice? You got to keep getting back up on the horse, and I think that's the type of resilience that diabetes teaches you. And everybody makes mistakes. Today at camp, all the good things in basketball camp. I remember early on at Baylor, actually, one of the coaches, every time you lost a ball in a drill, he'd be like, that's just you pushing yourself to get better. So if you're making a mistake with your diabetes because you're trying to mountain bike or hike or go to Pilates class or play basketball and you don't get it right, like, that's just you trying to make yourself better. And I got that from basketball. And so I think it's really cool to see how if you love the game, it'll love you back. And that is something in my life that, you know, I. I love the game. My. I'm like you guys the most. The thing we have most in common is that all of us had amazing parents. And, you know, I've become a friend to the Cox family. I never got to meet Gary's dad, but I know him because I know Gary. Those are things, I think, even this weekend, like, people whose parents are around and they're giving back to them, like, they really care about them. That's something. Getting to spend time with this group of people on a regular basis in this room, in this weird conference room with no actual hoop, having basketball camp. And I'm thankful to Medtronic for making this possible.

[Interviewer/Host]

Yeah, I'M impressed with how you pulled it off in this room.

[Gary Forbes]

I mean, me and Lauren were talking about this yesterday. We're kind of used to this, especially in college. Like, you know, you're at the hotel, we can't go to the gym, put some tape on the floor, and we doing a walkthrough.

[Rob Howe]

Really?

[Lauren Cox]

Yeah, we had a lot of those.

[Rob Howe]

Wow.

[Lauren Cox]

We made a makeshift court with athletic tape, and we had. We passed around a water bottle one time because we didn't have any balls.

[Rob Howe]

You want to see Rob have a bad attitude? Like, practice with no hoop and no ball is, like, my least favorite thing.

[Interviewer/Host]

That's amazing, though, to the camp, though, and to the parents here. Right. These are parents that they are so worried about their kids, but they also, they're here at a community event. They want to have that education. They want to have their kids see folks like you who are doing great. Lauren, talk to me a little bit about, like, just being with these families, what questions the kids might have asked you, advice you've given to them.

[Lauren Cox]

Yeah, I mean, it means a lot that people bring their kids here because, like I said, I never really got to go to something like this. I've never been to a diabetic conference before. Being around other people like you means a lot to a kid, and it can do a lot for them socially, mentally. Like, it's so good for them. We had some really good questions today. Some were asking how we manage our blood sugar during games. I answered something about going traveling a lot with diabetes. So there were a lot of good questions. To the parents that are scared of putting their kids in sports, I just say, like, it's a lot of trial and error, and diabetes is never going to be perfect. We can do the same exact thing every single day over and over again, and our numbers will always be different because there's just so many factors that affect our blood sugar. So it's scary. I mean, that's your baby. I'm not a parent yet, but it's scary. But you kind of have to push them into that and let them go a little bit and learn from their mistakes.

[Interviewer/Host]

To that end, what did your parents do that you think they did right about diabetes?

[Lauren Cox]

I would say that they just never discouraged me from doing whatever I wanted to do. It wasn't really a question of whether I was going to keep playing sports. I was running track at the time, playing basketball, volleyball, everything. Even with my sister. She was diagnosed, and she played in a basketball game the next day.

[Rob Howe]

Hoopers.

[Lauren Cox]

Yeah, there was never a Question of whether or not we were ever going to play sports again. They always encouraged us to do that.

[Interviewer/Host]

And you've talked about your dad a little bit, but what did he do right for you besides make you very stubborn?

[Gary Forbes]

Besides making me very stubborn. You know, I was always viewed as this arrogant kid in high school.

[Rob Howe]

Brooklyn, New York.

[Gary Forbes]

Yeah. Being from New York, all these different things. But hindsight, looking back at it, I'm just a huge optimist. Like, if anyone hears me speak every single day, I'm always. When I get the questions, oh, you know, what if it doesn't work out? My always answer is, what if it does? So I always have this vision of, you know, there's always a possibility. To quote kg, anything is possible. My dad was. He would always remind me that I'm a Forbes. I'm his son. He's great. I'm great. And I think just the stubbornness. I would see him every single day, wake up in the morning, check his blood sugar, eat breakfast, go to work, come back, lift weights. And he was always pushing me to do more. He would never tell me that I can't do anything. I don't think I've ever heard that word in a house. Like, oh, you can't do this or you can't do that. They would always push me to be the best. My father would never be surprised if I scored a whole bunch of points. If I got an A in my class. He would be like, you're Forbes. You're supposed to do that. I think that mindset with diabetes has helped me a lot. It's like, you know, my glucose is in range. It's supposed to be, you know, or my glucose is out of range and I have to work to get it back in range. I'm supposed to do that. And I think just his overall optimism and stubbornness and being an athlete has helped me a lot. I've even spoke to some parents who were nervous about putting their, you know, the kids in sports. And I kind of tell them, like, I know now, looking back at my life, having basketball as an outlet was so important. Whatever it is, I told a parent the other day or yesterday, whatever it is, whether it be art, science, something to take their mind away from the stresses that already the parents are going through. Imagine having the parent and the child having that. And that's not, you know, good energy to have to, you know, create a positive life. So that's what I'm big on, having an outlet.

[Interviewer/Host]

But I'm going to give you the opportunity to ask A last question, if you want, because I'm not asking a lot of basketball questions, obviously.

[Rob Howe]

No, I think I have so much respect for both of you. Lauren. I make jokes at our clients, and she's literally at the top of her game. Very few women who can do the things she can do on a basketball court. And she's here right now. She's not like me and Gary. Our playing days are behind us. I know we wish it was different, I think sometimes.

[Interviewer/Host]

Sometimes.

[Rob Howe]

But, you know, I'm just in awe of her and I want her to, you know, every time I see her, I got to my wife and I got to see her in Italy for like 30 seconds and just like a big hug. She's from my hometown too. Like, from Dallas. Like, so to see a hometown girl with diabetes, like, on the highest level of performances, I'm just like, you know, it's my privilege to be around her and I get to work with her. And Gary, you know, I share this at camp all the time. But, like, Gary did a really simple, you know, this as a. As a newswoman, like, very banal media hit about playing in the NBA with type 1 diabetes that I saw at the right time in my life so that I didn't quit. And the next. Not that game, but the next game, we were on. On our way to. Because you play in basketball, you play two games every weekend and you kind of have like a traveling partner team. And so we played one team on Friday. On the Saturday game, I. One of my best friends dropped a pass off to me and I dunked it on these two guys. And my coach finally let me stay in the game and I kept playing. And then I had a breakout seven or eight games. And my senior year, I didn't quit and I kept playing. I started and I had a career after that. And, you know, Gary was part of that without even knowing it. And so 10, 15 years later now, to be here with him and seeing what he's building with soul survivors and being a part of that, you know, is really special to me. So, you know, I don't know. I think that's where we're starting. This is our sixth one of these clinics. It kind of was just a half cooked, half baked idea that we did in Denver. We're going back to Denver this fall, so that'll be number seven. USA Basketball decided that we were good enough at it to write us a letter of support. I'm working on. I've established a nonprofit. You're looking at the board of directors.

[Interviewer/Host]

Excellent. Excellent.

[Rob Howe]

You know, I need a shirt for Lauren that says chairwoman of the boards. You know, because I think that's just so cool. But.

[Interviewer/Host]

But that's great.

[Rob Howe]

I think we're trying to build something for a place where, through sports, kids can learn in a small morning or afternoon all the lessons that sports has taught us. Because sometimes it makes sense to not go to camp. Like, it's a risk, but what's on the other side of that, I'm like, Gary, I'm an optimist. The best opportunity or the best outcome is still on the table always. And anyway, that's what I'd say.

[Interviewer/Host]

So that's cool.

[Rob Howe]

Yeah, I've talked a lot.

[Interviewer/Host]

You're fine. Everybody's good. I'm just trying to think of.

[Rob Howe]

Yeah. So we got one minute.

[Interviewer/Host]

All right. Are you back? Are you back going back to Australia, like, right now? Like, what's your schedule?

[Lauren Cox]

I leave September 1st to go back to Australia. So I've been here since middle of March. So my off season's about six months long.

[Interviewer/Host]

Wow. I mean, I have 5,000 questions. We have one minute. But is it still fun?

[Lauren Cox]

I love it. Yeah. I wouldn't be playing if I didn't enjoy it.

[Gary Forbes]

I'm kind of upset that I'm so much older now that I'm not playing anymore.

[Rob Howe]

I still play twice a week or three times a week, because I can't. I can't quit. I'm still nice.

[Interviewer/Host]

I love it. Well, we can turn around and play right now in the machines before they get them out of here. Thank you so much for joining me. Thank you for putting up with the nonsense, but thank you again for sharing your stories. It's so meaningful. Thanks for doing this. I really appreciate it.

[Gary Forbes]

Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

[Stacey Sims]

More information about everything we talked about and about Rob's diabetes alleged basketball clinic, which is coming up in Denver in just a couple of days, that will all be [e-mail] so please check it out. And if you're interested in attending one of these clinics you're not in Denver, please follow Rob because he's doing more of these around the country, and I think it's just fantastic. Like I said, I love in person events. I gotta tell you, though, and you heard us laughing. I left more outtakes in that interview than I usually do because it was just a comedy of errors. And I did take out a bunch of stuff, including where I. I yelled at the guy cleaning up the. The basketball machines. He came in and he started moving them before we had finished the interview, and I was like, can we please have five minutes? Can I please just have a couple more minutes to finish this? I mean, it was a mess. My batteries died at the beginning of the interview. One of the microphones wasn't working, but, hey, that's. That's podcasting on the fly at a live location. Never a dull night. Thanks to my editor, John Buchenis, from Audio Editing Solutions. Thank you so much for listening. I'm Stacey Sims. I'll see you back here soon. Until then, be kind to yourself. Diabetes Connections is a production of Stacey Sims Media. All rights reserved.

[Gary Forbes]

All wrongs avenged.