With these body stats, he has recorded his highest vertical jump of 44.5 inches. "More basketball players have the opportunity to have sex with more girls. Sykes could match upagainst his "best friend" for the first time in the NBA when Indiana hosts Chicago on Feb. 4. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'biographyhost_com-box-4','ezslot_3',131,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-box-4-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'biographyhost_com-box-4','ezslot_4',131,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-box-4-0_1');.box-4-multi-131{border:none!important;display:block!important;float:none!important;line-height:0;margin-bottom:7px!important;margin-left:auto!important;margin-right:auto!important;margin-top:7px!important;max-width:100%!important;min-height:250px;padding:0;text-align:center!important}. I didn't have goals to go further. Bell's boy already loves basketball. The drive was like three hours and I had been on the same trip probably 15 times, but this time it just felt so different. As COVID-19 began to change the landscape of everyday life, Sykes signed a one-year deal with the Phoenix, turning down more money in Europe and betting on himself to turn his stint down under into a springboard to the NBA. Because a lot of people dont even know the half of what it took for me to be here. He left a big mark on his teammates. They want me to stay overseas to make more money for them. There's too many [coaches] calling me. The player is now back at school, away from his child, but not on the team. Sykes had done all he could at Wisconsin Green-Bay, ending his illustrious college career with 2,096 points, 522 assists and 467 rebounds. On 5 August 2021, he also struck a deal with the NBA team, Indiana Pacers. We both were really scared. Reach him via email: jboyd1@gannett.com. My brother calls me and gives me the news, literally out of my sleep. Manage Settings After a successful college career, Sykesplayed the 2015 NBA Summer Leaguewith the Cleveland Cavaliers. The sport is now, has long been, and will continue to be populated by men who are fathers well before they are emotionally and financially ready for the task. He still gets frazzled thinking back to cutting KJ's umbilical cord, which he hesitantly failed to prune on first attempt, and only succeeded on the second snip under the loving demands of his father that he cut his son's cord. We had nothing, man. A lot people were just calling me a scorer, so when they presented me the opportunity to run the team, be a point guard and show that I could help run the organization and prove that I could win, I was excited. "When she told me, I kind of freaked out. To report about any issues in our articles, please feel free toContact Us. His performance warranted praise from Pacers coach Rick Carlisle, who has repeatedly noted how remarkable Sykes career has been. Unlike Dawson and Sykes, he's married. "Everything that she did for us, losing my dad, taking care of everybody she deserves this more than anybody. Go to college, live your life. During the opening scenes of Chi-Town the documentary that follows Sykes journey from playing at Marshall High School in Chicago to overseas in the Korean Basketball League a young Sykes is shown in his backyard, shooting on a makeshift court. Moreover, last year on her 5th birthday, Sykes took it to his Instagram@ksykeyb28. Keifer Sykes Jr. does not know who James Sykes was. "This is not the time for that," Cassandra Dawson told her son, thinking he was kidding. Once she looked up at me, it was over after that.". No one taught Branden Dawson how to be a father. Chicago. She thought he had dropped something or whatever. Keifer Jerail Sykes, born Dec. 30, 1993, is the last child in his family. In thesix years of his professional career, Sykes has played for various leagues worldwide, including the NBA and NBA G League. Really, he worried about leaving his son, how KJ would be without him, and not so much about what the schools thought of his situation or the backstory on his complicated family structure with a troupe of half-siblings. I asked a tearful Keifer Sykes (@ksykesyb), whose contract was guaranteed by the #Pacers, how he thinks his mom, Lisa (@Supermom00767), will react when he talks to her.She deserve this more than anybody. Bell found out he was going to be a father when he returned to his phone following a workout. He also became nervous regarding his recruitment. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. His father, his best friend, was dead. Sykes' son represents an overlooked and under-discussed fact of life for so many college athletes: fatherhood. He does stuff in his community.' I didn't have my phone. "He so reminds me of his dad. And to get back and go to my high school and give my jersey, to see all of the people there the men that helped me become a man, the role models that played a role in my life and inspired me, that helped me I think today was the first day I was able to look up like, Man, its really real.. These are the guys helping Dawson, watching the little one when he's away, driving My'Shawn to and from pre-K school sessions. "I wasn't trying to map out a strategy to go pro. A tremendous man," Wardle said. Keifer Sykes: Waived by Indiana. Free schooling.". Stephen A. Smith discusses why the Lakers are a better . On July 21, 2016, he was selected by Anyang KGC in the second round of the 2016 KBL draft.[20]. "One time I asked him, and he didn't know. So whatever dreams they had, she backed them, which is why when Keifer Sykes fathered his son, Keifer Jr., at 16 and daughter, Kennedi, at 21, she volunteered to help take care of them while Sykes went to college at Wisconsin-Green Bay and continued his career overseas always chasing his ultimate goal of playing in the NBA. Keifer Sykes is 6-0 (183 cm) tall. Playing for two beating hearts. Sykes had nearly 100 ticket requests for this game, and he will not disappoint the familiars. Most did. He makes sure, no matter what, he keeps a good relationship with his baby's mother. He also became the only player in Horizon League history to record those same career totals. Simple things about how to feed your baby. 2023 www.indystar.com. Sykes set a conference record as he was named the Horizon League player of the week thirteen times over his career. It's been an emotional journey for Freeman, who went out and bought a few pregnancy tests last summer, and then cried and hugged Kylee as they discovered they'd be parents. Almost nothing about Sykes' life or current situation is normal (he impregnated his then-girlfriend, Allyne, when he was 15). He converted a traditional 3-point play when he drove, banked a shot and got a free throw, too. So I want to be thatvoice for them, and I'm happy to be in this position.". Even prominent teams, like Gonzaga, are touched by early fatherhood. The journeyman said it was disheartening to come within arm's reach of his NBA dream again, but he didnt stay down for long. He's going beyond the expectations of being there for his son. It's a boy, and they're down to two names with two months to go. Lisa Sykes said she cried nonstop when she initially saw the video, and she cried again while sitting in a back room at Proviso East with Keifer across the hall speaking to dozens of children she had just handed pizza to. Sykes mother called Keifer to tell him what happened, and when she couldnt reach him, she called his college coach Brian Wardle. Sharp -- who's completed his Mormon mission obligations and is a 24-year-old senior on a team that in recent years has seen half its roster filled with married men -- saw little Jaycee Sharp come into the world 30 minutes after midnight on Oct. 1, 2014. The night before Averyelle was born, Johnson flew from Tulane back to Memphis, got in his car, immediately drove the three and a half hours to Franklin, Tennessee's Williamson Medical Center, and arrived around 3 a.m. One team has a father who's a leading scorer with a child who attends every home game but did not want to bring extra attention to the player or the program. Moreover, last year on her 5th birthday, Sykes took it to his Instagram @ksykeyb28. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. I went into his room like, Yo, my dad died, and thats when it hit me.. Breakups, forced relationships, long-distance relationships, fractures between families, money -- these are stresses that, comparatively, make basketball seem so simple. [5], As a sophomore, Sykes increased his production to 15.9 points and 4.3 assists per game and led the Phoenix to the 2013 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. So they bring the other (American) player in and start working him out so they can be ready and they tell you whatever games you have that week, and at the end of the week they decide to keep you or cut you. He's played professionally inAustralia, China, Greece, Italy, South Korea and Turkey, all with the hopes of one day returning stateside and suiting up in the NBA. In fact, Sykes is technically on a two-year deal, but the second year of his contract is non-guaranteed. [4], From his freshman year in 201112, Sykes was immediately inserted into the Phoenix starting lineup, and was also the youngest player in the nation, let alone youngest starter. For his senior season, Sykes had high expectations as he was placed on the Bob Cousy Award Watch List (later becoming a Cousy Award Finalist), the Wooden Award Watch List, and the Naismith Award Watch List during the preseason. . Theres a lot of different rules over there. You can practically hear the smile through the phone as Gathers, who was wearing scrubs that didn't fit his 6-8, 275-pound frame, tells the story. Then he sank a 17-footer over . So when you see a kid and he graduated (high school) in 2021 on back, and he comes up and he makes it to the league, youll be like, Man, hes so tough. Its a real heros journey.. Oh my God, that melted me, Lisa Sykes said, her voice shaking. "So Im very fortunate to have that opportunity. Sykes said he nearly "gave up on everything" after his father's death, but he kept going through countless sleepless nights to carry on James Sykes' legacy. Branden does not carry his father's last name. I met with director Nick Budabin and star Keifer Sykes, of the new documentary Chi-Town (which I also reviewed), on Monday, March 12, at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival.The film, which follows Sykes from the end of his high-school basketball career through the end of college, and just beyond, is like a sequel, of sorts, to the great Steve James' 1994 Hoop Dreams. Life is too short. I had a rim in my garage, and Id pull it out in the alley, and we would let the rim down to like 8 feet so (Sykes) could dunk with the rest of us. Former South East Melbourne Phoenix import Keifer Sykes has enjoyed a stunning rise with the Indiana Pacers, starting at point guard in their 129-121 loss to Brooklyn Nets on Thursday (AEDT) after seven years playing around the world and in the NBA G-League. Supported by his mother, Keifer Sykes finally saw his lifelong dream come to fruition last year. "As soon as I could see her a little bit, I was really protective of her, just because she's so innocent and so helpless," Johnson said. After shining with the Austin Spurs throughout the 2015-16 campaign, Sykes joined the Warriors for the 2016 Summer League, but he wasnt picked up by Golden State or another franchise ahead of the season. Keifer prides his relationship with his son as an extension of what he had with his dad. "I tried to hold back the tears. At the time I didnt know that, but he was affirming my greatness. My own trainers telling me, 'Prepare and train for overseas,' and I'm telling them, 'No.' 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but Brogdon will never forget his introduction to Sykes. [22] The film follows Sykes' path from high school to his brush with the NBA. Once my brother left, I went to school by myself. Why is Keifer the father he is? At Marshall, we were a basketball powerhouse, and it was a Chicago public school. Anyang Korea Ginseng Corporation (20162017), Horizon League Men's Basketball Player of the Year, 2013 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament, "Horizon League Announces Men's Basketball Award Winners", "McCallum Leads Men's Basketball Award Winners", "Sykes Named to Bob Cousy Award Watch List", "Green Bay holds on to beat Virginia 75-72", "Phoenix Keifer Sykes crosses the 2,000 mark", "Sykes named AP honorable mention All-American", "Green Bay's Sykes is HL Player of the Week", "Keifer Sykes will be in Final Four dunk contest", "Cavs Announce 2015 Samsung NBA Summer League Roster", "Spurs announce 2015-16 training camp roster", "Spurs waive Fredette, Ndoye, Sykes and Thomas", "AUSTIN SPURS ANNOUNCE 2015 RETURNING PLAYERS AND TRAINING CAMP INVITEES", "Cotton, Spurs Rout Legends as Satnam Singh Debuts", "NBA D-League Announces Full Roster for elite mini camp", "Terrico White, Michael Efevberha, Keifer Sykes selected in KBL draft. James Sykes, a former vice president of the Broadway Armory Park association, is buried at Memorial Gardens in Homewood, Illinois. [25], On October 4, 2020, Sykes signed a 1-month contract with Panathinaikos of the Greek Basket League. INDIANAPOLIS Keifer Sykes remembers every doubter. Despite those hurdles, there Sykes was, still standing years later and using his day off before his first major NBA road trip to inspire the next generation. While Sykes soaked in the action, more youngsters filed into the gym and for nearly all of them Sykes had a greeting, Whats up, killa? he asked one kid. Keifer Jerail Sykes (born December 30, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Motor City Cruise of the NBA G League. Its all demonstrated in the documentary, Carlisle said after the game. He was named first team All-Horizon League.[6]. Antetokounmpo leads Milwaukee against Brooklyn after 45-point game. Sykes credits his humbleness to his parents, James and Lisa Sykes, who were featured in a documentary about Sykes rise to high school and college stardom called, Chi-Town. The film shows the harrowing circumstances that he and his family were subjected to in inner-city Chicago, including rampant gun violence, which left one of Sykes' former high school teammates and a former coach paralyzed, while another former teammate went to prison for armed robbery. They all have their own things that they do, and I got your back. He carried the Phoenix to a 75-72 victory with 21 points and a game-high 10 assists, compared to 17 points and six rebounds from Brogdon. [24], On September 13, 2020, Sykes signed with Trk Telekom B.K. Sykes studied at Marshall High School, where he started playing basketball. I didn't want my children to go through that. I just repeated it like, Remember what your dad said. His dad taught him everything he knows about being a man, being responsible and taking the lead in everything you do.. People think it's hard, and it is, but when I'm around KJ, that's the only time I can really get away from [basketball]. Lisa Sykes, who passed out pizza during her sons coat giveaway at Proviso East, said she never wanted to visit her children in prison or, worse, bury them. But in talking to dozens of college coaches for this story, you discover that that this is a more common situation than you might think. One of those players already had a child, and the other had one on the way. As Sykes sat in the Pacers' practice facility after shootaround Tuesday, he laughed as he reflected on his Italian team, Scandone Avellino, going bankrupt after the 2018-19 season and failing to pay its players their full salaries. On Tuesday morning, Buchanan got into a car with his father, aunt and uncle and drove nearly four hours to join his team in Dayton, Ohio. I was gonna have to fight an uphill battle, so I was already ready for it if I didnt get drafted.. Imagine sitting in a class, your leg jackhammering the tile, waiting for a phone call to come. Sykes, a former point guard for the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, sunk a pull-up three to give Boeheim's Army a 69-67 win over Team 23 in Tuesday's TBT championship. Ithink the basket was moving. Some of the scenarios are not ideal. How much does Keifer Sykes weigh? I had a translator the whole time, so I never knew what my coach said, and I never really knew what my teammates said either.. Where the family is. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Even when I was younger, he would just always affirm my greatness, Sykes said. One afternoon Keifer was on the green line, headed back home, when he got a call. Come August, Keifer will be three months removed from college. "My son played (NBA 2K) last night with me. I trained with different guys. Soon after, the Austin Spurs acquired him for the NBA G League, and Sykes stayed there until 2016. It's a seven-hour drive round trip from Green Bay to Chicago. Keifer Sykes was born on 30 December, 1993 in Chicago, Illinois, United States, is an American basketball player. The two remain close, and Harrington said hes thankful the gun violence that changed his life didnt have the same effect on the player he nicknamed Special K., I just started calling him Special K because I knew that kid had something special about him, Harrington said. Keifer Sykes was a two-time Horizon League Player of the Year at Green Bay. But mom? There are major facets to these players' lives that are never seen, seldom known, but emotionally significant signposts toward personal growth and elemental struggle. Sykes' relationship with his son is the connection he carries from the one he had with his father, that connection he still feels, but one that inevitably dims with the passage of time. At the time KJ was born Keifer was holding down a job with the Chicago Public Schools system, playing basketball and working rec centers with kids on the east side. I remember they tried to send me home, and the way they do it is like they give you a week trial run. Wardle describes it as the hardest situation of his career, far beyond anything he faced during the summer of 2013, when accusations of verbal mistreatment from former Green Bay players threatened his job. I just needed to be myself, so I went into the bathroom, but I couldnt really get back up, Sykes said. Having seen each other from afar in previous years, they met again, of all places, in an ER when she was 23. "I tell them I grew up just as disenfranchised and poverty-stricken as they were. The first words out of his mouth are eerily foreshadowing. Sykes and the mother of his child broke up when he was 17, when he left for college. Keifer Sykes was on campus after his freshman season at Wisconsin-Green Bay, taking summer classes and going through workouts, when his phone rang around 7:30 a.m. His older brother, Jarvis Tucker, was on the other end. Only be used for data processing originating from this website 5th birthday, is... For me to be myself, so I want to be a father words of... You a week trial run out of my sleep get drafted have the opportunity to have sex with girls... But Brogdon will never forget his introduction to Sykes will never forget his introduction to.... He could at Wisconsin Green-Bay, ending his illustrious college career with 2,096 points 522. Months to go pro will not disappoint the familiars teams, like,. When I was gon na have to fight an uphill battle, so I went to school by myself removed... 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