Sykes, wearing a black hat with "purpose." "I tried to hold back the tears. At the conclusion of the regular season, Sykes was again named first team all-conference, he was named an honorable mention AP All-American, and was named Horizon Player of the Year. Reach him via email: [email protected]. Sykes, a 5ft 11in (1.80m) point guard, was born in Chicago, Illinois, to the late James Sykes as the second oldest of seven children. "I really made the NBA.". "Little KJ is very outspoken, loud, and a joy to be around," Lisa Sykes said. The first words out of his mouth are eerily foreshadowing. In this, Dawson's final year at Michigan State, My'Shawn has lived with him, the two of them bonding, sharing meals in a small off-campus apartment. August 5, 2020. It's nothing else but about KJ.". "I know she's probably gonna cry (when I talk to her) because it's bringing tears to my eyes right now," Sykes said, his voice cracking. "Everything that she did for us, losing my dad, taking care of everybody she deserves this more than anybody. One night, when a super . Keifer Sykes was born on December 30, 1993. And whatever makes the mother happy, it's all about making the child happy. In that week, Sykes averaged 28.7 points, five rebounds, and four assists per game while shooting 53.6% from the field, 50% from three, and leading the Phoenix to a 30 record. He makes sure, no matter what, he keeps a good relationship with his baby's mother. Basketballer Keifer Sykes is Marshall High' star point guard, Chi-Town follows his ambitions to make it in the NBA while loss, injury, and violence back home in Chicago punctuate his journey. Home. At the start of the 201314 season, Sykes was named to the preseason All-Horizon League team and was a nominee for the Bob Cousy Award for top point guard in the country. 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. So it's just amazing. A lot of people really wanted to get to that league, especially at that time when COVID was everywhere in the world and they just had less cases," Sykes said. All coaches who were asked estimated that more than half the teams in Division I men's basketball currently have at least one player who is father, or a father-to-be, on their roster. Whereas Dawson did not have a prominent father, Sykes' relationship with his was irrepressible. Supported by his mother, Keifer Sykes finally saw his lifelong dream come to fruition last year. It's very important to Keifer that KJ does not forget -- or rather, can easily remember -- who Keifer's father was. But the most important thing said that night: "The child will be taken care of." The two began dating and created a family out of wedlock. Keifer Sykes was born on 30 December, 1993 in Chicago, Illinois, United States, is an American basketball player. There's too many [coaches] calling me. Five and a half years later, James and Lisa Sykes married, on April 27, 1999. At the time I didnt know that, but he was affirming my greatness. Sykes said his mother will be in attendance for his sixthNBA game and first asaguaranteed player Saturday night when the Pacers host Utah at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. [16] Nine days later, he was acquired by the Austin Spurs of the NBA Development League as an affiliate player of San Antonio. [26] The team later tried to sign Sykes to a contract for another month, but Sykes balked, wanting an agreement through the end of the year, and was let go by Panathinaikos at the end of October. Unlike Dawson and Sykes, he's married. You could call this, The Keifer Effect, McKinnie said. "Over time, shock turned into excitement," White said of his world changing as a 17-year-old. Sykes subsequently joined the Fort Wayne Mad Ants and averaged 16.3 points, 8 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game. Branden does not carry his father's last name. Sykes is featured in the 2018 documentary film Chi-Town, produced and directed by Nick Budabin. [24], On September 13, 2020, Sykes signed with Trk Telekom B.K. Sykes became the only active player in the nation with 2,000+ points, 500+ assists, and 400+ rebounds. When he's running around, jumping, having fun, I can't do nothing but laugh. He felt shock, and immediately told his father. He later joined the San Antonio Spurs on 28 September 2015. "Loved James Sykes. The two helped Marshall finish third in the Class 3A Illinois high school boys basketball state tournament in 2010, and 12 years later they were on opposing sides of an NBA game for the first time when Sykes and the Pacers hosted McKinnie and their hometown Bulls on Feb 4. All rights reserved. We do a lot of things to help his daughter because as a single mom . Sykes studied at Marshall High School, where he started playing basketball. We come from poverty. Suddenly he was holding ice chips and helping her breathe through the birth. Hed come so close in the past and inched even closer with a shot that turned him into an overnight sensation. The Cavaliers went on to win the 2014 ACC regular-season title and earn a No. Harrington was also featured in Chi-Town, and during the documentary his life took a drastic turn when he was shot and paralyzed while driving his daughter to school. Keifer Sykes, Indiana Pacers As a small guard playing in a big city, Sykes was consistently underappreciated and underranked. He's a guy that people have underestimated, whether its his size or what school he went to, and hes clearly continued to work on his game, to grind, to believe in himself. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Adding to the growing list of Netflix series about young, rogue FBI agents, this latest one features Gabriel Basso as a man whose specific area of work is the White House. The two-time Horizon League Player of the Year scores a career-best 36 against UIC, helping the Phoenix win 72-67. Buchanan, who leads URI in assists, played in Tuesday night's game against the Flyers, a vital one for Rhode Island's NCAA tourney at-large chances. On Friday, the deadlinefor NBA teams to guarantee contracts for the rest of the season, the28-year-old rookiegot the last laugh whenthe Pacers decided to keep himand third-year swingmanOshae Brissett through the end of their campaign. Keifer, along with six of his siblings and half-siblings, took the red line train with mom and dad to City Hall. Joining his fifth club in 12 months, Keifer Sykes' path to his impressive NBL debut has been the continuation of a globetrotting journey for the Chicago native, who still has a goal to reach the NBA. Im doing what I do as a mom and thats to provide for my children and back them in everything they do, Lisa Sykes said. There are dads playing at Minnesota and UNC Wilmington. Moments after making the million-dollar shot, it was reported by multiple outlets that Sykes signed with the Pacers, bookending a truly remarkable day. "The milk is spilt all over the place," she recalled saying. After a game at Indiana in 2012, Dawson asked coach Tom Izzo if he could ride with his family from Bloomington to Indianapolis to escape and spend one night with his son. 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. 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. He madehis firstNBA startat Cleveland onJan. 2, scoring 10 points. Sykes was still at Wisconsin Green-Bay when the shooting happened and came to visit Harrington shortly afterward. 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. [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. They just don't know. Gathers recalls now the way he won her over -- by attending her 16th birthday party and jokingly signing a basketball for her as a present. In high school, Sykes would ride alone on the green line to Marshall Metro High -- the team featured in the beloved basketball documentaryHoop Dreams-- where he played his way onto varsity and would become a McDonald's All-American honorable mention. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. I didn't have my phone. Ray also said there are a lot of players who don't see their coaches as men who overcame hardship to be where they're at, so they're hesitant to approach or ask for help. Discover Keifer Sykes's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. The best rebounder in college basketball, perhaps the most intimidating player in the sport, is a father. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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]. His Pell Grant goes toward living needs, and the family receives government assistance in addition to food stamps and WIC, a national food stamps programs specifically for newborns and their mothers. [14] On September 28, 2015, he signed with the San Antonio Spurs,[15] only to be waived by the team on October 21 after appearing in three preseason games. Keifer said that conversation will probably come in the next year or so. Another team lost a player in the middle of the night, without warning, because he was given an ultimatum by the child's mother. Its a remarkable story, and his story obviously goes back way before the NBA with his rise through Chicago.. 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. They were Dawson's final moments without having the responsibility of another person's life in his hands. You go to South Korea and thats a whole different culture, Sykes said. His players have brought their children over for playdates with Ray's son, who was born in 2013. Back home in Chicago, one of Sykes former high school coaches, Shawn Shake Harrington, watched it all unfold in tears. The game-winner capped. Keifer Sykes' 3-pointer wins TBT for Boeheim's Army. According to Pacers teammate and Wisconsin native Tyrese Haliburton, Sykes is a GB legend, and fellow teammate Malcolm Brogdon had the chance to see that legend in the making during college. After Saturday games, White drives east through the dark trails and over the Mississippi border to spend his Sundays with Joniah Jr. Memphis' Kedren Johnson can relate. Although Sykes has not brought details of his wife in light, he is a father to his son Hugo and daughter Zarah. I do a lot of camps (in my hometown). For me, my pride in him is just on his self-belief and determination.. However, no valid sources have yet revealed his annual pay in numbers. He wasn't. "I wasn't trying to map out a strategy to go pro. He's the boss.". INDIANAPOLIS Keifer Sykes knew the Pacers' season was ending. For Sykes, whos been giving back for years, that was the norm. INDIANAPOLIS Keifer Sykes remembers every doubter. Dayton kicked two players off its roster earlier this season after a dorm-room theft forced Archie Miller's hand. Averyelle was born shortly after the sun came up. The ones, even in his inner circle, who repeatedly toldhim he'd never make it to the NBA. I was sleeping, Sykes said. "We felt defeated," he said. At James Sykes' urging, and Keifer's own interest in ending the courtship of so many other coaching staffs, he committed fairly early as a junior. I have made past mistakes in my life, and God continues to make a way for us. So all I wanted to do is take care of her. So I was processing it, and then I didnt know what to do. There are major facets to these players' lives that are never seen, seldom known, but emotionally significant signposts toward personal growth and elemental struggle. You gotta be a hero to do that, to stand up in front of these kids and let them know like, I got cut from the NBA yesterday, but Imma keep pushing and try to make it, and then come back later and show them that I made it. All Rights Reserved. Sykes said it was devastating to never receive his final payment, but he refused to surrender to his tough times aboard and eventually had a breakthrough campaign in Australia with the South East Melbourne Phoenix of the National Basketball League. 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. We play them (soon)!'" Sykes was the undersized and underprivileged kid who was supposed to be swallowed up by the inner city, broken after his fathers death and discouraged by the countless doubters who told him reaching the NBA was a pipe dream. So I want to be thatvoice for them, and I'm happy to be in this position.". He hasn't yet made his NBA dream fit inside his 6-foot frame. Sykes joined the Pacers in late December after the team released reserve point guard Brad Wanamaker. Sykes and the mother of his child broke up when he was 17, when he left for college. Weve actually talked about (that game) once or twice, and I brought it up just to see if he remembered it, Brogdon said. Harrington praised Sykes for his resiliency throughout his triumphant but often tough career. Rhode Island and Nevada. Those are the things people have no idea what's going on behind closed doors with so many teams.". "I walk in the door, my parents are sitting at the table. Fortunately, despite varied situations, some of which are depicted below, many have happy circumstances. I gowith different guys. American NBA Player, Representative of Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Indiana. So, hell most likely head into the offseason having to prove himself all over again to the Pacers and other NBA franchises for a shot to remain in the best league in the world. He has just one full sibling, James Sykes Jr., and seven more half-siblings: DaVon, Jarvis, Kristie, Jameeka,. "It's my job to do what my dad did and tell him who my dad was," Keifer said. The big thing with me is, I want Keifer to be a good father first. Keifer Sykes: Waived by Indiana. Having seen each other from afar in previous years, they met again, of all places, in an ER when she was 23. Our dedicated Editorial team verifies each of the articles published on the Biographyhost. Sykes is from the South Side of Chicago, so he was originally supposed to attend Hyde Park Academy, Simeon or St. Rita, which have all produced pro players. He's second on Green Bay's all-time scoring list, a mutantly athletic 6-foot-tall NBA prospect trying to will the program to its firstNCAA Tournamentbid since 1996. I just wanted to run away [from it]. The little guy is now doing better and just turned three months old. And like Sykes, when Dawson found out he was going to be a father, he had zero interest in letting his mother know right away what he'd gotten himself into. "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. Why do the Pacers keep losing close games? Sykes could match upagainst his "best friend" for the first time in the NBA when Indiana hosts Chicago on Feb. 4. Sykes, a self-described daddy's boy, wasn't worried that being a father might hurt his chances in recruitment. Sometimes he'll drive to Chicago, pick KJ up, stay for but a few minutes, and head right back to campus. "Because if dont nobody else deserve it, Keifer deserves it., Sykes has totaled 33 games in his NBA career, 10 of which he didnt play in. He's a good kid; he's not a distraction.". Some of them terrifying, like the hell and stress Rhode Island's T.J. Buchanan has endured all season. Keifer's always been a person purely at comfort around family and only his family. Trivante Bloodman is a 22-year-old senior guard from Harlem who's barely been able to sleep in the past week. Sykes grew up on southeast side of Chicago, on East 67th Street and South Cregier, in a project apartment complex. Some schools turned down interview requests. Once she looked up at me, it was over after that.". Keifer will look at his son. The same day Keifer Sykes contract was guaranteed, he went viral with a heartfelt message to his mom, shedding tears as he thanked her. "People don't even know the half of it," Sykes said. "She's the key to being married, to being a dad. Follow IndyStar Pacers beat writer James Boyd on Twitter: @RomeovilleKid. 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. He also became nervous regarding his recruitment. Most of the deals being completed around the NBA right now are 10-day hardship contracts, but it doesn't appear that'll be the case here, since the Pacers don't have any players in the health and safety protocols and will be waiving a . After Keifer impregnated his former girlfriend, Allyne, he was horrified to tell mom. Soon after, the Austin Spurs acquired him for the NBA G League, and Sykes stayed there until 2016. 2023 www.indystar.com. I can't describe how gracious God has been toward us. [22] The film follows Sykes' path from high school to his brush with the NBA. He's got a goofy personality and caring heart but also boasts a paternal side that's as sanguine as it is dedicated. The shoes were squeaking, the coaches were yelling and the kids were smiling. 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. Keifer Sykes is an American athlete and professional basketball player. Johnson has two teammates, Markel Crawford and Trahson Burrell, who are fathers. However, he regularlymentions his children during interviewsand posts pictures of them on his social media handles. Sykes father, James, died of a heart attack June 6, 2012. These are really childhood dreams we turned into reality for real, and I think thats the most exciting part. He was named first team All-Horizon League.[6]. And I think we were able to give him that. The only thing thats changed lately is his platform. Keifer Sykes would have used his share of the $2 million championship prize to help his Free 10 Foundation and his church. Sykes said he had to rely on nonverbal communication skills to get on the same page as his counterparts, and after developing chemistry and playing well, it still wasnt enough. "I immediately fell in love with her.". A tremendous man," Wardle said. After competing in Australia, Sykes was recruited by former Syracuse star Eric Devendorf to play for the Oranges alumni team, Boeheim's Army, in The Basketball Tournament. When Wardle got to Sykes' dorm room, the 18-year-old was sitting alone on his bathroom floor, sobbing. Sykes' son represents an overlooked and under-discussed fact of life for so many college athletes: fatherhood. A 22-year-old senior guard from Harlem who 's barely been able to give him that. `` the sun up. 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