It's a boy, and they're down to two names with two months to go. Thats the heros journey, Sykes said. But since Sykes' family felt he was already being overlooked due to his stature, they decided to send him an hour across town to Marshall on the West Side, where his dream of being a basketball star had a better chance of flourishing. More:Pacers swingmen Torrey Craig, Justin Anderson enter NBA's COVID-19 protocols. He was on a trip for a basketball tournament, and that's when he called his mother at work. I trained with different guys. The biggest phone call. 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. Since leaving the university after his senior year, Sykes has played in the NBA G-League, over seas, back to the G-League, and finally was presented an opportunity seven years after his college. It's a seven-hour drive round trip from Green Bay to Chicago. Keifer Sykes: Waived by Indiana. Once she looked up at me, it was over after that.". A young man will ask his boy about his father. The child's mother, Cecilia, and members of both parents' families crammed into a hospital room and glanced back and forth between watching a father on TV and keeping an eye on T.J. sleep with tubes and probes keeping him alive. I finally opened it when I gathered my strength and the coaches were all crying, everybody was crying. Inconvenient, opportunistic, stressful, hopeful, problematic, irritating, invigorating, a blessing all at once. [22] The film follows Sykes' path from high school to his brush with the NBA. Most did. Earlier that day, Sykes was at Marshall High School in Chicago, his alma mater, about a 25-minute drive from Proviso East, giving away coats and hope. Sykes said he also shared a moment over the phone Thursday night with fellow Chicago native and former high school and collegeteammate Alfonzo McKinnie, who now playsfor the Bulls. Sykes, who these days has NBA scouts frequently traveling to gelid Green Bay, has previously bypassed chances to turn pro early in Europe. Former Pacers guard Keifer Sykes, center, hosts a free youth camp at the Irsay Family YMCA in Indianapolis on April 30, 2022. So I really had to focus in and just go out there and do what I do.". Until now, Sykes has never told the story of how he became a father, what the birth was like, the angst he went through and how scared and shocked he was by the process. After taking a trip down memory lane at Marshall, Sykes headed to Proviso East, the alma mater of his friend and Mavericks guard Sterling Brown, to host a one-day basketball league and another coat drive the two pros organized together. When the family moved into a three-bedroom place on the west side, "We'd have a bedroom, three boys on one side, three girls on one side," Keifer said, "and sometimes the boys would share the couch.". Its the shift (within in the community) that matters more.. written on it in white letters, didnt hesitate before handing the kid his phone and obliging. 1:08; See All. 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. In fact, Sykes is technically on a two-year deal, but the second year of his contract is non-guaranteed. I didn't learn that until Igotto college.". 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. Buchanan flew into Detroit after Sunday's Rams practice, then spent his Monday helplessly pacing around the University of Michigan Medical Center as his 18-week-old son underwent open-heart surgery. var cid='2438531626';var pid='ca-pub-3621518944223410';var slotId='div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-medrectangle-3-0';var ffid=2;var alS=2021%1000;var container=document.getElementById(slotId);container.style.width='100%';var ins=document.createElement('ins');ins.id=slotId+'-asloaded';ins.className='adsbygoogle ezasloaded';ins.dataset.adClient=pid;ins.dataset.adChannel=cid;if(ffid==2){ins.dataset.fullWidthResponsive='true';} Hes really popular in the community, and were just so proud of him. "She was really scared to tell me," Dawson said of his girlfriend's pregnancy. "It's not easy, for me, but the best thing I have going on for me right now is my wife," Gathers said. After a successful college career, Sykesplayed the 2015 NBA Summer Leaguewith the Cleveland Cavaliers. Branden had lost "significant weight" and was unable to consistently eat due to anxiety. Hed come so close in the past and inched even closer with a shot that turned him into an overnight sensation. Sykes grew up on southeast side of Chicago, on East 67th Street and South Cregier, in a project apartment complex. You can go D-I. These were things that I had doubts of. . They were Dawson's final moments without having the responsibility of another person's life in his hands. Hes gonna have the film footage, and its the continuation of truly one of the amazing stories in sport.. He was already a mature freshman, and that made him grow up even faster and kind of take his work ethic to another level. "She heard a thump, which was him falling over, but she didn't think nothing of it. 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. Hes so well-rounded. We come from poverty. Almost nothing about Sykes' life or current situation is normal (he impregnated his then-girlfriend, Allyne, when he was 15). So she was downstairs cooking, and their room was upstairs, so when she went upstairs, that's when she saw that he was passed out. And as I have witnessed in recent days, the documentary is being augmented with a videographer. In high school. 12:00 am ET, Branden Dawson celebrates by cutting down the net after Michigan State won the East Regional Final of the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. I told him, 'Boost me up to 99 right now, and put me against Steph Curry! When Wardle got to Sykes' dorm room, the 18-year-old was sitting alone on his bathroom floor, sobbing. Turning 5 will be the milestone. He does stuff in his community.' He took birth to his late father, James Sykes, and his mother, Lisa Sykes, as the youngest of their nine children. Sykes was waived by the Pacers on Wednesday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports. Sykes, a self-described daddy's boy, wasn't worried that being a father might hurt his chances in recruitment. The undersized guard scored a career- and team-high22 points Tuesday against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden and went toe-to-toe Wednesday with Nets superstar Kyrie Irving, who made his season debut in Indianapolis. "Loved James Sykes. Where was Keifer Sykes born? His daughter Zarah has just turned six years old on 22 September 2021. Lisa runs an out-of-home daycare operation. ins.style.display='block';ins.style.minWidth=container.attributes.ezaw.value+'px';ins.style.width='100%';ins.style.height=container.attributes.ezah.value+'px';container.appendChild(ins);(adsbygoogle=window.adsbygoogle||[]).push({});window.ezoSTPixelAdd(slotId,'stat_source_id',44);window.ezoSTPixelAdd(slotId,'adsensetype',1);var lo=new MutationObserver(window.ezaslEvent);lo.observe(document.getElementById(slotId+'-asloaded'),{attributes:true}); In Chicago, Illinois, USA, the NBA G League player Sykes wasbornon 30 December 1993. "Little KJ is very outspoken, loud, and a joy to be around," Lisa Sykes said. We both were really scared. Some schools turned down interview requests. Sykes made his second and third career starts against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden and Nets at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Jan. 4 and 5, scoring 22 and 18 points, respectively, with Mitchell and Co. cheering from Australia. This is a man who fondly recalls buying a $134 ring from Walmart the night before he proposed. Rhode Island and Nevada. Wardle answered his phone that afternoon to hear the mother of his talented newcomer crying on the other line. 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. Keifer prides his relationship with his son as an extension of what he had with his dad. Soon after his death, the family could not afford to immediately put him in a grave, and to this day James Sykes does not have a headstone because of the cost. [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. Whereas Dawson did not have a prominent father, Sykes' relationship with his was irrepressible. There are dads playing at Minnesota and UNC Wilmington. Green Bay's Henry Uwadiae, a 6-foot-11 Nigerian-born sophomore, had a daughter born last summer. (Without prompt, Sykes publicly defended his coach throughout the ordeal.). There's more to life than basketball. 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. The only thing thats changed lately is his platform. 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. He worries about his 4-year-old son, Keifer Jr., who lives in a neighborhood in Chicago that Sykes knows is violent. My'Shawn's mother lives back in Indiana; it was her idea to have father and child live together this season, in part because she's working night shifts at a Speedway to save money and find some quiet that was lost during the early years of My'Shawn's life. My own trainers telling me, 'Prepare and train for overseas,' and I'm telling them, 'No.' That's the thing. "She's the key to being married, to being a dad. Sykes mother called Keifer to tell him what happened, and when she couldnt reach him, she called his college coach Brian Wardle. I have made past mistakes in my life, and God continues to make a way for us. SMU sophomore Keith Frazier, who's been suspended for the season, is a dad to a boy who's nearly 3 years old. Keifer Sykes was clutch in the fourth quarter for Boeheim's Army. Antetokounmpo leads Milwaukee against Brooklyn after 45-point game. A tremendous man," Wardle said. I was freaking out. Aubrey was born at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24. A lot of people don't see the world until college. (Virginia coach) Tony Bennett went to Green Bay and was a legend there, and I think Keifer was the guy thats been next in line as the second or first greatest player to play there. The 5-foot-11 guard signed a training camp deal with the Pacers but was waived before the start of the 2021-22 campaign. 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. Sykes elevated his play in the postseason, including a game in which he recorded 31 points and 6 steals in a 26-point comeback in a win-or-go-home game 3. "He's a ball of fire," Green Bay coach Brian Wardle said of KJ. WATCH: Dog makes mess at Louisville halftime show, Updates: Four conference tournaments in action Tuesday, Bracketology: Boise State boosts its standing, Alabama vs. Auburn odds, picks, prediction, bets, Top 25 And 1: Bill Self continues to cement legacy, Court Report: Strange resumes, best turnarounds, Nate Oats says Bama players explained pat-down, March Madness starts with game-winner at buzzer, AP Top 25: Marquette moves up; UK back in rankings, Legendary former Virginia coach Terry Holland dies. 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. "When she told me, I kind of freaked out. "It's crazy, I told my son I'll never play 2K until I get on it, so that was kind of motivation for me. On 5 August 2021, he also struck a deal with the NBA team, Indiana Pacers. James Sykes, a former vice president of the Broadway Armory Park association, is buried at Memorial Gardens in Homewood, Illinois. Now, after seldomly getting to see his him early in his college years, Dawson's senior season has been a change for the happier. Of course he was worried about telling mom. And in addition to that, you've got a demographic of kids without fathers, maybe more irresponsible, who don't understand things at a young age and make mistakes earlier.". The player is now back at school, away from his child, but not on the team. After Keifer impregnated his former girlfriend, Allyne, he was horrified to tell mom. Although Sykes has not brought details of his wife in light, he is a father to his son Hugo and daughter Zarah. "The rim looked so small. I cant do that. Life is too short. Just being able to see him now, its been crazy. Phoenix coach Simon Mitchell said their plan was always to help Sykes get closer to his dream. Mitchell become familiar with Sykes through his overseas play and thought he'd played out of position at shooting guard for most of his pro career. Assistant coach Jenny Boucek brokethe news. The two met in middle school in Louisiana, and remained close friends until things turned romantic midway through high school. I thought I was going to pass out, but I stayed strong. The two-time Horizon League Player of the Year scores a career-best 36 against UIC, helping the Phoenix win 72-67. Sykes subsequently joined the Fort Wayne Mad Ants and averaged 16.3 points, 8 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game. Dozens of programs were contacted for this story and asked if they had a player on their roster who was a father or a father-to-be. Keifer Sykes arrived on Wisconsin-Green Bay's campus as a 17-year old and made an immediate impact his freshman season, playing 29 minutes per night for the Phoenix. With Keifer Sykes. [30][31] He was waived on April 7, 2022. [8] In a 6966 loss to Wisconsin, Sykes scored 32 points, including a highlight dunk in the first possession of the game. We come from poverty. 2023 www.indystar.com. He wasn't. His son, My'Shawn, was born March 30, 2010. Sykes was selected in the second round of the 2016 Korean Basketball League by the Anyang Korea Ginseng Corporation, taking a 15-hour trip across the world that began a roughly five-year journey abroad. They just don't know. To report about any issues in our articles, please feel free toContact Us. Sykes keeps in touch with all of them but he hasn't seen Kristie and Antawn in years. When I first committed, I didn't know where basketball would take me. He kept it from her as long as possible; the "entire school" knew about it, but she didn't. His daughter Zarah has just turned six years old on 22 September 2021. I remember we used to play in the alley, McKinnie said. "My son played (NBA 2K) last night with me. Keifer, along with six of his siblings and half-siblings, took the red line train with mom and dad to City Hall. 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. The season included an upset over eventual Atlantic Coast Conference regular season champion (and NCAA tournament 1-seed) Virginia in a game which saw Sykes score 21 points and distribute 10 assists. However, he regularlymentions his children during interviewsand posts pictures of them on his social media handles. Sykes said, laughing. 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. He relies on the motto, "More God," meaning that whenever he's faced with adversity, he'll trust God even more and remain the course. "I walk in the door, my parents are sitting at the table. "(My mom) put it together after the fact," Sykes said. Sykes became the only active player in the nation with 2,000+ points, 500+ assists, and 400+ rebounds. Moreover, Sykes graduated from there with a degree in Communications. 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. But it doesnt matter. When Sykes joined the Phoenix, Mitchell put him back at his natural position, point guard. The sacrifices she made, man. One of his brothers had called him before Wardle could break the news. Afterward, Dawson revealed his son was taken to the hospital two days earlier on account of pneumonia. This June will mark a decade since Keifer Sykes father died, 10 years of carrying on without his biggest fan. Breakups, forced relationships, long-distance relationships, fractures between families, money -- these are stresses that, comparatively, make basketball seem so simple. The former University of Wisconsin-Green Bay star . I was sleeping, Sykes said. Like Sykes, he's a senior NBA prospect. Reach him via email: jboyd1@gannett.com. He and his wife/high school sweetheart, Laura, are expecting. "My stomach just dropped when I saw what he looked like. So I went into my roommates room, and I just woke him up and just said it to him and just got to breaking down crazy. One thing Lisa Sykes made sure to add is, while her son shined the spotlight squarely on her, she didnt raise him alone. Keifer Jerail Sykes (born December 30, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Motor City Cruise of the NBA G League. "He so reminds me of his dad. A family of seven crammed into a two-bedroom place, where they lived until Sykes got to high school. I couldnt tell you that he was going to make a million-dollar shot or make it to the NBA, but from the time he was 13-years-old and getting ready to come to high school, I knew that boy was special., I asked #Suns star Devin Booker about his relationship with #Pacers rookie Keifer Sykes. According to dad, My'Shawn's "not the typical kid who wants to come home and watch cartoons." His father taught him and told him about becoming a boy to a man, Lisa Sykes said. We were all riding every possession and rooting for him, high-fiving each other whenever he dropped in another 3, Mitchell said. "I tell them I grew up just as disenfranchised and poverty-stricken as they were. Sykes signed with Scandone Avellino of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A on August 7, 2018.[21]. Moreover, last year on her 5th birthday, Sykes took it to his Instagram @ksykeyb28. As apro-basketball player, Sykes weighs around 175 pounds and stands at theheightof 5 feet 11 inches. Pictured below, there he is in the hospital with his girlfriend, Kylee, and his baby girl, Maddox, born three weeks ago -- smack dab in the middle of the season. Every situation is different. Keifer Sykes. Follow IndyStar Pacers beat writer James Boyd on Twitter:@RomeovilleKid. And now, when he's not escaping for trips to be with dad at Green Bay, KJ practically lives with his grandmother. I've heard a couple of times him screaming, 'Go, Daddy!' This arrangement was particularly worrisome and problematic recently, as the boy battled a bronchial infection. At Memorial Gardens in Homewood, Illinois being augmented with a degree Communications! Sykes said couldnt reach him, high-fiving each other whenever he dropped in another 3, Mitchell him... The film follows Sykes ' life or current situation is normal ( he impregnated his former girlfriend,,. We used to play in the fourth quarter for Boeheim & keifer sykes daughter x27 ; s Army,.! 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