After a game, win or lose, I walk up to him and he's just laughing. [18] In his rookie season with Austin, including the playoffs, Sykes averaged 13.1 points, 3.3 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 0.84 steals while shooting 45.9% from the field and 77.4% from the free throw line, and also recording a plus/minus of +196. [12] Sykes was one of eight invitees to compete in the Slam Dunk Contest at the 2015 Final Four, where he placed second. He does, however, remember the last time he saw his father, when James Sykes dropped him off at either a train or bus station to go back to Wisconsin Green-Bay to continue summer classes and workouts. Its the shift (within in the community) that matters more.. "Those of us that know his story, (it's) very compelling, and this is a culmination of a lot of work and a big dream.". Why is Keifer the father he is? 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. I can't describe how gracious God has been toward us. At the end of the season, Sykes was named to the Horizon League All-Newcomer team. 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. "We felt defeated," he said. For some, this is a touchy subject. 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. Its been an overflow. "I was a freshman, already on the court, and trying to run a team, trying to learn, and learning how to be a dad and learn to be a college student," Sykes said. Because even as a mom you dont expect your children to praise you like that. And whatever makes the mother happy, it's all about making the child happy. Where the family is. He is at Green Bay because that staff impressed his father. 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. 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. What he didn't know was that he wouldn't be a part of it. "He's earned it really starting in the summer just with his approach, his work ethic, his level of improvement, which has been gradual and consistent. We come from poverty. We both were really scared. Even prominent teams, like Gonzaga, are touched by early fatherhood. Discover Keifer Sykes's Biography, Age, Height, Physical Stats, Dating/Affairs, Family and career updates. Thats my dream, but I know the odds of going to the NBA, so Ill just use basketball to get as far as I can.. Former Pacers guard Keifer Sykes, center, hosts a free youth camp at the Irsay Family YMCA in Indianapolis on April 30, 2022. The 28-year-old doesnt remember the last conversation he had with his dad because he never expected it to be the final one. Although Sykes has not brought details of his wife in light, he is a father to his son Hugo and daughter Zarah. It's scary how fast he is at it. You cant eat before somebody whos older than you, you gotta bow, you cant drink alcohol in front of older people; it was just a full-blown different culture. A chain response of fear, as it often does with teen pregnancies, triggered a stress reaction. They think, 'that's what I eat, so that's what the baby should eat.' Sykes set a conference record as he was named the Horizon League player of the week thirteen times over his career. 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. [32], On November 3, 2022, Sykes was named to the opening night roster for the Motor City Cruise.[33]. "The rim looked so small. Though each situation is different, if there was one player whose circumstances most resembled Sykes', it's Dawson's. August 5, 2020. Sykes could match upagainst his "best friend" for the first time in the NBA when Indiana hosts Chicago on Feb. 4. They last shared space together in 2012 -- at Keifer's father's funeral. On August 3, 2019, Sykes signed with the Guangzhou Loong Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association. 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. 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. . 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. Hes gonna have the film footage, and its the continuation of truly one of the amazing stories in sport.. Every situation is different. The sacrifices she made, man. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Every year he's gotten better at balancing and understanding that. KJ just can't wait to be 5 years old. 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. But it came down to the last shot, and fortunately I was able to hit it and win us some money. 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. Keifer's parents met when fate played a chord. 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. Hes so well-rounded. It's about mom just as much as dad. Because a lot of people dont even know the half of what it took for me to be here. My'Shawn's been to almost every Spartans home game this season, sitting with Dawson's high school coach, Johnny Ryan, and a former teammate, Devonte Harris. 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.. 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}. So many missed calls from his girlfriend. The player is now back at school, away from his child, but not on the team. Sykes didn't like the recruiting process -- at all. I told my family, 'I think the basket is moving or something,'"Sykes said, laughing. Hes really popular in the community, and were just so proud of him. Stephen A.: Lakers won't advance beyond play-in without LeBron. All Rights Reserved. Sykes said, laughing. He later joined the University of Wisconsin in Green Bay on a basketball scholarship. Every mom always finds out. I was an All-Star, we won the regular-season (league) title and postseason title, but over there its so cutthroat, Sykes said. Another team lost a player in the middle of the night, without warning, because he was given an ultimatum by the child's mother. Sykes went on to become a three-time First-Team All-Horizon League honoree and two-time Horizon League Player of the Year, solidifying himself as one of the best players in Wisconsin-Green Bay history. Lisa Sykes was asking her son's coach to tell Keifer his father was gone because she couldn't bear to do it. 'I told you don't let him go to that school.'". Weve actually talked about (that game) once or twice, and I brought it up just to see if he remembered it, Brogdon said. Hed come so close in the past and inched even closer with a shot that turned him into an overnight sensation. 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. Keifer Jerail Sykes, born Dec. 30, 1993, is the last child in his family. He'll want to turn to ESPN and watch a basketball game. Johnson has two teammates, Markel Crawford and Trahson Burrell, who are fathers. He was closer to him than any of his other siblings. I was freaking out. Life is too short. It wasnt like when I went to Europe and your teammates have been around American players enough to know some English. Moreover, last year on her 5th birthday, Sykes took it to his Instagram @ksykeyb28. After being cut, Sykes could've left Indianapolis for good and focused . 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. Sykes keeps in touch with all of them but he hasn't seen Kristie and Antawn in years. Mississippi State is the prime example. The unexpected death came a month removed from the end of Keifer's freshman year. Nine children from five mothers and two fathers. "Keifer Sykes was a +27," Pacers assistant coach Mike Weinar said when spotlighting players who were effective in a summer league win over the Wizards. Sykes subsequently joined the Fort Wayne Mad Ants and averaged 16.3 points, 8 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game. Reach him via email: jboyd1@gannett.com. He'll do it if it becomes absolutely mandatory, but for now, he refuses to leave KJ. 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. "At this point, she's three months pregnant," Keifer said. There's more to life than basketball. 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. Sykes joined Indianas G League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, and clawed his way back to the Pacers, who eventually signed him to a guaranteed deal for the rest of the 2021-22 season. We had nothing, man. "(My mom) put it together after the fact," Sykes said. Most did. However, no valid sources have yet revealed his annual pay in numbers. Fortunately, despite varied situations, some of which are depicted below, many have happy circumstances. GB3 -- Bell's nickname for his son -- came out crying on Jan. 10, 2014, at 10 o'clock in the morning, 19 inches long and weighing six pounds. A tremendous man," Wardle said. [11] For the week of January 410 of 2015, Sykes won the Naismith National Player of the Week Award. "One time I asked him, and he didn't know. Keifer Sykes' 3-pointer wins TBT for Boeheim's Army. My own agents telling me that I'm not gonna play in the NBA. NBA News. When I first committed, I didn't know where basketball would take me. My brother calls me and gives me the news, literally out of my sleep. But the most important thing said that night: "The child will be taken care of." We were all riding every possession and rooting for him, high-fiving each other whenever he dropped in another 3, Mitchell said. 2023 www.indystar.com. When James passed away, it was hard on everybody, but something definitely clicked in Keifer, Wardle said. Dawson's fellow father teammate is junior Bryn Forbes, who had a boy, Carter, born when Forbes played at Cleveland State. Dayton kicked two players off its roster earlier this season after a dorm-room theft forced Archie Miller's hand. After Keifer impregnated his former girlfriend, Allyne, he was horrified to tell mom. 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. 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. It's a lot of bloodshed in my city, a lot people dying, and I feel like God placed me in this position also to shed light on those things and to show that some people are able to be talented and get out, but some people aren't. It's very important to Keifer that KJ does not forget -- or rather, can easily remember -- who Keifer's father was. Upon returning to Marshall whose alumni includes "Hoop Dreams" documentary star Arthur Agee, Timberwolves guard Patrick Beverly and two-time WNBA champion Cappie Pondexter Sykes gifted his former coaches and teachers a Pacers jersey as a thank you for believing in him and laying the foundation for his path to the NBA. I remember looking up in the clouds like, My dad is in heaven already? Ill never forget that I was holding myself together until we got to the corner and turned down my block, thats when I was just like, Damn and broke down like crazy. He's a good kid; he's not a distraction.". 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