Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? 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. [17], On November 13, Sykes made his professional debut in a 10482 win over the Texas Legends, recording eight points, one rebound, six assists and three steals in 17 minutes off the bench. Sykes, who went undrafted in 2015, signed a two-year contract with the Pacers last month after a strong season with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants in the NBA G League. Its not even that I did it (on my own). Keifer Sykes was born on December 30, 1993. At the time of Sykes' recruitment, Wardle (his coach), who became a dad at 26, could empathize. 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.. Moments after making the million-dollar shot, it was reported by multiple outlets that Sykes signed with the Pacers, bookending a truly remarkable day. 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. But that's what it takes to be a superhero for my family, a superhero in my community and a good basketball player. And when Michigan State's got a road game, he'll ask Johnny or Devonte, "Is that my dad playing?". Bell's boy already loves basketball. He converted a traditional 3-point play when he drove, banked a shot and got a free throw, too. They went through predraft workouts together in 2015.Thats where my respect (for him) came from. He admits now it was a lot to go through. At the end of the season, Sykes was named to the Horizon League All-Newcomer team. He'll have his headstone then, and he'll have his son and grandson touching it. They think, 'that's what I eat, so that's what the baby should eat.' 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. But in true Sykes fashion, he blocked out the naysayers and helped the Phoenix make the playoffs, finishing fourth in the 10-team league before being knocked out in the final four. Hes so well-rounded. Like I said, I feel like I have one of the better stories, one of the best stories ever, when you think about what I had to go through.". She deserves this more than anybody. ", James Sykes died of heart failure on June 6, 2012. Whereas Dawson did not have a prominent father, Sykes' relationship with his was irrepressible. Though each situation is different, if there was one player whose circumstances most resembled Sykes', it's Dawson's. I didn't have my phone. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. He wasn't. The former Indiana Pacers point guard prefers a low-key personal life. "So Im very fortunate to have that opportunity. 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. 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. We do a lot of things to help his daughter because as a single mom . According to dad, My'Shawn's "not the typical kid who wants to come home and watch cartoons." He's the boss.". Its all demonstrated in the documentary, Carlisle said after the game. 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. "I do not want to go pro overseas," he said. College basketball rosters across the country are dotted with young dads. At one point, he was the only active player in the country to eclipse 2,000 points, 500 assists and 400 rebounds, but when he sat and watched the 2015 NBA Draft with his family and close friends, his name was not called among the 60 picks. He felt shock, and immediately told his father. [29] He was waived at the end of training camp. Probably no one better to hear it from (than) her because she always believed in me, her being a guard coach. He makes sure, no matter what, he keeps a good relationship with his baby's mother. "It's not easy, for me, but the best thing I have going on for me right now is my wife," Gathers said. of the Basketball Super League. Sykes became the only active player in the nation with 2,000+ points, 500+ assists, and 400+ rebounds. Keifer Sykes is 29 years old. Although Sykes has not brought details of his wife in light, he is a father to his son Hugo and daughter Zarah. 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. How tall is Keifer Sykes? 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. His daughter Zarah has just turned six years old on 22 September 2021. It wasn't a happy cry. . Sykes keeps in touch with all of them but he hasn't seen Kristie and Antawn in years. Its really not about the NBA, Sykes says. The Cavaliers went on to win the 2014 ACC regular-season title and earn a No. Sykes studied at Marshall High School, where he started playing 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. Its a real heros journey.. Keifer Sykes was born on 30 December, 1993 in Chicago, Illinois, United States, is an American basketball player. "When I got there, I was nervous, and it was kind of surreal," he said. The sacrifices she made, man. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Gathers, who's likely to return for his senior season, said his household of three is living off $15,000 per year. And I was just like, OK, Imma kill, because if you dont do your thing, youre out.. Stephen A.: Lakers won't advance beyond play-in without LeBron. I've heard a couple of times him screaming, 'Go, Daddy!' "More basketball players have the opportunity to have sex with more girls. Mississippi State is the prime example. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'biographyhost_com-banner-1','ezslot_5',132,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-banner-1-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'biographyhost_com-banner-1','ezslot_6',132,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-banner-1-0_1');.banner-1-multi-132{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}. You scope college basketball, and the stories are everywhere. I can't wait to talk to her. Milwaukee Bucks (22-9, first in the Eastern . The player is now back at school, away from his child, but not on the team. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. 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. Sykes spent one season in South Korea, but he said that was just the beginning of the hardships he faced as he continued playing in Italy, Greece, Turkey and China. KJ wasn't even 2 when his grandfather died. "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. "I immediately fell in love with her.". The Pacers waived third-string point guard Brad Wanamaker after his poor playand picked up Sykes mainly as an insurance guard since starting point guard Malcolm Brogdon was sidelined with a sore right Achilles and backup point guard T.J. McConnell is out due to right wrist surgery. One of those players already had a child, and the other had one on the way. 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. 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. Bell found out he was going to be a father when he returned to his phone following a workout. Just being able to see him now, its been crazy. Harrington praised Sykes for his resiliency throughout his triumphant but often tough career. It's an intense situation for Ray and plenty of coaches who've become surrogate fathers in plenty of ways, this being a prominent one. That wasn't the case with a 7-footer at Louisiana Tech named Joniah White. That was crazy, but the craziest part is that if we had made it to the championship (in Australia), I wouldve missed the deadline to submit (for TBT).. I was really on my own and traveling in Chicago for an hour each way each day. SMU sophomore Keith Frazier, who's been suspended for the season, is a dad to a boy who's nearly 3 years old. However, he regularlymentions his children during interviewsand posts pictures of them on his social media handles. 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. When I was like, Oh, Im small, he was like, Nah, you can go to the NBA. A tremendous man," Wardle said. 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. For some, this is a touchy subject. 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. He and his wife/high school sweetheart, Laura, are expecting. "You don't want to encourage your guys to have kids out of wedlock, but when it happens, you have to help them. If it happens, he'll count that moment, along with the one he experienced Friday, as two big wins for his hometown. We come from poverty. 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. 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. Manage Settings So Im always a fan of guys like Keifer that defy the odds.. Its been a blessing. Keifer Sykes was born in Chicago, Illinois. "We felt defeated," he said. It's about mom just as much as dad. He has not revealed his current relationship or marital status. I couldnt believe it.. Like Sykes, he's a senior NBA prospect. Memphis also had a player, Dominic Magee, who initially transferred out of school earlier this season to be closer to his home in New Orleans to be with his young son. Like Sykes, he opted not to turn pro early despite having a child to feed. Sykes right-hand man, Rashad McKinnie, who helps run Sykes' Free10 Foundation calls Sykes bond with the youth in the Chicagoland area the The Keifer Effect. No matter where Sykes career has taken him from starring at Marshall High School to becoming a Korean Basketball League All-Star to earning a guaranteed contract from the Pacers hes always carved out time to return to his old stomping grounds. Like Buchanan, and others currently playing college hoops, BYU's Josh Sharp also became a father last fall. We come from poverty. 6-keys: media/spln/collegebasketball/reg/free/stories, at 1:08; See All. 1:08; See All. More:Why do the Pacers keep losing close games? 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. On Dec. 7, 2013, Wisconsin Green-Bay hosted and upset Virginia behind a stellar performance from Sykes. The game-winner capped. "It's not easy," Sykes said of juggling fatherhood with basketball and an impending graduation. Chicago. 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. The hardest thing was the drive. I was an All-Star, we won the regular-season (league) title and postseason title, but over there its so cutthroat, Sykes said. Sykes set a conference record as he was named the Horizon League player of the week thirteen times over his career. He always had a way with kids, even when he was one. Lisa was there with her cancer-stricken mother; James was there tending to his niece after she'd been assaulted in a domestic dispute. His daughter Zarah has just turned six years old on 22 September 2021. I went into his room like, Yo, my dad died, and thats when it hit me.. The little guy is now doing better and just turned three months old. 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. "We were a stage for him to perform on. [22] The film follows Sykes' path from high school to his brush with the NBA. Don't do what I did.'". Sykes, a self-described daddy's boy, wasn't worried that being a father might hurt his chances in recruitment. He played college basketball for the University of WisconsinGreen Bay and his professional career has included stints at Anyang KGC of the Korean Basketball League, Ankara DSI of the Basketball Super League, S.S. Felice Scandone of the Lega Basket Serie A and South East Melbourne Phoenix of the National Basketball League. Thats the heros journey, Sykes said. Sometimes when he's here and he's with KJ, I'm like, 'Oh my god,he's just like him'. 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.. One of Sykes signature moments came when he scored five points a dagger 3 and layup on back-to-back plays in overtime of a dramatic 121-117 upset win against Stephen Curry and the Warriors at Chase Center on Jan. 20. So I was processing it, and then I didnt know what to do. After waiting for months, Dawson found the courage while plopped on a bus headed to Milwaukee. 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. Sykes didn't like the recruiting process -- at all. Why is Keifer the father he is? He also became the only player in Horizon League history to record those same career totals. We had nothing, man. You go to South Korea and thats a whole different culture, Sykes said. Keifer, along with six of his siblings and half-siblings, took the red line train with mom and dad to City Hall. "I wasn't trying to map out a strategy to go pro. Wardle answered his phone that afternoon to hear the mother of his talented newcomer crying on the other line. So all of this has been more than me. Free schooling.". 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. "She was really scared to tell me," Dawson said of his girlfriend's pregnancy. With the championship and money on the line, he drained the game-winning 3 to lift Boeheims army to a 69-67 walk-off victory. That's money which now goes toward feeding their baby boy, Ricardo Darnell Gathers Jr., who came into the world at 4:53 a.m. on June 13, 2014. Back home in Chicago, one of Sykes former high school coaches, Shawn Shake Harrington, watched it all unfold in tears. "I didn't expect much out of basketball," Sykes said. Assistant coach Jenny Boucek brokethe news. Reach him via email: jboyd1@gannett.com. One of his brothers had called him before Wardle could break the news. "People don't even know the half of it," Sykes said. Sykes, who these days has NBA scouts frequently traveling to gelid Green Bay, has previously bypassed chances to turn pro early in Europe. Sykes, 21, just won his second straight Horizon League Player of the Year honor. Keifer's always been a person purely at comfort around family and only his family. We've had them come in as a group and have my wife talking about child-rearing. The two met in middle school in Louisiana, and remained close friends until things turned romantic midway through high school. His father taught him and told him about becoming a boy to a man, Lisa Sykes said. He did not sleep overnight. "I don't want to go out of the States. "A curious boy who loves to be around his cousins. It's a boy, and they're down to two names with two months to go. There are major facets to these players' lives that are never seen, seldom known, but emotionally significant signposts toward personal growth and elemental struggle. 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. [12] Sykes was one of eight invitees to compete in the Slam Dunk Contest at the 2015 Final Four, where he placed second. Like Sykes, Dawson's been a father since he was a junior in high school. She thought he had dropped something or whatever. The death of Sykes father painfully added to that. His father, his best friend, was dead. 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. 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. [28], On August 5, 2021, Sykes signed a contract with the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Keifer Sykes plays professional basketball in Turkey, not Los Angeles or New York. Home. Aubrey was born at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24. Now, after seldomly getting to see his him early in his college years, Dawson's senior season has been a change for the happier. CBS Sports is a registered trademark of CBS Broadcasting Inc. Commissioner.com is a registered trademark of CBS Interactive Inc. site: media | arena: collegebasketball | pageType: stories | , just won his second straight Horizon League All-Newcomer team only be used for data processing originating from this.. Two months to go away from his child, and it was a junior in high school where... 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