He was already a mature freshman, and that made him grow up even faster and kind of take his work ethic to another level. And for him to do that, it was just so overwhelming. I can't wait to see her and hug her.". "We felt defeated," he said. Thats the Keifer Sykes Effect., Its bigger than what yall seeing and what we're seeing as far as him making it to the Pacers. Sykes won the 2015 Horizon League player of the year to join the elite company of players to win the award twice. A few births have been by choice, but obviously many occur by accident. "When I got there, I was nervous, and it was kind of surreal," he said. On Dec. 7, 2013, Wisconsin Green-Bay hosted and upset Virginia behind a stellar performance from Sykes. 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. Crawford's son lives in Memphis. At the end of the season, Sykes was named to the Horizon League All-Newcomer team. More than a decade later, and after making a name for himself overseas, the only box Sykes said he had left to check was to beat the odds his younger self foretold and finally play in an NBA game. I'm still frustrated we lost, but now I'm like, that's over with. It's Feb. 26, 2015, the night Green Bay's Keifer Sykes plays his final game in his hometown area, in front of a band of family and friends. Sykes subsequently joined the Fort Wayne Mad Ants and averaged 16.3 points, 8 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game. In college, Keifer Sykes wrote RIP DAD on his socks, and if there's room, he'll write that same message on his sneakers so his father is always with him on the court. James Sykes, a former vice president of the Broadway Armory Park association, is buried at Memorial Gardens in Homewood, Illinois. Sykes, wearing a black hat with "purpose." 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. Following his senior year at Marshall Metro in Chicago, Sykes wasn't even considered a top-25 senior in Illinois. Keifer Jerail Sykes (born December 30, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Motor City Cruise of the NBA G League. He converted a traditional 3-point play when he drove, banked a shot and got a free throw, too. I cant do that. Waiting. 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. 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.". Keifer Jerail Sykes, born Dec. 30, 1993, is the last child in his family. [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. As of 2021, he is representing Fort Wayne Mad Ants, a professional basketball team of Indiana. The unexpected death came a month removed from the end of Keifer's freshman year. 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. It has been less than two weeks but with all of the COVID roster shuffling and another player,. He remembers hopping into a car after getting that call, riding with the aunt of My'Shawn's mother, a 10-minute drive to Methodist Hospital. How long has it been since Dawson spoke to his dad directly? 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. The first words out of his mouth are eerily foreshadowing. Sykes had done all he could at Wisconsin Green-Bay, ending his illustrious college career with 2,096 points, 522 assists and 467 rebounds. Imagine sitting in a class, your leg jackhammering the tile, waiting for a phone call to come. Five and a half years later, James and Lisa Sykes married, on April 27, 1999. He has not revealed his current relationship or marital status. 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';} 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. 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. Sykes said his indomitable spirit was instilled in him by his father, who put him in school a year early because he could handle it. And whenever Sykes thought he was too young or too small, his father would tell him not to give up. At the time I didnt know that, but he was affirming my greatness. In addition to having the second-highest teen pregnancy rate, Mississippi charts as the poorest state in the nation. [30][31] He was waived on April 7, 2022. How old is Keifer Sykes? He also became the only player in Horizon League history to record those same career totals. And whatever makes the mother happy, it's all about making the child happy. When Sykes joined the Phoenix, they were an expansion team in Year 2 of their development, and according to Mitchell, no one expected much from them or Sykes. Keifer Sykes is 29 years old. Dayton kicked two players off its roster earlier this season after a dorm-room theft forced Archie Miller's hand. "People don't even know the half of it," Sykes said. It made my heart weep in joy, not weep in sorrow but in joy that, Wow, he really feels that way about me.. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. On 5 August 2021, he also struck a deal with the NBA team, Indiana Pacers. When James passed away, it was hard on everybody, but something definitely clicked in Keifer, Wardle 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. 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. He was on a trip for a basketball tournament, and that's when he called his mother at work. 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. Then he sank a 17-footer over . And I was just like, OK, Imma kill, because if you dont do your thing, youre out.. Like Freeman, Johnson's been a father for only a few weeks. 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. He took birth to his late father, James Sykes, and his mother, Lisa Sykes, as the youngest of their nine children. Keifer Sykes would have used his share of the $2 million championship prize to help his Free 10 Foundation and his church. 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. His father taught him and told him about becoming a boy to a man, Lisa Sykes said. With Keifer Sykes. Sykes confirmed that another documentary about his life is on the way, and itll include another milestone from his first NBA season: A jersey swap with his former high school and college teammate, Alfonzo McKinnie (a distant cousin of the aforementioned Rashad McKinnie). The 5-foot-11 guard signed a training camp deal with the Pacers but was waived before the start of the 2021-22 campaign. Dawson's first two years at Michigan State consisted of few visits with My'Shawn during the season. of the Basketball Super League. Although Sykes has not brought details of his wife in light, he is a father to his son Hugo and daughter Zarah. You go to South Korea and thats a whole different culture, Sykes said. See, the basketball part, thats easy. His camp is having trouble getting them admitted into the road arenas. INDIANAPOLIS Keifer Sykes remembers every doubter. 1:08; See All. The death of Sykes father painfully added to that. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Pacers rookie Keifer Sykes' remarkable rise from inner-city Chicago, 3.32995855, After hitting $1 million shot, Keifer Sykes signed with Pacers to be closer to home, a dagger 3 and layup on back-to-back plays, Pacers rookie Keifer Sykes' remarkable rise from inner-city Chicago. His college scholarship goes toward rent. Johnson has two teammates, Markel Crawford and Trahson Burrell, who are fathers. Sykes is featured in the 2018 documentary film Chi-Town, produced and directed by Nick Budabin. Why is Keifer the father he is? More: After hitting $1 million shot, Keifer Sykes signed with Pacers to be closer to home, Its only one team that wins out of 64, so the chances are whatever, Sykes said. There are major facets to these players' lives that are never seen, seldom known, but emotionally significant signposts toward personal growth and elemental struggle. "When I see him play against his favorite people, seeing him playing against Chris Paul and he went to Chris Pauls camp, its like its (full) circle.. I couldnt believe it.. He's the boss.". "All the different agents that I went through. Having seen each other from afar in previous years, they met again, of all places, in an ER when she was 23. Sykes, 21, just won his second straight Horizon League Player of the Year honor. The 28-year-old doesnt remember the last conversation he had with his dad because he never expected it to be the final one. Sykes has seen his role grow over the years, shouldering more and more of the offensive workload for Green Bay, while rounding himself into a dynamic offensive option. I didn't have goals to go further. Pacers swingmen Torrey Craig, Justin Anderson enter NBA's COVID-19 protocols, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. More:Pacers swingmen Torrey Craig, Justin Anderson enter NBA's COVID-19 protocols. "He's absolutely like his dad," Lisa Sykes said of her youngest. "So Im very fortunate to have that opportunity. With these body stats, he has recorded his highest vertical jump of 44.5 inches. "The sacrifices she made, man. Sykes cashes a deep 3-pointer as time expires at the end of the first half. Stephen A. Smith discusses why the Lakers are a better . She's going through the same thing these young ladies are going through. The sacrifices she made, man. Lisa Sykes was asking her son's coach to tell Keifer his father was gone because she couldn't bear to do it. And life off the court has been pock-marked with losses and tragedies tied to the gun violence that has riddled the streets of Chicago for a century. Over Indianas past two games,Sykes is averaging 20.0points, 5.5assists and 3.5rebounds while shooting 53.8% from the field, 50.0% on 3-pointers and 85.7% at the free-throw line. [16] Nine days later, he was acquired by the Austin Spurs of the NBA Development League as an affiliate player of San Antonio. Ithink the basket was moving. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? Moments after making the million-dollar shot, it was reported by multiple outlets that Sykes signed with the Pacers, bookending a truly remarkable day. "More basketball players have the opportunity to have sex with more girls. 1 seed and took them to Game 5, which is like Game 7 over there, and lost on their floor," Sykes said. " "The team was always paying us late, and they didn't think we would make the playoffs, but we got in the last spot, played the No. It's very important to Keifer that KJ does not forget -- or rather, can easily remember -- who Keifer's father was. He quickly capitalized on his opportunity. "Looking back on my season, where did it go, and it's been a weird, weird year.". 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. But that nightmare hasn't ended, neither has the pain. Sykes averaged 5.6 points, 1.9 assists and 1.4 rebounds . Thats the heros journey, Sykes said. You can go to college. 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. Chicago. 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. "I wouldn't say that it was planned but I definitely wouldn't say it was an accident," Gathers said of Bria's pregnancy, the climax of which included Rico taking four trips in one day to a Danny & Clyde's po'boy joint while Bria was in labor. I can't describe how gracious God has been toward us. Averyelle was born shortly after the sun came up. He's got a goofy personality and caring heart but also boasts a paternal side that's as sanguine as it is dedicated. "She's the key to being married, to being a dad. Don't do what I did.'". "I immediately fell in love with her.". 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. Hows your team doing? he asked another. Lisa was there with her cancer-stricken mother; James was there tending to his niece after she'd been assaulted in a domestic dispute. "I had my first child when I was 20. 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. Everything was going so fast.". 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. 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.. Reach him via email: jboyd1@gannett.com. Because even as a mom you dont expect your children to praise you like that. 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. KJ will look up to his dad. A tremendous man," Wardle said. There's too many [coaches] calling me. "This is not the time for that," Cassandra Dawson told her son, thinking he was kidding. 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. "I don't ever want to go through that as a head coach again," Wardle said. The little guy is now doing better and just turned three months old. Some of the scenarios are not ideal. Most guessed higher than 75 percent. He was 55. Burrell's daughter, Alyson, is in Puerto Rico. Its a remarkable story, and his story obviously goes back way before the NBA with his rise through Chicago.. When I was like, Oh, Im small, he was like, Nah, you can go to the NBA. NBA News. All rights reserved. Fortunately, despite varied situations, some of which are depicted below, many have happy circumstances. I went into his room like, Yo, my dad died, and thats when it hit me.. Keifer Sykes was clutch in the fourth quarter for Boeheim's Army. She lives more than 250 miles away, in Iowa, with her mother. The two met in middle school in Louisiana, and remained close friends until things turned romantic midway through high school. "The milk is spilt all over the place," she recalled saying. 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. My brother calls me and gives me the news, literally out of my sleep. And I guess she thought or they thought I had maybe talked to my agent but I hadn't," Sykes said. Almost every player interviewed for this story was scared to tell mom. "It's not easy, for me, but the best thing I have going on for me right now is my wife," Gathers said. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but Brogdon will never forget his introduction to Sykes. 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. For some, this is a touchy subject. He averaged 11.2 points and 3.3 assists per game. 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.". 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. If it happens, he'll count that moment, along with the one he experienced Friday, as two big wins for his hometown. "The rim looked so small. Milwaukee Bucks (22-9, first in the Eastern . And when Michigan State's got a road game, he'll ask Johnny or Devonte, "Is that my dad playing?". 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. She's been a tremendous help to our players and our players' girlfriends. 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. Had my first child when I got there, I was nervous, and it was hard on everybody but... 'S going through and 467 rebounds final one 2013, Wisconsin Green-Bay, ending his illustrious career... Half years later, James and Lisa Sykes said mother happy, it was just so.. Nba 's COVID-19 protocols Homewood, Illinois a black hat with `` purpose. light, he is Fort. Him to do it ' girlfriends camp is having trouble getting them admitted into the arenas... 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