After the euphoria of winning TBT and signing a training camp deal with the Pacers, Sykes faced another hurdle when he was cut before the season started. Like Bell at Gonzaga, Delaware's Kyle Anderson is a four-year starter. [9] A loss in the Horizon League tournament, due in part to a Sykes injury, led the Phoenix to missing an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament and playing in the National Invitation Tournament. Like Sykes, Dawson's been a father since he was a junior in high school. Doctors had to wait until the baby boy was just a little bit bigger, a little bit heavier, and a little bit older before they cut into his chest and sewed up the hole in his heart. My own trainers telling me, 'Prepare and train for overseas,' and I'm telling them, 'No.' The night before Averyelle was born, Johnson flew from Tulane back to Memphis, got in his car, immediately drove the three and a half hours to Franklin, Tennessee's Williamson Medical Center, and arrived around 3 a.m. The former University of Wisconsin-Green Bay star . 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. He kept it from her as long as possible; the "entire school" knew about it, but she didn't. To him, these are secondary anecdotes. 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. The best rebounder in college basketball, perhaps the most intimidating player in the sport, is a father. Keifer Jerail Sykes, born Dec. 30, 1993, is the last child in his family. Sykes mother called Keifer to tell him what happened, and when she couldnt reach him, she called his college coach Brian Wardle. 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. 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). Due to his success, he was invited to the 2016 NBA D-League Elite Camp. Both anticipated that their contracts would be guaranteed through the end of the seasonFriday, and McKinnie was retained, too. She's long had a keen love for caring for the young, something as immediately evident in Keifer as his flaring athleticism. So I want to be thatvoice for them, and I'm happy to be in this position.". We've had people tell us to not keep the baby, frankly.". Reach him via email: [email protected]. "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. Dayton kicked two players off its roster earlier this season after a dorm-room theft forced Archie Miller's hand. 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. "The milk is spilt all over the place," she recalled saying. Sykes signed a non-guaranteed two-year deal with a team option for the second season with Indiana on Dec. 27, and the 5-11 guardfound out he'd been retained for his first seasonwhile at the team's practice facility Friday. KJ crowned around dinnertime on Aug. 3, 2010, at Mount Sinai Medical Center. She has been the backbone of the Sykes familysince Sykes' father, James, died of a heart attack June 6, 2012. KJ will look up to his dad. "We want to young parents, to be young grandparents, all of that," Anderson said. It's free school, and I'm getting it, so let's go.". So they bring the other (American) player in and start working him out so they can be ready and they tell you whatever games you have that week, and at the end of the week they decide to keep you or cut you. He did not sleep overnight. Afterward, Dawson revealed his son was taken to the hospital two days earlier on account of pneumonia. He and KJ communicate every day; KJ can unlock an iPhone and FaceTime in no time. For more than a few college athletes, this is the side of life the public does not see. [22] The film follows Sykes' path from high school to his brush with the NBA. He knows all about long drives on weekends to steal time with a child. Just being able to see him now, its been crazy. I was gonna have to fight an uphill battle, so I was already ready for it if I didnt get drafted.. I have made past mistakes in my life, and God continues to make a way for us. I finally opened it when I gathered my strength and the coaches were all crying, everybody was crying. I was afraid to tell my mom.". Keifer Sykes is 6-0 (183 cm) tall. You could be winning and they still try to nitpick at something. And for him to do that, it was just so overwhelming. The next thing I know I hear the coaches banging on the door. He has just one full sibling, James Sykes Jr., and seven more half-siblings: DaVon, Jarvis, Kristie, Jameeka,. I want the kid around. Sykes, wearing a black hat with "purpose." The big thing with me is, I want Keifer to be a good father first. 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. By the time Wardle got to Sykes' dorm room, Sykes had locked himself in the bathroom as he grappled with one overarching and unshakable thought: The life he had before he went to sleep was gone. Sykes had nearly 100 ticket requests for this game, and he will not disappoint the familiars. Buchanan's son, Terry Buchanan III, was born in November with a life-threatening condition. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Sykes studied at Marshall High School, where he started playing basketball. "I was on thetraining table. A young man will ask his boy about his father. Sykes is featured in the 2018 documentary film Chi-Town, produced and directed by Nick Budabin. When I was like, Oh, Im small, he was like, Nah, you can go to the NBA. He took birth to his late father, James Sykes, and his mother, Lisa Sykes, as the youngest of their nine children. You can go D-I. These were things that I had doubts of. Ithink the basket was moving. Keifer Sykes. Four-year starter Gary Bell Jr. hopes to have his son, Gary Bell III, in the stands come the first weekend of theNCAA Tournamentin Seattle or Portland. In fact, Sykes is technically on a two-year deal, but the second year of his contract is non-guaranteed. 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. Sykes estimated he's trekked it back and forth about 20 times per season over the past four years. [13], After going undrafted in the 2015 NBA draft, Sykes joined the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 2015 NBA Summer League. Although Sykes has not brought details of his wife in light, he is a father to his son Hugo and daughter Zarah. Branden had lost "significant weight" and was unable to consistently eat due to anxiety. Sykes father, James, died of a heart attack June 6, 2012. Keifer's parents met when fate played a chord. Johnson has two teammates, Markel Crawford and Trahson Burrell, who are fathers. He carried the Phoenix to a 75-72 victory with 21 points and a game-high 10 assists, compared to 17 points and six rebounds from Brogdon. Sykes is featured in the 2018 documentary film Chi-Town, produced and directed by Nick Budabin. Having not yet committed to Michigan State, the stress of choosing a college only added to Dawson's ongoing personal strain. Keifer Sykes was a two-time Horizon League Player of the Year at Green Bay. Some of them terrifying, like the hell and stress Rhode Island's T.J. Buchanan has endured all season. At the time I didnt know that, but he was affirming my greatness. . An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. "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. Where the family is. They want me to stay overseas to make more money for them. 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. The journeyman said it was disheartening to come within arm's reach of his NBA dream again, but he didnt stay down for long. Mississippi State's Rick Ray is a coach with a lot of thoughts on this because he has a lot of players -- five of them -- in this situation. At the time of Sykes' recruitment, Wardle (his coach), who became a dad at 26, could empathize. [7] Sykes and 7ft 1in (2.16m) standout player Alec Brown led the Phoenix to a 245 regular season record and finished first in the Horizon League. Of course he was worried about telling mom. 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. As of 2021, he is representing Fort Wayne Mad Ants, a professional basketball team of Indiana. Hes really popular in the community, and were just so proud of him. Follow IndyStar Pacers beat writer James Boyd on Twitter: @RomeovilleKid. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. [30], On December 27, 2021, Sykes signed with the Indiana Pacers for the remainder of the season. Without an iota of resentment in his voice, the Michigan State star answers: three years. "We were a stage for him to perform on. when he's on the foul line. Sykes' relationship with his son is the connection he carries from the one he had with his father, that connection he still feels, but one that inevitably dims with the passage of time. 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. These are really childhood dreams we turned into reality for real, and I think thats the most exciting part. Dawson remembers that. "She was really scared to tell me," Dawson said of his girlfriend's pregnancy. Having seen each other from afar in previous years, they met again, of all places, in an ER when she was 23. 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. 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. Hes so well-rounded. I wanted to wait a few days," Bell said. And whatever makes the mother happy, it's all about making the child happy. On Dec. 7, 2013, Wisconsin Green-Bay hosted and upset Virginia behind a stellar performance from Sykes. After a successful college career, Sykesplayed the 2015 NBA Summer Leaguewith the Cleveland Cavaliers. NBA News. Bell's boy already loves basketball. I didnt go somewhere that eased me into it. He's got a goofy personality and caring heart but also boasts a paternal side that's as sanguine as it is dedicated. Going to Europe would mean Sykes, who is not married and not dating the mother of his child, could not bring KJ with him. It has been less than two weeks but with all of the COVID roster shuffling and another player,. 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. Following his senior year at Marshall Metro in Chicago, Sykes wasn't even considered a top-25 senior in Illinois. Gathers, who's likely to return for his senior season, said his household of three is living off $15,000 per year. There are dads playing at Minnesota and UNC Wilmington. He graduates in two months. The 21-year-old Bears power forward, a second cousin to the late Hank Gathers (who died 25 years to the day of this story's publishing), married his longtime girlfriend on June 10, 2013. The two began dating and created a family out of wedlock. Its been a blessing. New Mexico and Mississippi State -- schools in the two states with the highest teen pregnancy rates in the country, feature players who are fathers. Simple things about how to feed your baby. 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. Those are the things people have no idea what's going on behind closed doors with so many teams.". He then joined the franchises G League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, and after shining as the teams floor general, he was called up Dec. 27, made his NBA debut against Charlotte on Dec. 29 the day before his 28th birthday scored his first NBA points against his hometown Bulls on Dec. 31 and signed a guaranteed deal for the rest of the season Jan. 7. He converted a traditional 3-point play when he drove, banked a shot and got a free throw, too. "So Im very fortunate to have that opportunity. 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. His daughter Zarah has just turned six years old on 22 September 2021. When was Keifer Sykes born? 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. It wasn't a happy cry. Imagine sitting in a class, your leg jackhammering the tile, waiting for a phone call to come. Soon after, the Austin Spurs acquired him for the NBA G League, and Sykes stayed there until 2016. The sacrifices she made, man. 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.". Joniah Jr. lives 260 miles away, in Grenada, Mississippi, while his dad is getting his sea legs under him as a freshman in Ruston, Louisiana. 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. Chicago's Keifer Sykes soaking in his moment after TBT winner and NBA contract with Pacers By Scott Powers Aug 5, 2021 1 Daniel Poneman isn't sure why exactly he hadn't revealed Keifer. Sykes averaged a G-League-high 8.0 assists with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, and Pacers coach Rick Carlisle is confident he can be successful in the NBA, too, on offense and defense. It made my heart weep in joy, not weep in sorrow but in joy that, Wow, he really feels that way about me.. Baylor's Rico Gathers, who's closing in on the Big 12's single-season record for rebounds, isbeamingabout his wife and life over the phone. More:Why do the Pacers keep losing close games? 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