I wanted to wait a few days," Bell said. 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. Sykes had nearly 100 ticket requests for this game, and he will not disappoint the familiars. 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. If he's in town, have him around practice, around the locker room. He madehis firstNBA startat Cleveland onJan. 2, scoring 10 points. After a game, win or lose, I walk up to him and he's just laughing. [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. She's long had a keen love for caring for the young, something as immediately evident in Keifer as his flaring athleticism. What he didn't know was that he wouldn't be a part of it. "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.. Continue with Recommended Cookies. His daughter Zarah has just turned six years old on 22 September 2021. Keifer Sykes would have used his share of the $2 million championship prize to help his Free 10 Foundation and his church. 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. Keifer will look at his son. 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. 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. He wasn't. "So Im very fortunate to have that opportunity. The only thing thats changed lately is his platform. He was just a really good man. He later joined the University of Wisconsin in Green Bay on a basketball scholarship. There's more to life than basketball. Probably no one better to hear it from (than) her because she always believed in me, her being a guard coach. Trivante Bloodman is a 22-year-old senior guard from Harlem who's barely been able to sleep in the past week. Moreover, last year on her 5th birthday, Sykes took it to his Instagram@ksykeyb28. At the conclusion of the regular season, Sykes was again named first team all-conference, he was named an honorable mention AP All-American, and was named Horizon Player of the Year. In this, Dawson's final year at Michigan State, My'Shawn has lived with him, the two of them bonding, sharing meals in a small off-campus apartment. College basketball rosters across the country are dotted with young dads. Sykes, who these days has NBA scouts frequently traveling to gelid Green Bay, has previously bypassed chances to turn pro early in Europe. "Because if dont nobody else deserve it, Keifer deserves it., Sykes has totaled 33 games in his NBA career, 10 of which he didnt play in. Former South East Melbourne Phoenix import Keifer Sykes has enjoyed a stunning rise with the Indiana Pacers, starting at point guard in their 129-121 loss to Brooklyn Nets on Thursday (AEDT) after seven years playing around the world and in the NBA G-League. [25], On October 4, 2020, Sykes signed a 1-month contract with Panathinaikos of the Greek Basket League. He felt shock, and immediately told his father. At one point, a boy asked the Indiana Pacers guard to follow him on Instagram. I remember they tried to send me home, and the way they do it is like they give you a week trial run. Sykes became the only active player in the nation with 2,000+ points, 500+ assists, and 400+ rebounds. Without an iota of resentment in his voice, the Michigan State star answers: three years. 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. It's about mom just as much as dad. [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. 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. I had a rim in my garage, and Id pull it out in the alley, and we would let the rim down to like 8 feet so (Sykes) could dunk with the rest of us. Keifer Sykes plays professional basketball in Turkey, not Los Angeles or New York. The unexpected death came a month removed from the end of Keifer's freshman year. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but Brogdon will never forget his introduction to Sykes. The sacrifices she made, man. "I walk in the door, my parents are sitting at the table. The next thing I know I hear the coaches banging on the door. Having not yet committed to Michigan State, the stress of choosing a college only added to Dawson's ongoing personal strain. 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. Keifer Sykes was a two-time Horizon League Player of the Year at Green Bay. 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. I remember we used to play in the alley, McKinnie said. New Mexico and Mississippi State -- schools in the two states with the highest teen pregnancy rates in the country, feature players who are fathers. "For me,itwas just me getting my first bucket. But in talking to dozens of college coaches for this story, you discover that that this is a more common situation than you might think. His performance warranted praise from Pacers coach Rick Carlisle, who has repeatedly noted how remarkable Sykes career has been. [30], On December 27, 2021, Sykes signed with the Indiana Pacers for the remainder of the season. And I was just like, OK, Imma kill, because if you dont do your thing, youre out.. The hardest thing was the drive. The former Indiana Pacers point guard prefers a low-key personal life. 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. He is at Green Bay because that staff impressed his father. Sykes won the 2015 Horizon League player of the year to join the elite company of players to win the award twice. Simple things about how to feed your baby. Keifer Jerail Sykes, born Dec. 30, 1993, is the last child in his family. "Everything that she did for us, losing my dad, taking care of everybody she deserves this more than anybody. And these (five games) that he's played, he's played tremendously. (Without prompt, Sykes publicly defended his coach throughout the ordeal.). 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. Moreover, Sykes graduated from there with a degree in Communications. We put in all that work, and they didn't pay us. For me, my pride in him is just on his self-belief and determination.. It has been less than two weeks but with all of the COVID roster shuffling and another player,. When I first committed, I didn't know where basketball would take me. 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.". One night, when a super . (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. 10:51am: The Pacers intend to waive guard Brad Wanamaker and sign another guard, Keifer Sykes, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). KJ wasn't even 2 when his grandfather died. "I tried to hold back the tears. Where the family is. Thats the heros journey, Sykes said. Dawson's first two years at Michigan State consisted of few visits with My'Shawn during the season. Sykes said having his contract guaranteed through the end of theseason is "the highlight of my professional career," and he's thrilled that his 6-year-old daughter, Kennedi, and11-year-old son, Keifer Jr., can finally say their daddy is officially in the NBA. The game-winner capped. An uncle to six and the son of a farmer, Anderson grew up bailing hay in Newark, 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. 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. When he's running around, jumping, having fun, I can't do nothing but laugh. Breakups, forced relationships, long-distance relationships, fractures between families, money -- these are stresses that, comparatively, make basketball seem so simple. The sacrifices she made, man. "I didn't want to do it. The big thing with me is, I want Keifer to be a good father first. Obviously the city is gonna be so happy,"Sykes said. " The first words out of his mouth are eerily foreshadowing. I cant do that. People think it's hard, and it is, but when I'm around KJ, that's the only time I can really get away from [basketball]. One of those players already had a child, and the other had one on the way. section: | slug: paternal-fraternity-the-overlooked-reality-behind-so-many-college-athletes-daily-lives-as-fathers | sport: collegebasketball | route: article_single.us | Whereas Dawson did not have a prominent father, Sykes' relationship with his was irrepressible. 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. I'm still frustrated we lost, but now I'm like, that's over with. . It's free school, and I'm getting it, so let's go.". "I do not want to go pro overseas," he said. I just repeated it like, Remember what your dad said. His dad taught him everything he knows about being a man, being responsible and taking the lead in everything you do.. It's very important to Keifer that KJ does not forget -- or rather, can easily remember -- who Keifer's father was. Playing for two beating hearts. Keifer Jerail Sykes, born Dec. 30, 1993, is the last child in his family. Keifer's parents met when fate played a chord. [19], In the summer of 2016, Sykes joined the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 NBA Summer League. But that's what it takes to be a superhero for my family, a superhero in my community and a good basketball player. Hes so well-rounded. 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. Bell's boy already loves basketball. And as I have witnessed in recent days, the documentary is being augmented with a videographer. Keifer's always been a person purely at comfort around family and only his family. Antetokounmpo leads Milwaukee against Brooklyn after 45-point game. You scope college basketball, and the stories are everywhere. 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 always had a way with kids, even when he was one. A lot of people don't see the world until college. It's a seven-hour drive round trip from Green Bay to Chicago. Milwaukee Bucks (22-9, first in the Eastern . Keifer Jerail Sykes (born December 30, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Motor City Cruise of the NBA G League. At the time of Sykes' recruitment, Wardle (his coach), who became a dad at 26, could empathize. 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. The 4 year old sat behind Green Bay's bench, in section 115, watching his dad make history last Thursday. Sykes said having his contract guaranteed through the end of the season is "the highlight of my professional career," and he's thrilled that his 6-year-old daughter, Kennedi, and 11-year-old. Although Sykes has not brought details of his wife in light, he is a father to his son Hugo and daughter Zarah. He was 16. He has not revealed his current relationship or marital status. Both anticipated that their contracts would be guaranteed through the end of the seasonFriday, and McKinnie was retained, too. Sykes signed with Scandone Avellino of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A on August 7, 2018.[21]. It wasnt like when I went to Europe and your teammates have been around American players enough to know some English. 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. Moments after making the million-dollar shot, it was reported by multiple outlets that Sykes signed with the Pacers, bookending a truly remarkable day. Sykes set a conference record as he was named the Horizon League player of the week thirteen times over his career. The journeyman said it was disheartening to come within arm's reach of his NBA dream again, but he didnt stay down for long. 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. And when Michigan State's got a road game, he'll ask Johnny or Devonte, "Is that my dad playing?". 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