He admits now it was a lot to go through. 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.. The next day, Bloodman played 18 minutes against Kentucky. I was sleeping, Sykes said. We come from poverty. You can go to college. But mom? "We felt defeated," he said. "Looking back on my season, where did it go, and it's been a weird, weird year.". The unexpected death came a month removed from the end of Keifer's freshman year. Sykes subsequently joined the Fort Wayne Mad Ants and averaged 16.3 points, 8 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game. Almost every player interviewed for this story was scared to tell mom. "It's always been this way, really, but off the record, it's demographics, number one, and popularity of basketball players today," one coach said. Afterward, Dawson revealed his son was taken to the hospital two days earlier on account of pneumonia. Moreover, last year on her 5th birthday, Sykes took it to his Instagram@ksykeyb28. Sykes signed with Scandone Avellino of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A on August 7, 2018.[21]. 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. "I do not want to go pro overseas," he said. The biggest phone call. The hardest thing was the drive. He'll want to turn to ESPN and watch a basketball game. They were Dawson's final moments without having the responsibility of another person's life in his hands. Without her, I wouldn't have been as successful as I have been this year.". This arrangement was particularly worrisome and problematic recently, as the boy battled a bronchial infection. I'm still frustrated we lost, but now I'm like, that's over with. There's too many [coaches] calling me. 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. The sacrifices she made, man. Breakups, forced relationships, long-distance relationships, fractures between families, money -- these are stresses that, comparatively, make basketball seem so simple. "As a coach, you would love to have all parents talk to him in a lot of ways. 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. To him, these are secondary anecdotes. No one taught Branden Dawson how to be a father. Antetokounmpo leads Milwaukee against Brooklyn after 45-point game. These are things when I used to come home and tell him, Dad, they telling me Im too small, or They not treating me right. So its crazy when I see all of the things Im going through today because Ive been through all of these things before. 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. The two began dating and created a family out of wedlock. Ithink the basket was moving. I went to basketball for free college. 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. First and always, Sykes prides himself on being an awesome dad. Undrafted out of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay in 2015, Sykes went on to play with the Austin Spurs - the San Antonio Spurs' NBA G-League affiliate - for his first professional season . 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. She deserves this more than anybody. Keifer, along with six of his siblings and half-siblings, took the red line train with mom and dad to City Hall. "My stomach just dropped when I saw what he looked like. You go to South Korea and thats a whole different culture, Sykes said. KJ wasn't even 2 when his grandfather died. From mother to son. "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. 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). Sykes, Dawson and Gathers all have teammates who are dads. Even prominent teams, like Gonzaga, are touched by early fatherhood. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. [3], After graduating high school, Sykes committed to play college basketball for coach Brian Wardle and eventually alongside Marshall teammates Alfonzo McKinnie and Vincent Garret, at Green Bay. "We were a stage for him to perform on. "So she just told me congratulations. When Sykes joined the Phoenix, Mitchell put him back at his natural position, point guard. However, no valid sources have yet revealed his annual pay in numbers. Assistant coach Jenny Boucek brokethe news. Think back to high school. Keifer Sykes is 6-0 (183 cm) tall. 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. Keifer Sykes is an American athlete and professional basketball player. They have a hierarchy. His college scholarship goes toward rent. Probably no one better to hear it from (than) her because she always believed in me, her being a guard coach. They think, 'that's what I eat, so that's what the baby should eat.' The former Indiana Pacers point guard prefers a low-key personal life. INDIANAPOLIS Keifer Sykes remembers every doubter. 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. According to dad, My'Shawn's "not the typical kid who wants to come home and watch cartoons." I couldnt tell you that he was going to make a million-dollar shot or make it to the NBA, but from the time he was 13-years-old and getting ready to come to high school, I knew that boy was special., I asked #Suns star Devin Booker about his relationship with #Pacers rookie Keifer Sykes. Former Pacers guard Keifer Sykes, center, hosts a free youth camp at the Irsay Family YMCA in Indianapolis on April 30, 2022. So long as his health is good, he'll have earned a pro contract by then. Another is dealing with a touch-and-go situation in regard to an abortion decision. For Sykes, whos been giving back for years, that was the norm. Why is Keifer the father he is? "When I got there, I was nervous, and it was kind of surreal," he said. He madehis firstNBA startat Cleveland onJan. 2, scoring 10 points. [23], On December 27, 2019, Sykes signed with the Olimpia Milano until the end of the season. He's a good kid; he's not a distraction.". We had nothing. pic.twitter.com/4JC9VJNSpW, James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) January 7, 2022, "Everything that she did for us, losing my dad, taking care of everybody she deserves this more than anybody, Keifer Sykes said. 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. Flash to Feb. 12, 2015, and Freeman's sleeping in the chair next to Kylee, awaiting his miracle. Dayton kicked two players off its roster earlier this season after a dorm-room theft forced Archie Miller's hand. My foundation is about mass incarcerationand gun violence. I knew my mom couldn't afford college. 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. James Sykes, a former vice president of the Broadway Armory Park association, is buried at Memorial Gardens in Homewood, Illinois. Keifer Jerail Sykes (born December 30, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Motor City Cruise of the NBA G League. She took care of everybody.. After a game, win or lose, I walk up to him and he's just laughing. So, hell most likely head into the offseason having to prove himself all over again to the Pacers and other NBA franchises for a shot to remain in the best league in the world. My own agents telling me that I'm not gonna play in the NBA. Hows your team doing? he asked another. (In this case, an ex-girlfriend of Kiefer's told her.) He was already a mature freshman, and that made him grow up even faster and kind of take his work ethic to another level. NBA News. It's nothing else but about KJ.". 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. 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. "He's a ball of fire," Green Bay coach Brian Wardle said of KJ. Turning 5 will be the milestone. Sykes is featured in the 2018 documentary film Chi-Town, produced and directed by Nick Budabin. Waiting. So all I wanted to do is take care of her. [13], After going undrafted in the 2015 NBA draft, Sykes joined the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 2015 NBA Summer League. For more than a few college athletes, this is the side of life the public does not see. "At this point, she's three months pregnant," Keifer said. The two-time Horizon League Player of the Year scores a career-best 36 against UIC, helping the Phoenix win 72-67. He posted a picture carrying her and wrote a beautiful heartfelt message. I finally opened it when I gathered my strength and the coaches were all crying, everybody was crying. 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's going beyond the expectations of being there for his son. "I wasn't trying to map out a strategy to go pro. [5], As a sophomore, Sykes increased his production to 15.9 points and 4.3 assists per game and led the Phoenix to the 2013 CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament. Hes really popular in the community, and were just so proud of him. Lisa runs an out-of-home daycare operation. Im doing what I do as a mom and thats to provide for my children and back them in everything they do, Lisa Sykes said. Sykes became the only active player in the nation with 2,000+ points, 500+ assists, and 400+ rebounds. Its been a blessing. Keifer Jerail Sykes, born Dec. 30, 1993, is the last child in his family. He's got a goofy personality and caring heart but also boasts a paternal side that's as sanguine as it is dedicated. 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. Sykes said he had to rely on nonverbal communication skills to get on the same page as his counterparts, and after developing chemistry and playing well, it still wasnt enough. We see him as one our guys, even though we only played a small part in his rise and elevation. [8] In a 6966 loss to Wisconsin, Sykes scored 32 points, including a highlight dunk in the first possession of the game. It wasnt like when I went to Europe and your teammates have been around American players enough to know some English. He listens. 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. When Wardle got to Sykes' dorm room, the 18-year-old was sitting alone on his bathroom floor, sobbing. The next thing I know I hear the coaches banging on the door. Chi-Town: Directed by Nick Budabin. 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. "All the different agents that I went through. I was kind of sad. On Friday, the deadlinefor NBA teams to guarantee contracts for the rest of the season, the28-year-old rookiegot the last laugh whenthe Pacers decided to keep himand third-year swingmanOshae Brissett through the end of their campaign. Rhode Island and Nevada. "The rim looked so small. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? I couldnt believe it.. Following his senior year at Marshall Metro in Chicago, Sykes wasn't even considered a top-25 senior in Illinois. He so reminds me of Keifer.". Sykes joined the Pacers in late December after the team released reserve point guard Brad Wanamaker. While Sykes soaked in the action, more youngsters filed into the gym and for nearly all of them Sykes had a greeting, Whats up, killa? he asked one kid. 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