A tremendous man," Wardle said. KJ just can't wait to be 5 years old. 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. So long as his health is good, he'll have earned a pro contract by then. Keifer Sykes: Waived by Indiana. Keifer Jerail Sykes, born Dec. 30, 1993, is the last child in his family. Reach him via email: [email protected]. Lisa runs an out-of-home daycare operation. I see my daughter come out to the world.". New Mexico and Mississippi State -- schools in the two states with the highest teen pregnancy rates in the country, feature players who are fathers. 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. His performance warranted praise from Pacers coach Rick Carlisle, who has repeatedly noted how remarkable Sykes career has been. At Marshall, we were a basketball powerhouse, and it was a Chicago public school. How much does Keifer Sykes weigh? Their relationship was so strong, their parents were OK with Bria moving to Waco, enrolling in a community college, and living in her own apartment at 18. On April 5, the 5-11 guard was autographing mini basketballs and. A lot of people really wanted to get to that league, especially at that time when COVID was everywhere in the world and they just had less cases," Sykes said. I gowith different guys. Every situation is different. He worries about his 4-year-old son, Keifer Jr., who lives in a neighborhood in Chicago that Sykes knows is violent. [16] Nine days later, he was acquired by the Austin Spurs of the NBA Development League as an affiliate player of San Antonio. Lisa Sykes was asking her son's coach to tell Keifer his father was gone because she couldn't bear to do it. Some schools turned down interview requests. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'biographyhost_com-box-4','ezslot_3',131,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-box-4-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'biographyhost_com-box-4','ezslot_4',131,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-box-4-0_1');.box-4-multi-131{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}. He'll have his headstone then, and he'll have his son and grandson touching it. 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. Bell's boy already loves basketball. [30], On December 27, 2021, Sykes signed with the Indiana Pacers for the remainder of the season. You gotta be a hero to do that, to stand up in front of these kids and let them know like, I got cut from the NBA yesterday, but Imma keep pushing and try to make it, and then come back later and show them that I made it. I told him, 'Boost me up to 99 right now, and put me against Steph Curry! "Those of us that know his story, (it's) very compelling, and this is a culmination of a lot of work and a big dream.". Now, after seldomly getting to see his him early in his college years, Dawson's senior season has been a change for the happier. (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. He kept it from her as long as possible; the "entire school" knew about it, but she didn't. 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.. The contract became guaranteed. "I tell them I grew up just as disenfranchised and poverty-stricken as they were. Sykes said, laughing. 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. Assistant coach Jenny Boucek brokethe news. So, if I get a DNP, how could I be mad? 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. A chain response of fear, as it often does with teen pregnancies, triggered a stress reaction. "He's absolutely like his dad," Lisa Sykes said of her youngest. We assure our audience that we will remove any contents that are not accurate or according to formal reports and queries if they are justified. I went to basketball for free college. In Wardle's eyes -- and having spoken to many coaches on this, many expressed similar sentiment -- here was a kid who was playing for something. I told my family, 'I think the basket is moving or something,'"Sykes said, laughing. 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. She took care of everybody, man. Keifer Jerail Sykes, born Dec. 30, 1993, is the last child in his family. So all of this has been more than me. You can go D-I. These were things that I had doubts of. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. [18] In his rookie season with Austin, including the playoffs, Sykes averaged 13.1 points, 3.3 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 0.84 steals while shooting 45.9% from the field and 77.4% from the free throw line, and also recording a plus/minus of +196. Keifer's parents met when fate played a chord. How tall is Keifer Sykes? Sykes studied at Marshall High School, where he started playing basketball. "We want to young parents, to be young grandparents, all of that," Anderson said. Reach him via email: [email protected]. We come from poverty. His dad is alive, but he's not around and never has been. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Why is Keifer the father he is? Whereas Dawson did not have a prominent father, Sykes' relationship with his was irrepressible. Sykes joined Indianas G League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, and clawed his way back to the Pacers, who eventually signed him to a guaranteed deal for the rest of the 2021-22 season. Where the family is. No one taught Branden Dawson how to be a father. He relies on the motto, "More God," meaning that whenever he's faced with adversity, he'll trust God even more and remain the course. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,600],'biographyhost_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_1',164,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-medrectangle-4-0'); Throughout his career, Sykesrepresentedseveral basketball clubs worldwide like Anyang KGC (Korean Basketball league), Ankara DSI (Turkish Club), Felice Scandone (Italian Club), etc. 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. Gathers' teammate, Al Freeman? He was even more so on a mission than he was before.. 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. KJ doesn't know just yet how his grandfather died -- or even what death is, or that people disappear from the world in abrupt and unfair ways. "It was a surreal moment," Bell said of watching his son be born. 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. Follow IndyStar Pacers beat writer James Boyd on Twitter: @RomeovilleKid. It's a boy, and they're down to two names with two months to go. "As a coach, you would love to have all parents talk to him in a lot of ways. [1] The film follows Sykes' path from high school to his brush with the NBA. She's long had a keen love for caring for the young, something as immediately evident in Keifer as his flaring athleticism. All rights reserved. Sykes averaged 5.6 points, 1.9 assists and 1.4 rebounds . Every mom always finds out. It's a dimension some critics didn't realize when they were all too eager to bemoan Dawson's performance in MSU's loss last Sunday at Wisconsin, wherein Dawson had four points and two rebounds. We both were really scared. He's a good kid; he's not a distraction.". Sykes, wearing a black hat with "purpose." Having not yet committed to Michigan State, the stress of choosing a college only added to Dawson's ongoing personal strain. He felt shock, and immediately told his father. When Sykes joined the Phoenix, Mitchell put him back at his natural position, point guard. Moments after making the million-dollar shot, it was reported by multiple outlets that Sykes signed with the Pacers, bookending a truly remarkable day. 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. [28], On August 5, 2021, Sykes signed a contract with the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Sykes didn't like the recruiting process -- at all. "It's not easy, for me, but the best thing I have going on for me right now is my wife," Gathers said. At James Sykes' urging, and Keifer's own interest in ending the courtship of so many other coaching staffs, he committed fairly early as a junior. "I was on thetraining table. She thought he had dropped something or whatever. "You don't want to encourage your guys to have kids out of wedlock, but when it happens, you have to help them. We put in all that work, and they didn't pay us. May 14 is the due date. My mom's going crazy, and my dad was taking heat. 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. Stephen A. Smith discusses why the Lakers are a better . The little guy is now doing better and just turned three months old. Milwaukee Bucks (22-9, first in the Eastern . "I didn't expect much out of basketball," Sykes said. 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. "I just stuck with the plan and for it to become real, man, it's just a testament to believing in yourself. "I can finally say I made it," Sykes said. 'You don't know who this is?'". 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. Free schooling.". The Pacers' Keifer Sykes.AP In thesix years of his professional career, Sykes has played for various leagues worldwide, including the NBA and NBA G League. Inconvenient, opportunistic, stressful, hopeful, problematic, irritating, invigorating, a blessing all at once. And like Dawson and Sykes, he's a pro prospect. I told them, 'Don't have any babies. However, they waived him on 21 October of the same year, after three preseason games. Also learn how He earned most of networth at the age of 27 years old? "At first there was a lot of fear. The 28-year-old doesnt remember the last conversation he had with his dad because he never expected it to be the final one. Five and a half years later, James and Lisa Sykes married, on April 27, 1999. Keifer Sykes was on campus after his freshman season at Wisconsin-Green Bay, taking summer classes and going through workouts, when his phone rang around 7:30 a.m. His older brother, Jarvis Tucker, was on the other end. The biggest phone call. Moreover, Sykes graduated from there with a degree in Communications. Keifer Sykes scanned the gym at Proviso East High School in Maywood, Illinois, watching as grade school children ran around playing basketball the game thats taken him around the world but never kept him away from home. On 5 August 2021, he also struck a deal with the NBA team, Indiana Pacers. "Everything that she did for us, losing my dad, taking care of everybody she deserves this more than anybody. "I don't ever want to go through that as a head coach again," Wardle said. 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.. He averaged 11.2 points and 3.3 assists per game. And I was just like, OK, Imma kill, because if you dont do your thing, youre out.. 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 wasn't even 2 when his grandfather died. Hes so well-rounded. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. Sykes grew up on southeast side of Chicago, on East 67th Street and South Cregier, in a project apartment complex. "I didn't want to do it. 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. "One time I asked him, and he didn't know. My heart was just filled with so much joy when he got what he wanted, and thats to play in the NBA for his dream, Lisa Sykes said. Sykes was still at Wisconsin Green-Bay when the shooting happened and came to visit Harrington shortly afterward. Like Sykes, he's a senior NBA prospect. He still gets frazzled thinking back to cutting KJ's umbilical cord, which he hesitantly failed to prune on first attempt, and only succeeded on the second snip under the loving demands of his father that he cut his son's cord. 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.. He so reminds me of Keifer.". [23], On December 27, 2019, Sykes signed with the Olimpia Milano until the end of the season. He converted a traditional 3-point play when he drove, banked a shot and got a free throw, too. 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. 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. I was sleeping, Sykes said. 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. For now, the per diem pays for diapers. [29] He was waived at the end of training camp. 1:08; See All. I was afraid to tell my mom.". Chi-Town: Directed by Nick Budabin. KJ crowned around dinnertime on Aug. 3, 2010, at Mount Sinai Medical Center. The diminutive guard, who's averaging 5.7 points per game, said he never gets discouraged, though, because hes learned that nothing is guaranteed while hes on his heros journey.. 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