Even when I was younger, he would just always affirm my greatness, Sykes said. His father, his best friend, was dead. Sykes is featured in the 2018 documentary film Chi-Town, produced and directed by Nick Budabin. 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. She's going through the same thing these young ladies are going through. Sykes had done all he could at Wisconsin Green-Bay, ending his illustrious college career with 2,096 points, 522 assists and 467 rebounds. You could call this, The Keifer Effect, McKinnie said. With the championship and money on the line, he drained the game-winning 3 to lift Boeheims army to a 69-67 walk-off victory. On February 26, 2015, playing in his hometown of Chicago, Sykes scored a career-high 36 points against UIC to surpass the 2,000-point mark for his career. New Mexico and Mississippi State -- schools in the two states with the highest teen pregnancy rates in the country, feature players who are fathers. The player is now back at school, away from his child, but not on the team. According to Pacers teammate and Wisconsin native Tyrese Haliburton, Sykes is a GB legend, and fellow teammate Malcolm Brogdon had the chance to see that legend in the making during college. 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 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. He kept it from her as long as possible; the "entire school" knew about it, but she didn't. 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. 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. I remember we used to play in the alley, McKinnie said. What he didn't know was that he wouldn't be a part of it. Keifer Jerail Sykes, born Dec. 30, 1993, is the last child in his family. Hes gonna have the film footage, and its the continuation of truly one of the amazing stories in sport.. [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. This is a man who fondly recalls buying a $134 ring from Walmart the night before he proposed. Stephen A.: Lakers won't advance beyond play-in without LeBron. As apro-basketball player, Sykes weighs around 175 pounds and stands at theheightof 5 feet 11 inches. It wasn't a happy cry. Despite all of those who tried to put a ceiling on his career as hetraveledthe world,there was always at least one person back home reminding Sykes to shoot for the stars: his mom, Lisa. So long as his health is good, he'll have earned a pro contract by then. Keifer said that conversation will probably come in the next year or so. He was already a mature freshman, and that made him grow up even faster and kind of take his work ethic to another level. I was kind of sad. We've had people tell us to not keep the baby, frankly.". In the 2017-18 season, Sykes played for Ankara DS S.K. "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.". [32], On November 3, 2022, Sykes was named to the opening night roster for the Motor City Cruise.[33]. So when you see a kid and he graduated (high school) in 2021 on back, and he comes up and he makes it to the league, youll be like, Man, hes so tough. Its all demonstrated in the documentary, Carlisle said after the game. It made my heart weep in joy, not weep in sorrow but in joy that, Wow, he really feels that way about me.. Yet, Forbes in 2019 evaluated that he must be receiving a minimum NBA salary which was $900,000. You could be winning and they still try to nitpick at something. The shoes were squeaking, the coaches were yelling and the kids were smiling. Gathers recalls now the way he won her over -- by attending her 16th birthday party and jokingly signing a basketball for her as a present. Sykes said he was in a state of denial, praying hed wake up and the nightmare would be over. Once she looked up at me, it was over after that.". Upon returning to Marshall whose alumni includes "Hoop Dreams" documentary star Arthur Agee, Timberwolves guard Patrick Beverly and two-time WNBA champion Cappie Pondexter Sykes gifted his former coaches and teachers a Pacers jersey as a thank you for believing in him and laying the foundation for his path to the NBA. I was the first person to see him, which was pretty cool.". In addition to having the second-highest teen pregnancy rate, Mississippi charts as the poorest state in the nation. He hasn't yet made his NBA dream fit inside his 6-foot frame. And when Michigan State's got a road game, he'll ask Johnny or Devonte, "Is that my dad playing?". 2023 www.indystar.com. When I was like, Oh, Im small, he was like, Nah, you can go to the NBA. It's a seven-hour drive round trip from Green Bay to Chicago. The biggest help to me is my wife. My'Shawn's been to almost every Spartans home game this season, sitting with Dawson's high school coach, Johnny Ryan, and a former teammate, Devonte Harris. Pacers swingmen Torrey Craig, Justin Anderson enter NBA's COVID-19 protocols, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. "(My mom) put it together after the fact," Sykes said. 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. Sykes won the 2015 Horizon League player of the year to join the elite company of players to win the award twice. [23], On December 27, 2019, Sykes signed with the Olimpia Milano until the end of the season. For Sykes, whos been giving back for years, that was the norm. Also learn how He earned most of networth at the age of 27 years old? I can't wait to see her and hug her.". 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. Almost every player interviewed for this story was scared to tell mom. 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. On 5 August 2021, he also struck a deal with the NBA team, Indiana Pacers. "I was on thetraining table. 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. I see my daughter come out to the world.". He quickly capitalized on his opportunity. 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. Pictured below, there he is in the hospital with his girlfriend, Kylee, and his baby girl, Maddox, born three weeks ago -- smack dab in the middle of the season. 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';} "My son played (NBA 2K) last night with me. Keifer Sykes was born in Chicago, Illinois. It was tough, but I knew that might be a part of my journey with me being at a mid-major, Sykes said. Fortunately, despite varied situations, some of which are depicted below, many have happy circumstances. in the Turkish TBL, posting 22.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. Where the family is. But the most important thing said that night: "The child will be taken care of." Almost nothing about Sykes' life or current situation is normal (he impregnated his then-girlfriend, Allyne, when he was 15). He posted a picture carrying her and wrote a beautiful heartfelt message. If anything, Sykes being a dad was a positive. He does stuff in his community.' An uncle to six and the son of a farmer, Anderson grew up bailing hay in Newark, Illinois. See, the basketball part, thats easy. A young man will ask his boy about his father. They're cautionary stories but uplifting ones, too. Keifer Sykes #28 of the Indiana Pacers dribbles the ball while being guarded by Chris Paul #3 of the Phoenix Suns in the third quarter at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Jan. 14, 2022, in Indianapolis. Sykes didn't like the recruiting process -- at all. "I didn't want to do it. "We were a stage for him to perform on. The next day, Bloodman played 18 minutes against Kentucky. Sykes keeps in touch with all of them but he hasn't seen Kristie and Antawn in years. The little guy is now doing better and just turned three months old. "So Im very fortunate to have that opportunity. Some schools turned down interview requests. Sykes right-hand man, Rashad McKinnie, who helps run Sykes' Free10 Foundation calls Sykes bond with the youth in the Chicagoland area the The Keifer Effect. No matter where Sykes career has taken him from starring at Marshall High School to becoming a Korean Basketball League All-Star to earning a guaranteed contract from the Pacers hes always carved out time to return to his old stomping grounds. I just needed to be myself, so I went into the bathroom, but I couldnt really get back up, Sykes said. He's the boss.". 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. I'm still frustrated we lost, but now I'm like, that's over with. written on it in white letters, didnt hesitate before handing the kid his phone and obliging. But in true Sykes fashion, he blocked out the naysayers and helped the Phoenix make the playoffs, finishing fourth in the 10-team league before being knocked out in the final four. Wardle describes it as the hardest situation of his career, far beyond anything he faced during the summer of 2013, when accusations of verbal mistreatment from former Green Bay players threatened his job. Eventually, Keifer will find himself back in Homewood, Illinois, standing over a plot where James Sykes eternally rests. In fact, Sykes is technically on a two-year deal, but the second year of his contract is non-guaranteed. Every time dad gets home, son takes it right to the hoop. 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. You go to South Korea and thats a whole different culture, Sykes said. Although Sykes has not brought details of his wife in light, he is a father to his son Hugo and daughter Zarah. If it happens, he'll count that moment, along with the one he experienced Friday, as two big wins for his hometown. Sykes father, James, died of a heart attack June 6, 2012. Sykes, a self-described daddy's boy, wasn't worried that being a father might hurt his chances in recruitment. "So she just told me congratulations. Aubrey was born at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24. And I was just like, OK, Imma kill, because if you dont do your thing, youre out.. He's a good kid; he's not a distraction.". 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. 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. *" Chi-Town " is a well-known reference to the city of Chicago, home of the Chicago Bulls with one of the unquestionably all-time greats of basketball, Michael . 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. Sykes said, laughing. We had nothing, man. KJ wasn't even 2 when his grandfather died. My'Shawn's mother lives back in Indiana; it was her idea to have father and child live together this season, in part because she's working night shifts at a Speedway to save money and find some quiet that was lost during the early years of My'Shawn's life. 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. [10] For the second time in his career, he was named to the Honorable Mention AP All-American team. 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}. And if you got children, I got your childrens back because youre doing something positive.. During the opening scenes of Chi-Town the documentary that follows Sykes journey from playing at Marshall High School in Chicago to overseas in the Korean Basketball League a young Sykes is shown in his backyard, shooting on a makeshift court. August 5, 2020. A tremendous man," Wardle said. Everything was going so fast.". They were Dawson's final moments without having the responsibility of another person's life in his hands. Moments after making the million-dollar shot, it was reported by multiple outlets that Sykes signed with the Pacers, bookending a truly remarkable day. No one taught Branden Dawson how to be a father. Keifer frequently shows his son photos to remind him. He and his wife/high school sweetheart, Laura, are expecting. I was sleeping, Sykes said. She took in five kids, taking care of my kids when I told her I wanted to play college basketball. 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. He knows all about long drives on weekends to steal time with a child. 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. "More basketball players have the opportunity to have sex with more girls. 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. It wasnt like when I went to Europe and your teammates have been around American players enough to know some English. I was charging it. Its been an overflow. Having seen each other from afar in previous years, they met again, of all places, in an ER when she was 23. KJ crowned around dinnertime on Aug. 3, 2010, at Mount Sinai Medical Center. Sykes,who was with the Pacers in the preseason before being waived, starred with Indiana's G-League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, averaging 16.3 points and a league-high 8.0 assists in 13 games this season. Im not entitled to anything, and Im still working. 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. We come from poverty. My own trainers telling me, 'Prepare and train for overseas,' and I'm telling them, 'No.' His dad is alive, but he's not around and never has been. On Tuesday morning, Buchanan got into a car with his father, aunt and uncle and drove nearly four hours to join his team in Dayton, Ohio. "I immediately fell in love with her.". When he's running around, jumping, having fun, I can't do nothing but laugh. 1 seed and took them to Game 5, which is like Game 7 over there, and lost on their floor," Sykes said. " His players have brought their children over for playdates with Ray's son, who was born in 2013. Without an iota of resentment in his voice, the Michigan State star answers: three years. There's too many [coaches] calling me. It's an intense situation for Ray and plenty of coaches who've become surrogate fathers in plenty of ways, this being a prominent one. The basket pushes him past the 2,000-point total for his career, keeping him on pace to be one of the five most prolific scorers in Horizon League history and making him the first player ever in that conference score at least 2,000 points, grab 400 rebounds and dish 400 assists. 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. A young man will ask his boy about his father would tell not... So I went to Europe and your teammates have been around American enough... To a 69-67 walk-off victory he didn & # x27 ; t a... 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