For Sykes, whos been giving back for years, that was the norm. [1] The film follows Sykes' path from high school to his brush with the NBA. We both were really scared. For some, this is a touchy subject. Sykes and the mother of his child broke up when he was 17, when he left for college. 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. "The milk is spilt all over the place," she recalled saying. At the time KJ was born Keifer was holding down a job with the Chicago Public Schools system, playing basketball and working rec centers with kids on the east side. He so reminds me of Keifer.". The Pacers' Keifer Sykes.AP Even when I was younger, he would just always affirm my greatness, Sykes said. 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. When Sykes joined the Phoenix, Mitchell put him back at his natural position, point guard. I lost like 40 or 50 grand.". Sykes spent one season in South Korea, but he said that was just the beginning of the hardships he faced as he continued playing in Italy, Greece, Turkey and China. [13], After going undrafted in the 2015 NBA draft, Sykes joined the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 2015 NBA Summer League. Earlier that day, Sykes was at Marshall High School in Chicago, his alma mater, about a 25-minute drive from Proviso East, giving away coats and hope. [32], On November 3, 2022, Sykes was named to the opening night roster for the Motor City Cruise.[33]. College basketball rosters across the country are dotted with young dads. "I was speechless," he said. Gathers, who's likely to return for his senior season, said his household of three is living off $15,000 per year. According to dad, My'Shawn's "not the typical kid who wants to come home and watch cartoons." The best rebounder in college basketball, perhaps the most intimidating player in the sport, is a father. He later joined the San Antonio Spurs on 28 September 2015. They say, 'You don't know what it's like to be on food stamps,' and I say, 'I've been through it.'". An uncle to six and the son of a farmer, Anderson grew up bailing hay in Newark, Illinois. It's very important to Keifer that KJ does not forget -- or rather, can easily remember -- who Keifer's father was. 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. My own trainers telling me, 'Prepare and train for overseas,' and I'm telling them, 'No.' His son, My'Shawn, was born March 30, 2010. "My stomach just dropped when I saw what he looked like. And when Michigan State's got a road game, he'll ask Johnny or Devonte, "Is that my dad playing?". We've had them come in as a group and have my wife talking about child-rearing. Because even as a mom you dont expect your children to praise you like that. Harrington praised Sykes for his resiliency throughout his triumphant but often tough career. [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. After a game at Indiana in 2012, Dawson asked coach Tom Izzo if he could ride with his family from Bloomington to Indianapolis to escape and spend one night with his son. Afterward, he takes dozens of pictures and shakes the hands of nearly 200 people, plenty of whom he does not know. "Most four-year players have a teammate at some point who is either having a child or has had a child," Illinois state coach Dan Muller, who's coached a few dads, said. He was named first team All-Horizon League.[6]. His college scholarship goes toward rent. More than a decade later, and after making a name for himself overseas, the only box Sykes said he had left to check was to beat the odds his younger self foretold and finally play in an NBA game. "I don't ever want to go through that as a head coach again," Wardle said. When was Keifer Sykes born? Sykes mother called Keifer to tell him what happened, and when she couldnt reach him, she called his college coach Brian Wardle. 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 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. From there, Sykes bounced around the fringes of the NBA, joining the Cavaliers for the 2015 Summer League, then signing with San Antonio his father's favorite team and appearing in three 2015-16 preseason games, before being waived and picked up by the Spurs D League (now G League) affiliate, the Austin Spurs. When he's running around, jumping, having fun, I can't do nothing but laugh. 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. "Little KJ is very outspoken, loud, and a joy to be around," Lisa Sykes said. Soon after, the Austin Spurs acquired him for the NBA G League, and Sykes stayed there until 2016. We playing my hometown team, it was just my birthday (Dec. 30), everybody is excited like, 'You finally (got) the call up.' But the most important thing said that night: "The child will be taken care of." It's about mom just as much as dad. [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. Im not entitled to anything, and Im still working. Chi-Town: Directed by Nick Budabin. If anything, Sykes being a dad was a positive. 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. I remember we used to play in the alley, McKinnie said. "It was a surreal moment," Bell said of watching his son be born. "That was the hardest part, telling her, and the first thing she said was, 'She's going to be cute.'". In high school, Sykes would ride alone on the green line to Marshall Metro High -- the team featured in the beloved basketball documentaryHoop Dreams-- where he played his way onto varsity and would become a McDonald's All-American honorable mention. Over Indianas past two games,Sykes is averaging 20.0points, 5.5assists and 3.5rebounds while shooting 53.8% from the field, 50.0% on 3-pointers and 85.7% at the free-throw line. Keifer prides his relationship with his son as an extension of what he had with his dad. [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. In addition to having the second-highest teen pregnancy rate, Mississippi charts as the poorest state in the nation. 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]. Yet, Forbes in 2019 evaluated that he must be receiving a minimum NBA salary which was $900,000. Its been a blessing. 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). NBA News. I told them, 'Don't have any babies. You can go to college. Keifer Sykes scanned the gym at Proviso East High School in Maywood, Illinois, watching as grade school children ran around playing basketball the game that's taken him around the world but. Keifer Sykes was born on December 30, 1993. Hes really popular in the community, and were just so proud of him. Nine children from five mothers and two fathers. We come from poverty. However, he regularlymentions his children during interviewsand posts pictures of them on his social media handles. We see him as one our guys, even though we only played a small part in his rise and elevation. I could never do that. The sacrifices she made, man. Vital players at Cincinnati, Southeastern Louisiana and VCU (two players) are fathers. This June will mark a decade since Keifer Sykes father died, 10 years of carrying on without his biggest fan. [26] The team later tried to sign Sykes to a contract for another month, but Sykes balked, wanting an agreement through the end of the year, and was let go by Panathinaikos at the end of October. Gathers saved up his scholarship checks ($400 per month) and Pell Grant money to help pay Bria's rent, which came to nearly $800/month. 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. 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. Sykes won the 2015 Horizon League player of the year to join the elite company of players to win the award twice. Sykes set a conference record as he was named the Horizon League player of the week thirteen times over his career. "You don't want to encourage your guys to have kids out of wedlock, but when it happens, you have to help them. His performance warranted praise from Pacers coach Rick Carlisle, who has repeatedly noted how remarkable Sykes career has been. Why is Keifer the father he is? He does, however, remember the last time he saw his father, when James Sykes dropped him off at either a train or bus station to go back to Wisconsin Green-Bay to continue summer classes and workouts. Keifer Sykes: Waived by Indiana. 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. Obviously the city is gonna be so happy,"Sykes said. " 2023 www.indystar.com. This is a man who fondly recalls buying a $134 ring from Walmart the night before he proposed. 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. when he's on the foul line. However, no valid sources have yet revealed his annual pay in numbers. Korea checks hit $250,000, but it's cutthroat", "Long Lions agree terms with Keifer Sykes", "Turk Telekom Ankara officially signs Keifer Sykes", "Panathinaikos announces 1-month deal with Keifer Sykes", "Panathinaikos to part ways with Keifer Sykes", "Phoenix Complete Roster with Keifer Sykes", "Pacers Sign Washington Jr., Sykes, Taylor", "Keifer Sykes earns NBA Call-Up with the Indiana Pacers", "Pacers Sign Terry Taylor And Duane Washington, Jr", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Keifer_Sykes&oldid=1120027463, American expatriate basketball people in Australia, American expatriate basketball people in Greece, American expatriate basketball people in Italy, American expatriate basketball people in South Korea, American expatriate basketball people in Turkey, Green Bay Phoenix men's basketball players, Undrafted National Basketball Association players, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 4 November 2022, at 18:08. 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. His father, his best friend, was dead. Home. He hasn't yet made his NBA dream fit inside his 6-foot frame. So, if I get a DNP, how could I be mad? Aubrey was born at 9:30 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 24. KJ wasn't even 2 when his grandfather died. I can't wait to talk to her. Moreover, last year on her 5th birthday, Sykes took it to his Instagram @ksykeyb28. 10:51am: The Pacers intend to waive guard Brad Wanamaker and sign another guard, Keifer Sykes, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski (via Twitter). Buchanan, who leads URI in assists, played in Tuesday night's game against the Flyers, a vital one for Rhode Island's NCAA tourney at-large chances. When James passed away, it was hard on everybody, but something definitely clicked in Keifer, Wardle said. In high school. Mitchell said he keeps in touch with Sykes and, because of the time difference between the U.S. and Australia, the Phoenix often watch Pacers games when they get out of practice in the afternoon. They think, 'that's what I eat, so that's what the baby should eat.' 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. [11] For the week of January 410 of 2015, Sykes won the Naismith National Player of the Week Award. 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. , Im not forgetting these things. Once my brother left, I went to school by myself. He's a good kid; he's not a distraction.". I was at the back and people didnt believe in me, but my dad always believed in me and always affirmed me.. 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