"I wasn't trying to map out a strategy to go pro. No one taught Branden Dawson how to be a father. Sykes' son represents an overlooked and under-discussed fact of life for so many college athletes: fatherhood. Following his senior year at Marshall Metro in Chicago, Sykes wasn't even considered a top-25 senior in Illinois. 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. Gathers, who's likely to return for his senior season, said his household of three is living off $15,000 per year. 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. Another team lost a player in the middle of the night, without warning, because he was given an ultimatum by the child's mother. 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. "It's the first time I had to do real school work. . At the time of Sykes' recruitment, Wardle (his coach), who became a dad at 26, could empathize. "I had my first child when I was 20. section: | slug: paternal-fraternity-the-overlooked-reality-behind-so-many-college-athletes-daily-lives-as-fathers | sport: collegebasketball | route: article_single.us | And I was just like, OK, Imma kill, because if you dont do your thing, youre out.. Keifer Sykes' 3-pointer wins TBT for Boeheim's Army. 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.. I can't describe how gracious God has been toward us. [25], On October 4, 2020, Sykes signed a 1-month contract with Panathinaikos of the Greek Basket League. "I wouldn't say that it was planned but I definitely wouldn't say it was an accident," Gathers said of Bria's pregnancy, the climax of which included Rico taking four trips in one day to a Danny & Clyde's po'boy joint while Bria was in labor. Lisa Sykes, who passed out pizza during her sons coat giveaway at Proviso East, said she never wanted to visit her children in prison or, worse, bury them. All rights reserved. "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. I forgot to even call my mom. [10] For the second time in his career, he was named to the Honorable Mention AP All-American team. Lisa Sykes was asking her son's coach to tell Keifer his father was gone because she couldn't bear to do it. Sykes has seen his role grow over the years, shouldering more and more of the offensive workload for Green Bay, while rounding himself into a dynamic offensive option. [32], On November 3, 2022, Sykes was named to the opening night roster for the Motor City Cruise.[33]. 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. ", James Sykes died of heart failure on June 6, 2012. There's too many [coaches] calling me. The 21-year-old Bears power forward, a second cousin to the late Hank Gathers (who died 25 years to the day of this story's publishing), married his longtime girlfriend on June 10, 2013. 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. 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. He's going beyond the expectations of being there for his son. "For me,itwas just me getting my first bucket. Dayton kicked two players off its roster earlier this season after a dorm-room theft forced Archie Miller's hand. Some of them terrifying, like the hell and stress Rhode Island's T.J. Buchanan has endured all season. Most of the deals being completed around the NBA right now are 10-day hardship contracts, but it doesn't appear that'll be the case here, since the Pacers don't have any players in the health and safety protocols and will be waiving a . "He's a ball of fire," Green Bay coach Brian Wardle said of KJ. This is a man who fondly recalls buying a $134 ring from Walmart the night before he proposed. The little guy is now doing better and just turned three months old. However, he regularlymentions his children during interviewsand posts pictures of them on his social media handles. Wardle answered his phone that afternoon to hear the mother of his talented newcomer crying on the other line. I was kind of sad. 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. Keifer frequently shows his son photos to remind him. [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. Go to college, live your life. 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). The big thing with me is, I want Keifer to be a good father first. 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. There's more to life than basketball. Sykes signed a non-guaranteed two-year deal with a team option for the second season with Indiana on Dec. 27, and the 5-11 guardfound out he'd been retained for his first seasonwhile at the team's practice facility Friday. Keifer Sykes. [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. The ones, even in his inner circle, who repeatedly toldhim he'd never make it to the NBA. He felt shock, and immediately told his father. It's been an emotional journey for Freeman, who went out and bought a few pregnancy tests last summer, and then cried and hugged Kylee as they discovered they'd be parents. Where was Keifer Sykes born? A tremendous man," Wardle said. 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. The 4 year old sat behind Green Bay's bench, in section 115, watching his dad make history last Thursday. She took care of everybody.. Of course he was worried about telling mom. Another is dealing with a touch-and-go situation in regard to an abortion decision. Keifer Sykes' 3-pointer wins TBT for Boeheim's Army. The biggest help to me is my wife. James Sykes, a former vice president of the Broadway Armory Park association, is buried at Memorial Gardens in Homewood, Illinois. 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. He quickly capitalized on his opportunity. His dad is alive, but he's not around and never has been. His college scholarship goes toward rent. 2004-2023 CBS Interactive. He averaged 11.2 points and 3.3 assists per game. Although Sykes has not brought details of his wife in light, he is a father to his son Hugo and daughter Zarah. Keifer's always been a person purely at comfort around family and only his family. It's nothing else but about KJ.". After taking a trip down memory lane at Marshall, Sykes headed to Proviso East, the alma mater of his friend and Mavericks guard Sterling Brown, to host a one-day basketball league and another coat drive the two pros organized together. 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. Hows your team doing? he asked another. Sykes went on to become a three-time First-Team All-Horizon League honoree and two-time Horizon League Player of the Year, solidifying himself as one of the best players in Wisconsin-Green Bay history. We've had them come in as a group and have my wife talking about child-rearing. But mom? The plan is for mother and child to pack up and go with. Both anticipated that their contracts would be guaranteed through the end of the seasonFriday, and McKinnie was retained, too. The mother, who Kedren has known since middle school, lives in Johnson's hometown of Lewisburg, Tennessee. So Im always a fan of guys like Keifer that defy the odds.. He was already a mature freshman, and that made him grow up even faster and kind of take his work ethic to another level. Theres a lot of different rules over there. Almost nothing about Sykes' life or current situation is normal (he impregnated his then-girlfriend, Allyne, when he was 15). Eventually, Keifer will find himself back in Homewood, Illinois, standing over a plot where James Sykes eternally rests. I didn't want my children to go through that. Every year he's gotten better at balancing and understanding that. Flash to Feb. 12, 2015, and Freeman's sleeping in the chair next to Kylee, awaiting his miracle. 28 jerseys with his best friend. His father taught him and told him about becoming a boy to a man, Lisa Sykes said. KJ just can't wait to be 5 years old. He's got a goofy personality and caring heart but also boasts a paternal side that's as sanguine as it is dedicated. We come from poverty. Why do the Pacers keep losing close games? It's a seven-hour drive round trip from Green Bay to Chicago. So they bring the other (American) player in and start working him out so they can be ready and they tell you whatever games you have that week, and at the end of the week they decide to keep you or cut you. I remember being cut by the Pacers (before the season) and having to tell my son that I got cut, feeling like I just got cut in front of everybody, and I still had to do a seventh- and eighth-grade camp the next day. 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. [1] The film follows Sykes' path from high school to his brush with the NBA. 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. Moreover, last year on her 5th birthday, Sykes took it to his Instagram @ksykeyb28. He later joined the San Antonio Spurs on 28 September 2015. Sykes averaged 5.6 points, 1.9 assists and 1.4 rebounds . 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. So I was processing it, and then I didnt know what to do. A few births have been by choice, but obviously many occur by accident. He'll have his headstone then, and he'll have his son and grandson touching it. Keifer said that conversation will probably come in the next year or so. [23], On December 27, 2019, Sykes signed with the Olimpia Milano until the end of the season. After competing in Australia, Sykes was recruited by former Syracuse star Eric Devendorf to play for the Oranges alumni team, Boeheim's Army, in The Basketball Tournament. 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. Sykes said he nearly "gave up on everything" after his father's death, but he kept going through countless sleepless nights to carry on James Sykes' legacy. 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. The sacrifices she made, man. Without an iota of resentment in his voice, the Michigan State star answers: three years. (In this case, an ex-girlfriend of Kiefer's told her.) The undersized guard scored a career- and team-high22 points Tuesday against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden and went toe-to-toe Wednesday with Nets superstar Kyrie Irving, who made his season debut in Indianapolis. 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]. 12:00 am ET, Branden Dawson celebrates by cutting down the net after Michigan State won the East Regional Final of the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. 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. Turning 5 will be the milestone. Suddenly he was holding ice chips and helping her breathe through the birth. Im not entitled to anything, and Im still working. Its a remarkable story, and his story obviously goes back way before the NBA with his rise through Chicago.. "I don't ever want to go through that as a head coach again," Wardle said. He admits now it was a lot to go through. Keifer Sykes weighs 180 lbs (81 kg). The former University of Wisconsin-Green Bay star . My own trainers telling me, 'Prepare and train for overseas,' and I'm telling them, 'No.' For some, this is a touchy subject. Sykes was waived by the Pacers on Wednesday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'biographyhost_com-banner-1','ezslot_5',132,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-banner-1-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'biographyhost_com-banner-1','ezslot_6',132,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-biographyhost_com-banner-1-0_1');.banner-1-multi-132{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 left a big mark on his teammates. 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