"Chicago means everything to me, man. He and his wife/high school sweetheart, Laura, are expecting. 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. (Without prompt, Sykes publicly defended his coach throughout the ordeal.). You can go D-I. These were things that I had doubts of. Being silly. Sykes said having his contract guaranteed through the end of the season is "the highlight of my professional career," and he's thrilled that his 6-year-old daughter, Kennedi, and 11-year-old. We were all riding every possession and rooting for him, high-fiving each other whenever he dropped in another 3, Mitchell said. He carried the Phoenix to a 75-72 victory with 21 points and a game-high 10 assists, compared to 17 points and six rebounds from Brogdon. 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. He's brand new to this game. 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. Milwaukee Bucks (22-9, first in the Eastern . Turning 5 will be the milestone. Sykes set a conference record as he was named the Horizon League player of the week thirteen times over his career. He didn't sleep through the night, and in the darkest hour, their child was born. 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. No one taught Branden Dawson how to be a father. We've had them come in as a group and have my wife talking about child-rearing. He's a good kid; he's not a distraction.". Despite those hurdles, there Sykes was, still standing years later and using his day off before his first major NBA road trip to inspire the next generation. Sykes said, laughing. 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. And as I have witnessed in recent days, the documentary is being augmented with a videographer. "A curious boy who loves to be around his cousins. Flash to Feb. 12, 2015, and Freeman's sleeping in the chair next to Kylee, awaiting his miracle. So, if I get a DNP, how could I be mad? Those are the things people have no idea what's going on behind closed doors with so many teams.". He'll want to turn to ESPN and watch a basketball game. I didn't have my phone. My brother calls me and gives me the news, literally out of my sleep. I gowith different guys. Sykes had done all he could at Wisconsin Green-Bay, ending his illustrious college career with 2,096 points, 522 assists and 467 rebounds. Moreover, last year on her 5th birthday, Sykes took it to his Instagram@ksykeyb28. 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. Sykes signed with Scandone Avellino of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A on August 7, 2018.[21]. The former University of Wisconsin-Green Bay star . "I know she's probably gonna cry (when I talk to her) because it's bringing tears to my eyes right now," Sykes said, his voice cracking. Keifer Sykes' 3-pointer wins TBT for Boeheim's Army. Keifer prides his relationship with his son as an extension of what he had with his dad. At Marshall, we were a basketball powerhouse, and it was a Chicago public school. 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. Mississippi State is the prime example. I told them, 'Don't have any babies. The Pacers had Sykes and Wanamaker in training camp and kept the veteran Wanamaker when the season began. She has been the backbone of the Sykes familysince Sykes' father, James, died of a heart attack June 6, 2012. [29] He was waived at the end of training camp. Keifer Jerail Sykes, born Dec. 30, 1993, is the last child in his family. Keifer Sykes | | NBA.com Keifer Sykes PPG 5.6 RPG 1.4 APG 1.9 HEIGHT 5'11" (1.80m) WEIGHT 167lb (76kg) COUNTRY USA LAST ATTENDED Wisconsin-Green Bay BIRTHDATE December 30, 1993 DRAFT. "We want to young parents, to be young grandparents, all of that," Anderson said. [17], On November 13, Sykes made his professional debut in a 10482 win over the Texas Legends, recording eight points, one rebound, six assists and three steals in 17 minutes off the bench. "Over time, shock turned into excitement," White said of his world changing as a 17-year-old. Come August, Keifer will be three months removed from college. 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. "So Im very fortunate to have that opportunity. He kept it from her as long as possible; the "entire school" knew about it, but she didn't. Follow IndyStar Pacers beat writer James Boyd on Twitter:@RomeovilleKid. Her name is Averyelle Dream. Sykes' son represents an overlooked and under-discussed fact of life for so many college athletes: fatherhood. 1:08; See All. You'd be amazed at what these guys don't know about parenting. Once my brother left, I went to school by myself. "You can hear him in the stands. "I just stuck with the plan and for it to become real, man, it's just a testament to believing in yourself. Sykes won the 2015 Horizon League player of the year to join the elite company of players to win the award twice. 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. He had the game," Mitchell said. I was the first person to see him, which was pretty cool.". Stephen A.: Lakers won't advance beyond play-in without LeBron. 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, who these days has NBA scouts frequently traveling to gelid Green Bay, has previously bypassed chances to turn pro early in Europe. Branden does not carry his father's last name. Even when I got here, (Boucek) just following me on Instagram and Twitter, and telling me alwaysto continue to chip away at it.". So all of this has been more than me. I told my family, 'I think the basket is moving or something,'"Sykes said, laughing. Basketballer Keifer Sykes is Marshall High' star point guard, Chi-Town follows his ambitions to make it in the NBA while loss, injury, and violence back home in Chicago punctuate his journey. He has just one full sibling, James Sykes Jr., and seven more half-siblings: DaVon, Jarvis, Kristie, Jameeka, Rashaunda, Shakeeya and Antwan. 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. Doctors had to wait until the baby boy was just a little bit bigger, a little bit heavier, and a little bit older before they cut into his chest and sewed up the hole in his heart. I was sleeping, Sykes said. I do a lot of camps (in my hometown). 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. Sykes cashes a deep 3-pointer as time expires at the end of the first half. Our dedicated Editorial team verifies each of the articles published on the Biographyhost. They have a hierarchy. When I was like, Oh, Im small, he was like, Nah, you can go to the NBA. He dapped the boy up and encouraged him to dream big, which is fitting for Sykes, a 28-year-old NBA rookie. Keifer Sykes is an American athlete and professional basketball player. 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 craziest thing about this is that today is (Jan. 15), so today is the first time Ive seen an NBA check, Sykes said. A family of seven crammed into a two-bedroom place, where they lived until Sykes got to high school. But that nightmare hasn't ended, neither has the pain. Afterward, Dawson revealed his son was taken to the hospital two days earlier on account of pneumonia. "I don't want to go out of the States. Suddenly he was holding ice chips and helping her breathe through the birth. Really, he worried about leaving his son, how KJ would be without him, and not so much about what the schools thought of his situation or the backstory on his complicated family structure with a troupe of half-siblings. Then he sank a 17-footer over . Every time dad gets home, son takes it right to the hoop. 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. They went through predraft workouts together in 2015.Thats where my respect (for him) came from. "(My mom) put it together after the fact," Sykes said. Just to see him get that opportunity and be out here playing, Im so excited for him. pic.twitter.com/iZU0TTtaHa, James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) January 15, 2022. Lived until Sykes got to high school their child was born to be around his.! 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