Fortunately, despite varied situations, some of which are depicted below, many have happy circumstances. I was freaking out. [28], On August 5, 2021, Sykes signed a contract with the Indiana Pacers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). 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. Since leaving the university after his senior year, Sykes has played in the NBA G-League, over seas, back to the G-League, and finally was presented an opportunity seven years after his college. In addition to having the second-highest teen pregnancy rate, Mississippi charts as the poorest state in the nation. "It's the first time I had to do real school work. "I don't want to go out of the States. They last shared space together in 2012 -- at Keifer's father's funeral. 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. Imagine sitting in a class, your leg jackhammering the tile, waiting for a phone call to come. Branden had lost "significant weight" and was unable to consistently eat due to anxiety. We play them (soon)!'" Its been a blessing. "I walk in the door, my parents are sitting at the table. With Keifer Sykes. [8] In a 6966 loss to Wisconsin, Sykes scored 32 points, including a highlight dunk in the first possession of the game. Sykes averaged a G-League-high 8.0 assists with the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, and Pacers coach Rick Carlisle is confident he can be successful in the NBA, too, on offense and defense. It's a seven-hour drive round trip from Green Bay to Chicago. Sykes subsequently joined the Fort Wayne Mad Ants and averaged 16.3 points, 8 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game. NBA News. "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. She took care of everybody, man. How much does Keifer Sykes weigh? He knows all about long drives on weekends to steal time with a child. Keifer Jerail Sykes, born Dec. 30, 1993, is the last child in his family. "I didn't want to do it. section: | slug: paternal-fraternity-the-overlooked-reality-behind-so-many-college-athletes-daily-lives-as-fathers | sport: collegebasketball | route: article_single.us | She's going through the same thing these young ladies are going through. Hed come so close in the past and inched even closer with a shot that turned him into an overnight sensation. When I first committed, I didn't know where basketball would take me. 6-keys: media/spln/collegebasketball/reg/free/stories, at Life is too short. "He's a ball of fire," Green Bay coach Brian Wardle said of KJ. At the time I didnt know that, but he was affirming my greatness. I was really on my own and traveling in Chicago for an hour each way each day. He'll have his headstone then, and he'll have his son and grandson touching it. Rhode Island and Nevada. Moreover, last year on her 5th birthday, Sykes took it to his Instagram @ksykeyb28. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but Brogdon will never forget his introduction to Sykes. KJ wasn't even 2 when his grandfather died. "It's crazy, I told my son I'll never play 2K until I get on it, so that was kind of motivation for me. He says there's more than $5,000 of his own cash allotted toward parenthood. He always had a way with kids, even when he was one. He left a big mark on his teammates. His camp is having trouble getting them admitted into the road arenas. "He so reminds me of his dad. "I was pacing in the waiting room. 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. 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. So I was processing it, and then I didnt know what to do. He does stuff in his community.' 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. Sykes said, laughing. Hes so well-rounded. I lost like 40 or 50 grand.". Why do the Pacers keep losing close games? 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. "Little KJ is very outspoken, loud, and a joy to be around," Lisa Sykes said. Sykes estimated he's trekked it back and forth about 20 times per season over the past four years. The plan is for mother and child to pack up and go with. Sykes, who these days has NBA scouts frequently traveling to gelid Green Bay, has previously bypassed chances to turn pro early in Europe. Now, after seldomly getting to see his him early in his college years, Dawson's senior season has been a change for the happier. For me, my pride in him is just on his self-belief and determination.. "She's the key to being married, to being a dad. This is a blessed, beautiful evening, and it's blessed and beautiful because it ends the way Sykes wants every game to end: with a boisterous embrace of his son, Keifer Sykes Jr. KJ, they call him. "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. I have made past mistakes in my life, and God continues to make a way for us. They're cautionary stories but uplifting ones, too. The Cavaliers went on to win the 2014 ACC regular-season title and earn a No. That was crazy, but the craziest part is that if we had made it to the championship (in Australia), I wouldve missed the deadline to submit (for TBT).. So all I wanted to do is take care of her. Sykes joined the Pacers in late December after the team released reserve point guard Brad Wanamaker. It was tough, but I knew that might be a part of my journey with me being at a mid-major, Sykes said. After Saturday games, White drives east through the dark trails and over the Mississippi border to spend his Sundays with Joniah Jr. Memphis' Kedren Johnson can relate. But that's what it takes to be a superhero for my family, a superhero in my community and a good basketball player. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Without an iota of resentment in his voice, the Michigan State star answers: three years. I could never do that. Every situation is different. Nine children from five mothers and two fathers. [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. At the time of Sykes' recruitment, Wardle (his coach), who became a dad at 26, could empathize. Another is dealing with a touch-and-go situation in regard to an abortion decision. 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. In fact, Sykes is technically on a two-year deal, but the second year of his contract is non-guaranteed. Mississippi State's Rick Ray is a coach with a lot of thoughts on this because he has a lot of players -- five of them -- in this situation. Every year he's gotten better at balancing and understanding that. Even when I got here, (Boucek) just following me on Instagram and Twitter, and telling me alwaysto continue to chip away at it.". I remember looking up in the clouds like, My dad is in heaven already? Ill never forget that I was holding myself together until we got to the corner and turned down my block, thats when I was just like, Damn and broke down like crazy. More:Pacers swingmen Torrey Craig, Justin Anderson enter NBA's COVID-19 protocols. And I was just like, OK, Imma kill, because if you dont do your thing, youre out.. My own trainers telling me, 'Prepare and train for overseas,' and I'm telling them, 'No.' "The team was always paying us late, and they didn't think we would make the playoffs, but we got in the last spot, played the No. Where the family is. 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. Everything was going so fast.". I didn't want my children to go through that. 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. "I tried to hold back the tears. The annual $1 million tourney features several alumni squads from around the country filled with professional players, and while Sykes was hesitant to play in TBT at first, it resulted in one of the best moments of his career. I was the first person to see him, which was pretty cool.". Keifer frequently shows his son photos to remind him. "She heard a thump, which was him falling over, but she didn't think nothing of it. Home. They went through predraft workouts together in 2015.Thats where my respect (for him) came from. He wasn't. "I was on thetraining table. We come from poverty. "It's fun, though. "Because if dont nobody else deserve it, Keifer deserves it., Sykes has totaled 33 games in his NBA career, 10 of which he didnt play in. 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. At one point, a boy asked the Indiana Pacers guard to follow him on Instagram. "Over time, shock turned into excitement," White said of his world changing as a 17-year-old. [16] Nine days later, he was acquired by the Austin Spurs of the NBA Development League as an affiliate player of San Antonio. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. This summer, there was a murder near the house where Keifer Jr. lives with. That wasn't the case with a 7-footer at Louisiana Tech named Joniah White. 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. Anderson is banking on landing a pro contract overseas this spring or summer. 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. 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. I didn't learn that until Igotto college.". Sykes, Dawson and Gathers all have teammates who are dads. 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. Keifer Sykes: Waived by Indiana. 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. Keifer's parents met when fate played a chord. Obviously the city is gonna be so happy,"Sykes said. " Keifer Jerail Sykes (born December 30, 1993) is an American professional basketball player for the Motor City Cruise of the NBA G League. "One time I asked him, and he didn't know. So it's just amazing. She's long had a keen love for caring for the young, something as immediately evident in Keifer as his flaring athleticism. 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. I do a lot of things for my foundation before I was even in the NBA. Sykes is featured in the 2018 documentary film Chi-Town, produced and directed by Nick Budabin. 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.. , Im not forgetting these things. The biggest phone call. I've heard a couple of times him screaming, 'Go, Daddy!' 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.. She lives more than 250 miles away, in Iowa, with her mother. I want the kid around. She took in five kids, taking care of my kids when I told her I wanted to play college basketball. Yet, Forbes in 2019 evaluated that he must be receiving a minimum NBA salary which was $900,000. Sykes, wearing a black hat with "purpose." Lisa was there with her cancer-stricken mother; James was there tending to his niece after she'd been assaulted in a domestic dispute. But mom? Bell's boy already loves basketball. 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. He was on a trip for a basketball tournament, and that's when he called his mother at work. Memphis also had a player, Dominic Magee, who initially transferred out of school earlier this season to be closer to his home in New Orleans to be with his young son. Named Joniah White a chord there tending to his niece after she 'd assaulted! 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