So Im always a fan of guys like Keifer that defy the odds.. Dawson grew up with a mother who loved him dearly and worked at a local hospital -- the same one My'Shawn was born at -- but there was a wall of fear he couldn't mount. And I was just like, OK, Imma kill, because if you dont do your thing, youre out.. The 5-foot-11 guard signed a training camp deal with the Pacers but was waived before the start of the 2021-22 campaign. Its the shift (within in the community) that matters more.. But the most important thing said that night: "The child will be taken care of." On 5 August 2021, he also struck a deal with the NBA team, Indiana Pacers. We come from poverty. Sykes didn't like the recruiting process -- at all. "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. That's the thing. This June will mark a decade since Keifer Sykes father died, 10 years of carrying on without his biggest fan. "Just because we're in college athletics, we try to separate ourselves from the rest of the society, and we just can't do that," Ray said. Sykes mother called Keifer to tell him what happened, and when she couldnt reach him, she called his college coach Brian Wardle. Because KJ wants to be a big boy really fast. At Marshall, we were a basketball powerhouse, and it was a Chicago public school. Keifer Sykes is 29 years old. Gathers, who's likely to return for his senior season, said his household of three is living off $15,000 per year. I met with director Nick Budabin and star Keifer Sykes, of the new documentary Chi-Town (which I also reviewed), on Monday, March 12, at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival.The film, which follows Sykes from the end of his high-school basketball career through the end of college, and just beyond, is like a sequel, of sorts, to the great Steve James' 1994 Hoop Dreams. She ran back downstairs to get my brother, and he said he was trying to perform CPR and when they called the police and the police got there, they tried but they couldn't bring him back to life.". Lisa was there with her cancer-stricken mother; James was there tending to his niece after she'd been assaulted in a domestic dispute. The former Indiana Pacers point guard prefers a low-key personal life. Yet, Forbes in 2019 evaluated that he must be receiving a minimum NBA salary which was $900,000. Hes gonna have the film footage, and its the continuation of truly one of the amazing stories in sport.. In fact, Sykes is technically on a two-year deal, but the second year of his contract is non-guaranteed. He was already a mature freshman, and that made him grow up even faster and kind of take his work ethic to another level. Magee is now enrolled at Grand Canyon University. For more than a few college athletes, this is the side of life the public does not see. 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. However, they waived him on 21 October of the same year, after three preseason games. He was named first team All-Horizon League.[6]. 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. Her name is Averyelle Dream. He'll want to turn to ESPN and watch a basketball game. Until now, Sykes has never told the story of how he became a father, what the birth was like, the angst he went through and how scared and shocked he was by the process. The journeyman said it was disheartening to come within arm's reach of his NBA dream again, but he didnt stay down for long. 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. Simple things about how to feed your baby. You can practically hear the smile through the phone as Gathers, who was wearing scrubs that didn't fit his 6-8, 275-pound frame, tells the story. His performance warranted praise from Pacers coach Rick Carlisle, who has repeatedly noted how remarkable Sykes career has been. Johnson has two teammates, Markel Crawford and Trahson Burrell, who are fathers. 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. Sykes is featured in the 2018 documentary film Chi-Town, produced and directed by Nick Budabin. Weve actually talked about (that game) once or twice, and I brought it up just to see if he remembered it, Brogdon said. Suddenly he was holding ice chips and helping her breathe through the birth. But it doesnt matter. She's long had a keen love for caring for the young, something as immediately evident in Keifer as his flaring athleticism. 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. So long as his health is good, he'll have earned a pro contract by then. 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. At the time of Sykes' recruitment, Wardle (his coach), who became a dad at 26, could empathize. Undrafted out of the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay in 2015, Sykes went on to play with the Austin Spurs - the San Antonio Spurs' NBA G-League affiliate - for his first professional season . James Sykes, a former vice president of the Broadway Armory Park association, is buried at Memorial Gardens in Homewood, Illinois. [22] The film follows Sykes' path from high school to his brush with the NBA. "And when the baby came out, man, it was so cool to be part of that atmosphere," Freeman said. He knows all about long drives on weekends to steal time with a child. She took care of everybody, man. Although Sykes has not brought details of his wife in light, he is a father to his son Hugo and daughter Zarah. "He's a ball of fire," Green Bay coach Brian Wardle said of KJ. Learn How rich is He in this year and how He spends money? He'll have his headstone then, and he'll have his son and grandson touching it. "You can hear him in the stands. 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}. The same day Keifer Sykes contract was guaranteed, he went viral with a heartfelt message to his mom, shedding tears as he thanked her. After a game, win or lose, I walk up to him and he's just laughing. 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. In thesix years of his professional career, Sykes has played for various leagues worldwide, including the NBA and NBA G League. However, Wanamaker struggled in the 22 games he appeared in, averaging 3.5 points on 36.1% . Going to Europe would mean Sykes, who is not married and not dating the mother of his child, could not bring KJ with him. *" 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 . (Virginia coach) Tony Bennett went to Green Bay and was a legend there, and I think Keifer was the guy thats been next in line as the second or first greatest player to play there. Some schools turned down interview requests. Don't do what I did.'". 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. One afternoon Keifer was on the green line, headed back home, when he got a call. Reach him via email: jboyd1@gannett.com. He and his wife/high school sweetheart, Laura, are expecting. Even when I got here, (Boucek) just following me on Instagram and Twitter, and telling me alwaysto continue to chip away at it.". 28 jerseys with his best friend. "We want to young parents, to be young grandparents, all of that," Anderson said. Of course he was worried about telling mom. He's played professionally inAustralia, China, Greece, Italy, South Korea and Turkey, all with the hopes of one day returning stateside and suiting up in the NBA. After waiting for months, Dawson found the courage while plopped on a bus headed to Milwaukee. NBA News. Her husband, James, Keifer Sykes father, was there every step of the way, encouraging him to chase his dream, reminding him that his influence will always be bigger than basketball and instilling values in his son that Keifer Sykes still carries with him nearly a decade after his dads death. 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. Waiting. "When she told me, I kind of freaked out. You could be winning and they still try to nitpick at something. It's about mom just as much as dad. "I was speechless," he said. 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. We commit to cover sensible issues responsibly through the principles of neutrality. The 28-year-old doesnt remember the last conversation he had with his dad because he never expected it to be the final one. in the Turkish TBL, posting 22.4 points, 3.7 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game. She took in five kids, taking care of my kids when I told her I wanted to play college basketball. 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]. How much does Keifer Sykes weigh? His daughter Zarah has just turned six years old on 22 September 2021. At the start of the 201314 season, Sykes was named to the preseason All-Horizon League team and was a nominee for the Bob Cousy Award for top point guard in the country. "At first there was a lot of fear. 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. If anything, Sykes being a dad was a positive. 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. At the time I didnt know that, but he was affirming my greatness. Rotowire Apr 6, 2022. Green Bay's Henry Uwadiae, a 6-foot-11 Nigerian-born sophomore, had a daughter born last summer. "I walk in the door, my parents are sitting at the table. "She was really scared to tell me," Dawson said of his girlfriend's pregnancy. So it's just amazing. Keifer Jerail Sykes, born Dec. 30, 1993, is the last child in his family. No one taught Branden Dawson how to be a father. Sykes, a 5ft 11in (1.80m) point guard, was born in Chicago, Illinois, to the late James Sykes as the second oldest of seven children. Turning 5 will be the milestone. It wasn't a happy cry. Simple things, like sleeping patterns. When I was like, Oh, Im small, he was like, Nah, you can go to the NBA. The two-time Horizon League Player of the Year scores a career-best 36 against UIC, helping the Phoenix win 72-67. Keifer Sykes was born on 30 December, 1993 in Chicago, Illinois, United States, is an American basketball player. INDIANAPOLIS Keifer Sykes knew the Pacers' season was ending. 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. He hasn't yet made his NBA dream fit inside his 6-foot frame. GB3 -- Bell's nickname for his son -- came out crying on Jan. 10, 2014, at 10 o'clock in the morning, 19 inches long and weighing six pounds. I shot that wing 3 against the Bulls,I air-balled. Keifer will look at his son. One of Sykes signature moments came when he scored five points a dagger 3 and layup on back-to-back plays in overtime of a dramatic 121-117 upset win against Stephen Curry and the Warriors at Chase Center on Jan. 20. "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. Gathers' teammate, Al Freeman? They went through predraft workouts together in 2015.Thats where my respect (for him) came from. Sykes joined Indianas G League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, and clawed his way back to the Pacers, who eventually signed him to a guaranteed deal for the rest of the 2021-22 season. 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