[13], After going undrafted in the 2015 NBA draft, Sykes joined the Cleveland Cavaliers for the 2015 NBA Summer League. SMU sophomore Keith Frazier, who's been suspended for the season, is a dad to a boy who's nearly 3 years old. I was the first person to see him, which was pretty cool.". Milwaukee Bucks (22-9, first in the Eastern . I finally opened it when I gathered my strength and the coaches were all crying, everybody was crying. 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. You could be winning and they still try to nitpick at something. He felt shock, and immediately told his father. Sykes' relationship with his son is the connection he carries from the one he had with his father, that connection he still feels, but one that inevitably dims with the passage of time. In addition to having the second-highest teen pregnancy rate, Mississippi charts as the poorest state in the nation. Anderson is banking on landing a pro contract overseas this spring or summer. "I can finally say I made it," Sykes said. You cant eat before somebody whos older than you, you gotta bow, you cant drink alcohol in front of older people; it was just a full-blown different culture. 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. After waiting for months, Dawson found the courage while plopped on a bus headed to Milwaukee. 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. Burrell's daughter, Alyson, is in Puerto Rico. And I think we were able to give him that. I dont know why they wouldnt allow this story to be continued in as much detail as possible. Almost nothing about Sykes' life or current situation is normal (he impregnated his then-girlfriend, Allyne, when he was 15). He converted a traditional 3-point play when he drove, banked a shot and got a free throw, too. From mother to son. 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. Having seen each other from afar in previous years, they met again, of all places, in an ER when she was 23. Sykes studied at Marshall High School, where he started playing basketball. I gowith different guys. May 14 is the due date. Its been a blessing. I'm still frustrated we lost, but now I'm like, that's over with. Buchanan III is expected to stay in the hospital until at least this coming Sunday as the scar on his heart slowly starts to heal. They say, 'You don't know what it's like to be on food stamps,' and I say, 'I've been through it.'". Keifer Jerail Sykes, born Dec. 30, 1993, is the last child in his family. Keifer, along with six of his siblings and half-siblings, took the red line train with mom and dad to City Hall. And I was just like, OK, Imma kill, because if you dont do your thing, youre out.. The two began dating and created a family out of wedlock. 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. I had a translator the whole time, so I never knew what my coach said, and I never really knew what my teammates said either.. (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. when he's on the foul line. This June will mark a decade since Keifer Sykes father died, 10 years of carrying on without his biggest fan. For now, the per diem pays for diapers. Whereas Dawson did not have a prominent father, Sykes' relationship with his was irrepressible. I wanted to wait a few days," Bell said. It wasnt like when I went to Europe and your teammates have been around American players enough to know some English. INDIANAPOLIS Keifer Sykes knew the Pacers' season was ending. According to Pacers teammate and Wisconsin native Tyrese Haliburton, Sykes is a GB legend, and fellow teammate Malcolm Brogdon had the chance to see that legend in the making during college. His father taught him and told him about becoming a boy to a man, Lisa Sykes said. A few births have been by choice, but obviously many occur by accident. Dozens of programs were contacted for this story and asked if they had a player on their roster who was a father or a father-to-be. He hasn't yet made his NBA dream fit inside his 6-foot frame. But mom? [8] In a 6966 loss to Wisconsin, Sykes scored 32 points, including a highlight dunk in the first possession of the game. The former University of Wisconsin-Green Bay star . 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. The sacrifices she made, man. After Keifer impregnated his former girlfriend, Allyne, he was horrified to tell mom. You'd be amazed at what these guys don't know about parenting. They went through predraft workouts together in 2015.Thats where my respect (for him) came from. One of those players already had a child, and the other had one on the way. Reach him via email: jboyd1@gannett.com. Trivante Bloodman is a 22-year-old senior guard from Harlem who's barely been able to sleep in the past week. Inconvenient, opportunistic, stressful, hopeful, problematic, irritating, invigorating, a blessing all at once. I have made past mistakes in my life, and God continues to make a way for us. The two met in middle school in Louisiana, and remained close friends until things turned romantic midway through high school. And these (five games) that he's played, he's played tremendously. You could call this, The Keifer Effect, McKinnie said. The biggest phone call. "When I see him play against his favorite people, seeing him playing against Chris Paul and he went to Chris Pauls camp, its like its (full) circle.. He and KJ communicate every day; KJ can unlock an iPhone and FaceTime in no time. Simple things, like sleeping patterns. Keifer Sykes' 3-pointer wins TBT for Boeheim's Army. Sykes keeps in touch with all of them but he hasn't seen Kristie and Antawn in years. I was at the back and people didnt believe in me, but my dad always believed in me and always affirmed me.. She lives more than 250 miles away, in Iowa, with her mother. "Looking back on my season, where did it go, and it's been a weird, weird year.". 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. His players have brought their children over for playdates with Ray's son, who was born in 2013. "She was really scared to tell me," Dawson said of his girlfriend's pregnancy. Being silly. 1:08; See All. Everything was going so fast.". "I just stuck with the plan and for it to become real, man, it's just a testament to believing in yourself. "My players say I don't understand, but I do understand," Ray said. "I do not want to go pro overseas," he said. 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. Our dedicated Editorial team verifies each of the articles published on the Biographyhost. And whatever makes the mother happy, it's all about making the child happy. Although Sykes has not brought details of his wife in light, he is a father to his son Hugo and daughter Zarah. Think back to high school. After a successful college career, Sykesplayed the 2015 NBA Summer Leaguewith the Cleveland Cavaliers. Moreover, last year on her 5th birthday, Sykes took it to his Instagram @ksykeyb28. 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. He's going beyond the expectations of being there for his son. The first words out of his mouth are eerily foreshadowing. KJ just can't wait to be 5 years old. They just don't know. Sykes said, laughing. Keifer will look at his son. Their relationship was so strong, their parents were OK with Bria moving to Waco, enrolling in a community college, and living in her own apartment at 18. He played college basketball for the University of WisconsinGreen Bay and his professional career has included stints at Anyang KGC of the Korean Basketball League, Ankara DSI of the Basketball Super League, S.S. Felice Scandone of the Lega Basket Serie A and South East Melbourne Phoenix of the National Basketball League. She took care of everybody, man. 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. "We felt defeated," he said. Suddenly he was holding ice chips and helping her breathe through the birth. "It's not easy, for me, but the best thing I have going on for me right now is my wife," Gathers said. Keifer Sykes weighs 180 lbs (81 kg). New Mexico and Mississippi State -- schools in the two states with the highest teen pregnancy rates in the country, feature players who are fathers. I didn't have goals to go further. 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. ", James Sykes died of heart failure on June 6, 2012. Sykes,who was with the Pacers in the preseason before being waived, starred with Indiana's G-League affiliate, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, averaging 16.3 points and a league-high 8.0 assists in 13 games this season. Once my brother left, I went to school by myself. There are major facets to these players' lives that are never seen, seldom known, but emotionally significant signposts toward personal growth and elemental struggle. 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. He worries about his 4-year-old son, Keifer Jr., who lives in a neighborhood in Chicago that Sykes knows is violent. 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. "Loved James Sykes. He was closer to him than any of his other siblings. The coaching staff awoke to find out the player was more than a thousand miles away and quit the team without telling anyone. Sykes estimated he's trekked it back and forth about 20 times per season over the past four years. On Dec. 7, 2013, Wisconsin Green-Bay hosted and upset Virginia behind a stellar performance from Sykes. 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