Chicago’s own Keifer Sykes continues his basketball journey | Windy City Bulls Spotlight

Chicago’s own Keifer Sykes continues his basketball journey | Windy City Bulls Spotlight

I’m just really lost for words right now so much to even say haven’t seen his face in a long time my father was everything to me as a ladybug comes on here it’s crazy that’s good luck it just never seemed real that he really was gone you know

Like I just always tried to like reject that moment or that thought like even still to this day I try to make it like it’s not real it was tough because it was so sudden it was sudden he had a massive heart attack and I saw a little bit of

Kefir was lost in that that span of just that year I thought about quitting playing like when he passed away because it was like quickly I realized like that’s who I played for like I didn’t really have any other motivation to play other than to make him

Proud I don’t want to say he wasn’t as determined but he wasn’t but he fought through it that’s just who he is he was determined to play in the NBA he did it for him when he started to play basketball as a little little kid he would just jump he would just jump

And I knew then I’m like yeah he going to do it one day he’s going to do it then they said oh you couldn’t do it because you’re too small no he proved them wrong he proved them all wrong door you CL keeper syes got it here’s Sykes oh keeper

Syes syes another three you know being a smaller player we have to find ways to stand out ohes Above the Rim it was hard for me to get on the court growing up it was hard for me to you know get on the supp with my bigger brothers older people in the

Neighborhood it was like you know how can I be special like how can I stand out you know I was never ranked and things like that like how can I get a scholarship I have to do things differently so just playing tough you know just talking leading and just

Working hard and paying attention to the details has helped me a lot when he went overseas it was kind of tough but we made it through yeah being back home playing basketball in Chicago is it’s been everything for me to be here playing professionally is like a dream come true

Just being in a quiet space uh just being alone getting ready before the game you know putting myself first just finding that Stillness to be ready to perform is uh definitely important to me so it’s like 3:30 headed to the gym we didn’t have a shoot around today just

Cuz we traveled yesterday we just got in from Texas to you know play in Indiana and then to play in Detroit and then to play in Chicago for all three G League teams you know it just been cool to you know be on these teams that’s so close

Close to home prioritizing just being a father first is is my mindset you know when I’m picking what contract I’m going to sign what team I’m going to be in what city I’m going to be in and just how I could support my kids just a lot of wonderful things have been happening

At like the right time you know just me even be able to you know continue to tell my story and grow my story here in Chicago you know for me to get traded here it gave me that spark that I needed in year nine basketball has taken me so

Many places it’s just you always have that wish in the back of your mouth God we take this time to set aside just to sacrifice reverence your name God we just ask that you would just touch us meet us in this space let your Holy Spirit be perfect keep contesting they

May make one they may make two keep contesting we’ll wear them down over time it’s a 48 minute game but still be in your shifts and support each other I got my daughter name on here her middle name Zara and I got KJ’s name right here

On these and as you can see got ybm and more God and it was perfect cuz it’s just just enough pillars to fit the word in there let’s get it y’all let’s go let’s go to work let’s go to work now let’s go to work get these at home

2 whether he’s the one bringing energy to the locker room whether he’s the one bringing it onto the court he’s always communicating and practice to tell guys to compete hey hey post deep post deep x x x the early we pick them up they don’t

Get downhill I take it I just check in I’m going to get a going every day I want to be the guy that brings energy to practice make sure sure that we’re not wasting the day and we’re not wasting the drill he’s a tough dude man everything about him is Relentless and

He just you know he’s about the right things he’s a winner that’s it that’s it hey come on come on close the quarter One Stop we up one one stop you know even not on game days practice days whatever it is he puts in all the work

Needed to be successful and it’s worked out for him and we pray that it continues to work out for him hey usually when they come it’s like their support and their energy is just something that’s special and it just I feel like it just helps me you know just

Play much better and just be more focused and just put me on The Winning Side there you Go yes yes come on come [Applause] on it’s been just nice to have my mom you know still here I mean she supports me she you know stay up all times of the night when I was playing abroad no matter what time to watch the games if

She don’t have the stream to the game she’s upset she just been a rock for for me uh for my kids my name was spelled differently here yeah it was so like it’s so funny to see cuz you know we changed my name like in like seventh or

Eighth grade or something she’s done so much more than and people could even imagine you know I haven’t looked at this since high school this was the last time I was in Chicago playing basketball that was the most special thing about coming to play for Wendy City oh this

Cool I had a 4.2 GPA I was a little bit of a nerve but this all you wouldn’t let me play If I ain’t getting any absolutely I couldn’t even get seas because I knew the potential they threaten me with basketball I think about that’s cold no

They your dad was going to let you play I told him he’s not playing why would you with basketball because I know if you can put that much energy into the basketball that I know you can do in your grade give me them grades and you

Can do all the basketball you want and he gave me the grades and he played all the basketball he wanted it’s hard to make it out of Chicago you know it’s like so many public schools I was so small look so skinny Jersey bigger than me like always hanging

Out these are the times that really that really made me my family they’re the reason why I could continue to keep going later reason why I wake up and go to work and work hard being a professional basketball player and you know being a dad intention and attention

Has to be placed on you know everything so just prioritizing just being a father first is is my mindset I want to be a dad that’s present you know I want to be a super dad can I get a hot dog with ketchup only chocolate shake all right I

Want a piece of cake you know I want a cake order me a cake first I don’t care what he going going to make time for his children bro put the fry down we F to pray God is good God is great let us thank you for our food amen Bless The

Cook good food amen amen thank you thank you K we used to really see him on school breaks mostly yeah sometime to go months yeah and this is like way better and when I heard the news it was like I was literally I literally didn’t

Even know what to say I was just walking around the house I was like are you for real it’s amazing because like I get to see him more than I used to mhm I like doing like my dad duties like my favorite part is picking out left from school because that’s something I

Haven’t been able to do since I’ve been playing basketball but now that I’m here I’m able to do that I love to do all the kids stuff I like to have fun so I like to do Sky Zone jumping around get in the pool we get in the pool a lot

But he don’t like to yeah he getting too cool to get in the pool nowadays too cool he grown now he’s 13 he like I don’t want to get in the water just want to lay back and look cool we love you Dad we thank you for everything you’ve

Done our whole life my whole 13 Years of Living I love you so much I like so I can see you yeah y’all my best friends you cheese fries busting I ain’t going to lie cheese fries be busting so you know right after high school it

Was hard for me to leave my family you know as I was just out there you know just trying to get a get a degree and just playing basketball I just thought about all the sacrifices that you all made for me you know we had to work so

Hard for me even just be there so I was just really appreciative so I said uh Pops I know all of your kids might try to make you feel bad and I’d appreciate you but being out here these last few months and Green Bay made me realize I

Should appreciate you more because now that I have a son I see that you may not be able to give us everything we wanted but we needed nothing the best lesson or gift you gave me was to be a man as well as maturity and Leadership and you have

Guided me in the right path and you always put your kids first and I thank you now that I see the real world I see how hard it is I am proud to say that you are a man I look up to as a role

Model and I’m glad to say that you are my dad you know at first I was a little bit scared at the time you know when he first passed away and like as I first you know started playing professional you know like man am I able

To take care of my family and do you know do anything but you know for us to get a home and you know my kids grow up and me be able to pick them up from school and them know live a good life you know better than and I did

So I know that’ll make him proud if I continue to keep going and I know he’s smiling down on me and happy that I’m you know reaching all the goals that he had for me

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