WATCH TAB Courtside 1v1 on SBS - Episode 7 - with Megan Hustwaite and Keifer Sykes from 7pm (AEDT) on Thursday February 18 via SBS Sport's Twitter account, or catch-up via
The 27-year-old point guard, a college standout from the University of Wisconsin – Green Bay, has taken his talents on the court around the world; playing everywhere from China and Korea to Greece, Turkey and now Australia.
Sykes joined the Phoenix in December ahead of the NBL 21 season and has quickly become one of the stars of the competition.
However, it could’ve been so very different for the Chicago native who has overcome growing up in one of the toughest cities in America, becoming a father at only 16 and the pain of losing his own dad when he was 17.
In the interview set to air on Thursday night’s episode of TAB Courtside 1v1 on SBS, Sykes revealed how these difficult moments changed his outlook on life and why the loss of his father has become a driving force both on and off the court.
“My dad died, I was a teenage parent, so those things make you grow up fast,” Sykes said.
“I always feel like my father is with me. A lot of kids growing up in the inner city of Chicago don’t have those male figures that we need. When he was alive, he was able to give me so many cues about life.
“I was going through a lot of things when I was young, but he taught me to look at everything with positivity.
“The lessons he gave me has built my life, my family’s life and his memory lives on and helps us do and experience so many great things.”
His incredible talent on the court and the challenges he faced growing up in West Chicago became the focus of award-winning film Chi-Town in 2018.
Sykes says, while the movie is about his basketball story, he hopes it can shine a spotlight on all the other young people in inner-city Chicago growing up with similar struggles.
“Well Chi-Town, it has become like my identification card,” Sykes said.
“It was supposed to be a documentary about high-school basketball in Chicago, but they liked my story and made me the focus.
“It’s something where people get to know where I’m from, my city and my journey.
“This film shines a light not just on me but the struggle of others from where I’m from - all determined to find a way out of a tough situation.”
TAB Courtside 1v1 on SBS gives fans a chance to get to know more about the unique personalities from the NBA, WNBA, NBL and WNBL, which help shape basketball in Australia.
Hustwaite, who has been covering all levels of Australian basketball for the past 13 years as a reporter, commentator and journalist, will helm the weekly show - every Thursday at 7 pm (AEDT) via SBS Sport's Twitter account - where she interviews stars of the past, present and future.
SBS will again broadcast multiple regular-season NBA games per week in HD on SBS VICELAND and streamed live via SBS On Demand. Plus, every game of the upcoming 2020-21 NBL season will be LIVE, FREE and in HD via SBS On Demand, with select games also live on SBS VICELAND.
