ROSEMONT, Ill. — They had just talked the day before, Skyy Clark and his father having one of their usual conversations about life, basketball and whatever else popped into their minds.
Early the next morning, around 6, Skyy got a call from one of his brothers. It was the sort of news no one can fully prepare for, no matter the circumstances, no matter how much one might have already considered the possibility of hearing those awful words.
“Dad’s gone.”
Kenny Clark had fought until the end, the father who was the UCLA guard’s inspiration finally succumbing in late May to the health issues that had beset him for several years. He was only 47.
Hopes of a move back to Southern California from Nashville, Tenn., to be closer to Skyy for what might be his final college season had been slowly dwindling because of Kenny’s deteriorating health.
“I think the condition he was in, he was super rough,” Skyy, speaking at Big Ten media day on Thursday, told The Times about his father, who had previously suffered a series of strokes that required months of hospitalization. “The chances of him making a full recovery were looking slimmer and slimmer every day, so I think he just put up the fight as long as he could.”
Skyy is dedicating this season to the man who was his first coach and biggest supporter, their bond reflected in almost daily phone calls. Every time he looks at his left thigh, Skyy sees a tattoo of Kenny holding him as a baby while kissing him on the cheek.
The oldest of seven siblings, Skyy had left Illinois midway through his freshman season to take charge of his father’s care in January 2023, going with him to doctor’s appointments and even pricking his finger for blood tests.
A former wide receiver at the University of Central Florida who played briefly with the Minnesota Vikings before a back injury forced his retirement, Kenny lived up to his give-it-all-you’ve-got mantra over the next few years, persevering through every setback.
“It was kind of up-and-down complications,” Skyy said. “There’d be times where he’d be making some progress and then, you know, then he kind of declined a little bit, and then make a little bit more progress and decline. And so it was just a battle, you know. I’m proud of him, the way he fought. You know, he never gave up, he fought to the end.”
After transferring from Illinois to Louisville for one season before landing at UCLA, Skyy inspired his new coach with his ability to push through the pain of his father’s situation. Mick Cronin said he would ask Skyy if he needed a break or if he was OK, always receiving the same response.
“He’d say, ‘I’m good, coach,’ ” Cronin said of a player who averaged 8.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals while having a bigger impact over the season’s final months. “You know, I think basketball’s been his escape.
“I’m excited for him to just be able to be in the program for his second year and just enjoy a year without a lot of off-the-floor trauma, and he hasn’t had that since he’s been in college. He’s a good guy. What you saw late last year, you’re gonna see more of. I’ll be shocked if he doesn’t have an unbelievable senior year.”
Skyy said his resolve was rooted in his upbringing and appreciating what he’s been given, his father once showing him and a few siblings his ramshackle childhood residence in Ocala, Fla.
“We started shedding tears because the houses that he lived in looked like they just nailed together four boards and a little board on top for a roof,” Skyy said. “And so just seeing that, honestly, and seeing how he made it out of that situation, just keeps me going.”
Among the many things Skyy remains grateful for is the time he and his father spent together in Nashville a week before Kenny died, watching a Netflix series starring Jamie Foxx in which the comedian poked fun at his own stroke.
“He loved that one,” Skyy said of his father. “It would always just crack him up.”
Skyy will have family nearby in what will be his final college season, barring a possible extension of eligibility that could grant all athletes a fifth year. His brother ZZ is a redshirt freshman at UC Santa Barbara and his family recently moved to Las Vegas, planning to attend as many Bruins and Gauchos games as possible.
Skyy takes solace in realizing that Kenny will be there, too.
“I know he’s still around me,” Skyy said. “I still feel him. I tell everybody, whenever I’m having a rough day, he’s the reason why I wore No. 55, and so, it never fails — whenever I look up, I see the No. 55 somewhere, so I know he’s still watching and surrounding me.”
Etc.
Cronin said senior point guard Donovan Dent came home to play for UCLA in part because “he’s got a close family member battling a serious illness, but I’m not the guy [to play for] if you’re just going to come home and take the money. Trust me, I’ll ruin your senior year because I’m not going to sit back and just let you coast along — not going to happen. And we’ve get Skyy and Trent [Perry], so, you know, like you know, you’ve got to know what you’re signing up for.”
What was Cronin’s message about what Dent needed to do besides remain an elite offensive player?
“He’s got to take care of the ball better,” Cronin said. “He’s got to ratchet up his intensity and his toughness defensively.”
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