Syracuse, N.Y. — C.J. Fair isn’t sure why he has endured as a Syracuse basketball personality.
Maybe it’s the four years he put in as a forward who could attack the rim, defend and rebound the ball. Maybe it’s because of his unassuming, lunch pail work ethic. Maybe it’s because the teams he played on won so many games. (SU went 112-27 during Fair’s career, and yes, we’re counting the vacated season.)
Whatever it is, Fair appreciates the love. He hears from people who remember his huge dunk against Georgetown. He recalls the controversial block-charge moment at Duke that prompted Jim Boeheim’s jacket removal and the many memes it inspired. His bloodied cheek after a dunk in Maui remains a Fair talking point.
“I guess the fans saw me grow as a player from my freshman to my senior year,” he said Tuesday as he awaited the start of Boeheim’s Army practice at Liverpool High School. “It wasn’t always the main player on the team, but somehow I just stood out with my hustle. I might make a big play, a big dunk, a big rebound. I just did what the team needed. I was able to go to the Final Four. I just made some memorable moments.”
Fair averaged 16.5 points and 6.4 rebounds his senior year at SU. Now 29, he embarked on a career in the G League that veered into France and most recently, the United Arab Emirates. Fair played in Dubai during 2019-20, but stayed home the following season when Covid-19 struck the globe.
Syracuse’s C.J.Fair gets a hug and a kiss from girlfriend Kimberly Hailey after the Orange’s defeat of Marquette in the Eastern Regional Final played in Washington, DC. Dennis Nett | dnett@syracuse.com
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He married his high school sweetheart, the former Kimberly Hailey, in the summer of 2018. The couple has a 2-year-old son, Carson, and is expecting another baby boy in December.
“I’m just learning how to be a father,” he said. “It’s been a fun process so far.”
He is also contemplating life after basketball.
Playing in Dubai provided plenty of free time and Fair used some of it to consider a career path once the basketballs stopped bouncing. He listened to a few podcasts about real estate, was intrigued and kept researching the market. When he got back to the States, he started his own residential real estate business, Fair Properties.
He waded into the real estate market just as prices soared.
“I got a few properties under my belt,” he said. “I’m trying to set up so when I’m done playing basketball I can really do this full-time. I’m loving it so far.”
He’s also involved in an operation headed by Nolan Hart, his former SU roommate and teammate. The venture will help match college athletes with Name, Image and Likeness opportunities. Hart had said the platform would go live in August, but Fair said it likely will be pushed back to September.
The idea that NIL opportunities have arrived for athletes of this generation both pleases and frustrates Fair.
“I was always a big advocate for it,” he said. “If you don’t want to pay the players a salary, I understand that. But I don’t think you should limit a player if they want to sign some autographs or get some free shoes. Or any jersey that gets sold, I get a percentage of it because the reason (fans) are buying it is because of me. I’m definitely happy for them, but I’m a little salty it’s 7-8 years later.”
Fair spent a lot of interview time smiling Tuesday. He is back in Syracuse, a place that adores him. He is playing on a team favored to win games and potentially take its first The Basketball Tournament title. He seems satisfied with whatever role he is asked to play.
“I’m going to do the little things as far as rebounding and defending. I’m going to hit the open shot. I’m going to run the floor,” he said. “This is not about me. They don’t need to run plays for me. Of course, I’m going to be aggressive. But it’s different because you have so many talented players that I think everybody is going to get equal shares of opportunity.”
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