Darius Kinnard Garland (born January 26, 2000) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player for the

Cleveland Cavaliers The Cleveland Cavaliers (often referred to as the Cavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Cleveland. The Cavaliers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Ea ...

of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...

(NBA). He played

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

for the

Vanderbilt Commodores The Vanderbilt Commodores are the intercollegiate athletic teams that represent Vanderbilt University, located in Nashville, Tennessee. Vanderbilt fields 16 varsity teams (6 men's teams and 10 women's teams), 14 of which compete at the National ...

. Born in Gary, Indiana, Garland is the son of former professional basketball player

Winston Garland Winston Kinnard Garland (born December 19, 1964) is an American former professional basketball player at the point guard position. He played collegiately at the Southeastern Community College (Iowa) for two seasons (1983–84 and 1984–85), an ...

. Garland attended

Brentwood Academy Brentwood Academy is a coeducational Christian independent college preparatory school located in Brentwood, Tennessee, for grades 6–12. History The charter of Brentwood Academy was signed on November 20, 1969, after ten acres of land on Gr ...

in high school, joining the varsity basketball team in eighth grade and leaving as a four-time state champion and three-time

Tennessee Mr. Basketball Each year the Tennessee Mr. Basketball award is given to the person chosen as the best high school boys' basketball player in the U.S. state of Tennessee by the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association. A Mr. Basketball is named for each of ...

winner. He was a five-star

recruit __NOTOC__ Recruit can refer to: Military * Military recruitment * Recruit training, in the military * '' Rekrut'' (English: Recruit), a military recruit or low rank in German-speaking countries * Seaman recruit Books *''Le Réquisitionnaire'' (E ...

, ranked among the best

point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the five Basketball positions, positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position. Point guards are expected to run t ...

s in the 2018 class, and a

McDonald's All-American McDonald's Corporation is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hamburger s ...

. Garland committed to Vanderbilt as the best recruit in program history. After five games, his college career was cut short by a meniscus injury, which prompted him to leave the team to prepare for the NBA draft. After heavy scrutiny in his first season due to perceived disappointing play, Garland was named to his first

NBA All-Star The National Basketball Association (NBA) All-Star Game is an annual exhibition basketball game. It is the main event of the NBA All-Star Weekend. Originally, the All-Star Game featured a conference-based format, featuring a team composed of al ...

Game in 2022.

Early life

Garland was born in

Gary, Indiana Gary is a city in Lake County, Indiana, United States. The city has been historically dominated by major industrial activity and is home to U.S. Steel's Gary Works, the largest steel mill complex in North America. Gary is located along the ...

, to Felicia Garland and former NBA player

. He grew up playing

baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

and started basketball at age five but soon narrowed down his focus to only the latter sport. Garland continued with basketball in elementary school and scored his first basket in second grade. In third grade, he attended basketball camps in

Valparaiso, Indiana Valparaiso ( ), colloquially Valpo, is a city and the county seat of Porter County, Indiana, United States. The population was 34,151 at the 2020 census. History The site of present-day Valparaiso was included in the purchase of land from the ...

led by Bryce Drew, who would become his college coach at Vanderbilt. Garland played on a travel team against older opponents and joined an

Amateur Athletic Union The Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) is an amateur sports organization based in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs. It has ...

(AAU) squad based in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the List of muni ...

when he was in fourth grade, because none of the local teams met his standards. After he completed sixth grade, his family moved to Tennessee so that he could attend

Brentwood, Tennessee Brentwood is a city in Williamson County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 45,373 as of the 2020 United States census.Camron Johnson Camron "Cam" Blais Johnson (born April 12, 1999) is an American football wide receiver from Madisonville, Kentucky who currently plays for the Northwestern Wildcats in the Big Ten Conference. He previously played for the Vanderbilt Commodores ...

. Garland's father described, "We had always talked about relocating. My mother had lived in Tennessee and she liked it. I just talked to the family and everybody was on board. It was a big leap of faith."

High school career

Garland joined the starting lineup for the Brentwood Academy varsity basketball team while in eighth grade. In his freshman season, he averaged 13 points, 1.3

rebounds 'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...

, and 2.7 assists per game, leading his team to a

Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association The Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association (TSSAA), along with the affiliated Tennessee Middle School Athletic Association (TMSAA), is an organization which administers junior and senior high school sporting events in Tennessee. The TSSAA ...

(TSSAA) Division II-AA state championship. Garland was one of three finalists for

among Division II-AA players. On December 23, 2015, as a sophomore, he claimed

most valuable player In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...

(MVP) honors at the King of the Bluegrass Holiday Classic, after scoring 23 points versus Fairdale High School in the title game. Garland averaged 18.6 points and 4.3 assists per game and earned TSSAA Division II-AA Mr. Basketball accolades. High school sports website

MaxPreps MaxPreps is an American website that specializes in coverage of American high school sports. The site is owned by Paramount Global and is a division of CBS Sports. Founded on August 1, 2002, the company has covered up to 29 sports, including b ...

also included him in its Sophomore All-American Team honorable mention. From his sophomore to junior year, he grew 2½ inches, and by his fourth season with Brentwood Academy, he was ranked the best

in the 2018 class by recruiting service

247Sports 247Sports is an American network of websites that focus mainly on athletic recruitment in college football and basketball. It is owned and operated by Paramount. The website hosts a large network of team-specific subsites, with each subsite b ...

. In March 2017, Garland garnered

Naismith Trophy The Naismith Trophy is a trophy awarded to the men's champion of the FIBA Basketball World Cup, and is named in honor of basketball's inventor, James Naismith. The trophy was first awarded to the winner of the 1967 FIBA World Championship. The ...

High School All-America honorable mention recognition. He averaged 23.4 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.1 steals per game and led his team to a 30–2 record and state championship. Garland additionally earned MaxPreps Junior All-American first team distinction. On November 13, 2017, he committed to play college basketball for Vanderbilt, drawn there by its proximity to his home and head coach Bryce Drew. Entering his senior season, Garland appeared in the ''USA Today'' All-USA preseason team. He averaged 27.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.7 steals and secured a fourth straight state title for Brentwood Academy, tying the TSSAA record. Garland joined the MaxPreps High School All-American third team and became the only player other than

Brandan Wright Brandan Keith Wright (born October 5, 1987) is an American former professional basketball player. Growing up in Tennessee, Wright fast became a standout at his high school Brentwood Academy, earning three "Mr. Basketball" titles, a feat no player ...

to win Tennessee Mr. Basketball on three occasions. In March 2018, he was named Gatorade Tennessee Player of the Year and a semifinalist for the Naismith Trophy. On March 28, Garland recorded a game-high 11 assists at the 2018 McDonald's All-American Game. He took part in the

Jordan Brand Classic The Jordan Brand Classic is a high school All-Star basketball game played annually in April. The game's rosters feature the best and most highly recruited high school boys in the senior class including alumns like Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Bl ...

and

Nike Hoop Summit The Nike Hoop Summit is an international men's basketball all-star game sponsored by Nike, held once a year since 1995, except from 2001–2003, which features the USA Basketball Men's Junior Select Team against a World Select Team of internationa ...

as well.

College career

Garland entered the 2018–19 season as the best recruit to ever sign with Vanderbilt. He was the only freshman in the

Southeastern Conference The Southeastern Conference (SEC) is an American college athletic conference whose member institutions are located primarily in the South Central and Southeastern United States. Its fourteen members include the flagship public universities of ...

(SEC) to make the preseason all-conference team. On November 6, 2018, in his first college game against Winthrop, Garland led all scorers with 24 points. In a 79–70 win over

Liberty Liberty is the ability to do as one pleases, or a right or immunity enjoyed by prescription or by grant (i.e. privilege). It is a synonym for the word freedom. In modern politics, liberty is understood as the state of being free within society fr ...

on November 19, he scored a season-high 33 points, the second-most points by a freshman in school history. Garland injured his knee during a

layup A layup in basketball is a two-point shot attempt made by leaping from below, laying the ball up near the basket, and using one hand to bounce it off the backboard and into the basket. The motion and one-handed reach distinguish it from a jump s ...

versus Kent State on November 23 and left the game early. Four days later, Vanderbilt head coach Bryce Drew revealed that Garland would be sidelined for the remainder of the season with a meniscus injury. On January 22, 2019, he announced that he would leave Vanderbilt to recover from his injury and prepare for the 2019 NBA draft. Garland later became one of 77 total invitees to take part in the

NBA Draft Combine The NBA Draft Combine is a multi-day showcase that takes place every May before the annual June NBA draft. At the combine, college basketball players are measured and take medical tests, are interviewed, perform various athletic tests and shootin ...

. However, he left the event early on May 15, with the notion that he got promised a selection by a team in the NBA draft lottery.

Professional career

Cleveland Cavaliers (2019–present)

Garland was selected with the fifth pick by the

in the 2019 NBA draft. On July 3, 2019, the

announced that they had signed with Garland. On October 23, 2019, Garland made his debut in NBA, starting in an 85–94 loss to the

Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...

with eight points, two rebounds, five assists and a steal. Garland made history during this game by becoming the first player born in the 2000s to make his NBA debut. On April 4, 2021, Garland scored a then career-high 37 points, along with seven assists in a 125–101 win over the

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...

. On January 12, 2022, Garland recorded his first career triple-double, putting up 11 points, 10 rebounds, and a then career-high 15 assists, in a 111–91 win over the

Utah Jazz The Utah Jazz are an American professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City. The Jazz compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference (NBA), Western Conference, Northwest Division (NBA), ...

. On January 15, Garland recorded 27 points and a career-high 18 assists in a 107–102 win over the

Oklahoma City Thunder The Oklahoma City Thunder are an American professional basketball team based in Oklahoma City. The Thunder compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team plays i ...

. On February 3, he was selected to his first

Game as a reserve. On March 8, Garland scored a then career-high 41 points with 13 assists in a 127–124 win against the

Indiana Pacers The Indiana Pacers are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Pacers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The Pacers were first esta ...

. On April 12, Garland scored a team-leading 34 points in a 115–108

NBA Play-In Tournament The NBA Play-In Tournament is the preliminary National Basketball Association (NBA) postseason tournament. It determines the final two playoff seeds in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference and is played immediately prior to the NBA Pla ...

loss to the

Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The t ...

. The following game, Garland and the Cavaliers lost to the

Atlanta Hawks The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta. The Hawks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern Conference Southeast Division (NBA), Sou ...

, meaning that despite doubling their previous season’s win total from 22 to 44 and finishing with the eighth best record in the eastern conference, they would not advance to the postseason. Garland later finished third, behind

Ja Morant Temetrius Jamel "Ja" Morant (born August 10, 1999) is an American professional basketball player for the Memphis Grizzlies of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "G12", he played college basketball for the Murray State Racers, ...

and

Dejounte Murray Dejounte Dashaun Murray ( ; born September 19, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played one season of college basketball for the Washington Huskies, where he ...

, in voting for the Most Improved Player award. Darius Garland (51913955152)

On July 9th, 2022, Garland signed a five-year, $231M designated rookie extension with the Cavaliers. On November 13, he scored a career-high 51 points, with 27 points scored in the fourth quarter, including a personal record 10-of-15 three-point shots in a 129–124 loss to the

Minnesota Timberwolves The Minnesota Timberwolves are an American professional basketball team based in Minneapolis. The Timberwolves compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. Founded in 19 ...

. He became the fourth Cavaliers player to score 50, joining

LeBron James LeBron Raymone James Sr. (; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is widely considered one of the greatest pl ...

(nine times),

Kyrie Irving Kyrie Andrew Irving (; lkt, Ȟéla, italic=no, ; born March 23, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was named the Rookie of the Year after being selected ...

(twice) and

Walt Wesley Walter Wesley (born January 25, 1945) is an American former professional basketball player. Early life Wesley grew up in Fort Myers, Florida, the son of Leroy and Josie Wesley. He attended Dunbar High School in Fort Myers. College career The to ...

(once). His ten 3-pointers doubled his previous single-game high and were one short of Irving's team record. On November 18, Garland led the Cavaliers to a double-overtime 132-122 win against the Charlotte Hornets with a game-leading 41 points.

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, 59 , , 59 , , 30.9 , , .401 , , .355 , , .875 , , 1.9 , , 3.9 , , .7 , , .1 , , 12.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 54 , , 50 , , 33.1 , , .451 , , .395 , , .848 , , 3.4 , , 6.1 , , 1.2 , , .1 , , 17.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 68 , , 68 , , 35.7 , , .462 , , .383 , , .892 , , 3.3 , , 8.6 , , 1.3 , , .1 , , 21.7 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 181 , , 177 , , 33.4 , , .443 , , .378 , , .876 , , 2.6 , , 6.3 , , 1.1 , , .1 , , 17.4 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star , 1 , , 0 , , 24.0 , , .417 , , .429 , , , , 1.0 , , 3.0 , , 2.0 , , .0 , , 13.0

College

, - , style="text-align:left;", 2018–19 , style="text-align:left;", Vanderbilt , 5 , , 5 , , 27.8 , , .537 , , .478 , , .880 , , 7.8 , , 5.6 , , 1.8 , , .6 , , 16.2

Personal life

Garland's father

played

for

Missouri State Missouri State University (MSU or MO State), formerly Southwest Missouri State University, is a public university in Springfield, Missouri. Founded in 1905 as the Fourth District Normal School, it is the state's second largest university by enr ...

before spending seven seasons in the

(NBA). He later became a recreational leader at the

Indiana State Prison The Indiana State Prison is a maximum security Indiana Department of Correction prison for adult males; however, minimum security housing also exists on the confines. It is located in Michigan City, Indiana, about east of Chicago. The average ...

and coach for

West Side Leadership Academy West Side Leadership Academy is a four-year (9-12) public school of the Gary Community School Corporation in Gary, Indiana, United States. Notable alumni * Jason Johnson, former NFL player * Jon'Vea Johnson, NFL player * Lonnie Johnson Jr., N ...

in Gary. Both of Garland's grandfathers served in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army of the United States in the U.S. Constitution.Article II, section 2, cla ...

. He has an older sister and four older brothers.

References

External links

USA Basketball bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Garland, Darius 2000 births Living people African-American basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from Gary, Indiana Basketball players from Nashville, Tennessee Cleveland Cavaliers draft picks Cleveland Cavaliers players McDonald's High School All-Americans Point guards Vanderbilt Commodores men's basketball players