Darius LaVar Miles (born October 9, 1981) is an American former 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. The ,

forward Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward. Forward may also refer to: People * Forward (surname) Sports * Forward (association football) * Forward (basketball), including: ** Point forward ** Power forward (basketball) ** Sm ...

was selected directly out of high school by the

Los Angeles Clippers The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...

with the 3rd overall pick in the 2000 NBA draft. He was a First Team

NBA All-Rookie The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for player ...

2001 The September 11 attacks against the United States by Al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror, were a defining event of 2001. The United States led a Participants in ...

, a first for a

prep-to-pro The NBA high school draftees are players who have been drafted to the National Basketball Association (NBA) straight out of high school. The process of jumping directly from high school to the professional level is also known as going prep-to-pro. S ...

player. Miles' playing career nearly came to an end when he was released by the

Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Con ...

in April 2008 after two years away from the court following

microfracture surgery Fracture mechanics is the field of mechanics concerned with the study of the propagation of cracks in materials. It uses methods of analytical solid mechanics to calculate the driving force on a crack and those of experimental solid mechanics t ...

on his right knee. He returned to action during the 2008–09 season as a member of the

Memphis Grizzlies The Memphis Grizzlies (referred to locally as the Grizz) are an American professional basketball team based in Memphis, Tennessee. The Grizzlies compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference ...

Early years

Miles was born in

Belleville, Illinois Belleville is a city and the county seat of St. Clair County, Illinois, coterminous with the now defunct Belleville Township. It is also the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Belleville and the National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows. The p ...

and attended

East St. Louis Lincoln High School East St. Louis Lincoln High School was a high school in East St. Louis, Illinois. It was established in 1909 as a school for blacks and consolidated with East St. Louis Senior High School in 1998. History The first school in East St. Louis named f ...

and

East St. Louis Senior High School East Saint Louis Senior High School is the only high school located in East St. Louis, Illinois. The school serves about 1,438 students in grades 9 to 12 in the East Saint Louis Public Schools district. It was featured in the Jonathan Kozol book ' ...

East St. Louis, Illinois East St. Louis is a city in St. Clair County, Illinois. It is directly across the Mississippi River from Downtown St. Louis, Missouri and the Gateway Arch National Park. East St. Louis is in the Metro-East region of Southern Illinois. Once a b ...

. Before declaring to enter the 2000 NBA Draft, Miles had signed a

National Letter of Intent National may refer to: Common uses * Nation or country ** Nationality – a ''national'' is a person who is subject to a nation, regardless of whether the person has full rights as a citizen Places in the United States * National, Maryland, ce ...

to play for the St. John's Red Storm men's basketball team, alongside fellow top recruit

Omar Cook Omar-Sharif Cook ( sr, Omar-Šarif Kuk / Омар-Шариф Кук; born January 28, 1982) is an American-Montenegrin professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Cleveland Charge of the NBA G League. He rep ...

Mike Jarvis Michael D. Jarvis (born April 12, 1945) is an American college basketball coach most recently as head men's basketball coach at Florida Atlantic University. He has coached at Boston University, George Washington University and St. John's Univers ...

, the head coach for the Red Storm at the time, has stated that Miles' commitment significantly helped obtain Cook and the other incoming freshmen from the recruiting class.

Professional career

Los Angeles Clippers (2000–2002)

Miles entered the 2000 NBA draft and was selected by the

as the third overall pick, at the time the highest a player had been drafted directly from high school. For the next two seasons Miles,

Quentin Richardson Quentin Lamar Richardson (born April 13, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player who was formerly the director of player development for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "Q-Rich", he p ...

Corey Maggette Corey Antoine Maggette (; born November 12, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player who played 14 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He became an analyst for Fox Sports. High school and college career Magget ...

Lamar Odom Lamar Joseph Odom (born November 6, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player. As a member of the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA), he won championships in 2009 and 2010 and was named the NBA Sixt ...

and

Elton Brand Elton Tyron Brand (born March 11, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player and the general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After playing college basketball for Duke, he was selecte ...

entertained fans with their exciting, high flying style of play. He played his first two seasons with the Clippers, earning an

NBA All-Rookie Team The NBA All-Rookie Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1962–63 NBA season to the top rookies during the regular season. Voting is conducted by the NBA head coaches who are not allowed to vote for playe ...

first team honor in

. In those years Miles, Richardson, and co. helped the Clippers improve their win column from 15 wins in 99-00, to 31 wins in 00-01 to finally 39 wins in 01-02. In the 2001–02 season, the Clippers appeared to be on the verge of their first playoff appearance since

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; ''Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of t ...

; however, they were only able to win 3 of the last 12 games of the season, ultimately finishing five games out of the

playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eithe ...

Cleveland Cavaliers (2002–2004)

Following the 2001–2002 season, he was traded to 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 ...

, alongside

Harold Jamison Harold Sherill Jamison (born November 20, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player. Born in Orangeburg, South Carolina, he is 6'8" and played at power forward. Basketball career In college, Jamison played for Clemson Universi ...

, in a deal for

Andre Miller Andre Lloyd Miller (born March 19, 1976) is an American former professional basketball player and the current head coach for the Grand Rapids Gold. Miller has played professional basketball for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers, Phil ...

and

Bryant Stith Bryant Lamonica Stith (born December 10, 1970) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He is currently a men's assistant basketball coach at University of North Carolina Green ...

where he spent a season and a half before being traded to the

for

Jeff McInnis Jeff Lemans McInnis (born October 22, 1974) is an American former professional basketball player. He played in the National Basketball Association (NBA), in Greece Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje Ruben Bertrand Boumtje-Boumtje (born May 20, 1978) is a Cameroonian professional basketball executive and former player who last served as the assistant general manager of the Delaware Blue Coats of the NBA G League. He played college basketball ...

midway through the 2003–04 season.

Portland Trail Blazers (2004–2008)

During the 2004–05 season, Miles made headlines after a confrontation with then-coach

Maurice Cheeks Maurice Edward Cheeks (born September 8, 1956) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who serves as assistant coach for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has also served as head coach of t ...

in which Miles reportedly insulted Cheeks with racial slurs and remarked he ''"did not care if the team were to lose the next 20 games"'' since Cheeks was ''"going to be fired anyway"''. According to ESPN's

Chad Ford Chad Ford (born 1971) is an associate professor at Brigham Young University – Hawaii (BYUH). He is director of the university's McKay Center and is known for his study of conflict resolution with an emphasis on large group ethnic and religious ...

and other accounts, after Cheeks asked Miles to leave, Miles' response was "Make me." When Cheeks left the room to see Blazers' general manager John Nash, Miles ran behind him shouting, "That's right, run to your daddy." On April 19, 2005, he scored a career-high 47 points in a loss against the

Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Northwest Division. The team was founded as the D ...

, which equalled the eighth-highest single-game output in franchise history. Late in the 2005–2006 season, Miles severely injured his right knee. Five days later, on April 15, 2006, he played in his 40th and last game of the season. He missed the entire 2006–07 and 2007–08 NBA seasons due to

to repair his injury. In an effort to shed Miles's $18 million contract, the

petitioned the

NBA 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 St ...

and the

NBA Players Association The National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) is a labor union that represents National Basketball Association (NBA) players. It was founded in 1954, making it the oldest trade union of the four major professional sports leagues in the Unit ...

in March 2008 to provide an independent doctor to decide whether Miles could play again. The examination determined that Miles' knee injury was severe enough to be career-ending, prompting the Blazers to request waivers for his release on April 14, 2008. However, Miles had the option to sign on with another team if offered a contract, potentially reverting the $18 million savings the Blazers hoped to gain if Miles played in 10 games in 2008. Complicating matters was a 10-game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy levied by the NBA, which Miles was required to serve before he could play for any NBA team.

Memphis Grizzlies (2008–2009)

On August 22, 2008, the Celtics signed Miles to a non-guaranteed contract offering him a chance to earn a roster spot at training camp. Though he worked out twice with the team and impressed with his health and attitude,Celtics sign Darius Miles
''

Boston Herald The ''Boston Herald'' is an American daily newspaper whose primary market is Boston, Massachusetts, and its surrounding area. It was founded in 1846 and is one of the oldest daily newspapers in the United States. It has been awarded eight Pulit ...

'', August 22, 2008. he was waived on October 20, before the regular season started. On December 13, 2008, Miles signed with the

. After sitting out his ten-game suspension, Miles made his season debut with the team on January 4, 2009, playing the last 1:46 in a 102–82 win against the

Dallas Mavericks The Dallas Mavericks (often referred to as the Mavs) are an American professional basketball team based in Dallas. The Mavericks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Western Conference (NBA), Western Conferenc ...

. On January 7, after collecting only 2 rebounds and 2 blocks in 9 minutes over two games, Miles was waived. On January 9, following a controversy over his re-signing, the Grizzlies signed Miles to a 10-day contract. The next game, against the Cavaliers on January 14, Miles played 14 minutes and exhibited some of the quickness and leaping ability he once possessed. He recorded 13 points on 4 of 6 shooting and making 5 of 7 free throws in a 102–87 loss. On January 30, 2009 the Grizzlies signed Miles for the rest of the 2008–09 season. On July 9, 2009, the Grizzlies renounced their rights on Miles in order to save cap room.

Career-ending injury controversy

Under NBA rules, if a team is granted salary-cap relief for a career-ending injury to a player who thereafter participates in at least ten games the next season, the salary cap relief is terminated and the amount is added back to the team's salary cap ceiling. On January 8, 2009, after Miles played six pre-season games with the Celtics and two before being released from a non-guaranteed contract by the Grizzlies, the Portland Trail Blazers threatened to sue any of the other 29 NBA teams that picked up Miles and played him specifically to adversely impact their salary cap and tax positions.Reports: Blazers try to blackball Miles
January 8, 2009. In response, the NBA players' association threatened to file a grievance against the Trail Blazers. After a directive from the NBA Commissioner's office the next day declaring that any team could sign Miles and the League would approve the contract, the Memphis Grizzlies re-signed Miles on January 10, 2009 to a 10-day non-guaranteed contract. Miles then played the two games necessary to trigger re-addition of the $18 million to Portland's cap amount. Miles then re-signed two more 10-day contracts with the Grizzlies before being signed for the rest of the 2008–09 season on January 30, 2009. Miles' final NBA game was played on April 13, 2009 in a 110 - 119 loss to the Phoenix Suns where he recorded 2 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist in 6 and half minutes of playing time.

Acting career

Miles had a role in ''

The Perfect Score ''The Perfect Score'' is a 2004 American Teen film, teen comedy-heist film directed by Brian Robbins and starring Chris Evans (actor), Chris Evans, Erika Christensen, Bryan Greenberg, Scarlett Johansson, Darius Miles, and Leonardo Nam. The film ...

'' (2004), as a high school basketball star who needs to achieve a qualifying

SAT The SAT ( ) is a standardized test widely used for college admissions in the United States. Since its debut in 1926, its name and scoring have changed several times; originally called the Scholastic Aptitude Test, it was later called the Schol ...

score to attend St. John's University, closely paralleling his real-life situation coming out of high school. He also appeared in ''

National Lampoon's Van Wilder ''National Lampoon's Van Wilder'' (released internationally as ''Van Wilder: Party Liaison'' and ''Party Animals'') is a 2002 American comedy film directed by Walt Becker and written by Brent Goldberg and David T. Wagner. The film stars Ryan R ...

'' (2002), along with then-Clipper teammates

Michael Olowokandi Michael Olowokandi (born 3 April 1975) is a Nigerian former professional basketball player. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, and raised in London, he played collegiately for the Pacific Tigers in Stockton, California. Nicknamed "The Kandi Man," Olowokandi ...

and

. He also appeared in a documentary titled ''The Youngest Guns'' (2004), which detailed Miles' and Richardson's first few years in the

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , align="left" , , align="left" , L.A. Clippers , 81 , , 21 , , 26.3 , , .505 , , .053 , , .521 , , 5.9 , , 1.2 , , .6 , , 1.5 , , 9.4 , - , align="left" , , align="left" , L.A. Clippers , 82 , , 6 , , 27.2 , , .481 , , .158 , , .620 , , 5.5 , , 2.2 , , .9 , , 1.3 , , 9.5 , - , align="left" , , 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. ...

, 67 , , 62 , , 30.0 , , .410 , , .000 , , .594 , , 5.4 , , 2.6 , , 1.0 , , 1.0 , , 9.2 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 37 , , 16 , , 24.0 , , .432 , , .167 , , .542 , , 4.5 , , 2.2 , , .7 , , .7 , , 8.9 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Portland Portland most commonly refers to: * Portland, Oregon, the largest city in the state of Oregon, in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States * Portland, Maine, the largest city in the state of Maine, in the New England region of the northeas ...

, 42 , , 40 , , 28.4 , , .526 , , .200 , , .702 , , 4.6 , , 2.0 , , 1.0 , , .8 , , 12.6 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 63 , , 22 , , 27.0 , , .482 , , .348 , , .600 , , 4.7 , , 2.0 , , 1.2 , , 1.2 , , 12.8 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

, 40 , , 23 , , 32.2 , , .461 , , .200 , , .534 , , 4.6 , , 1.8 , , 1.1 , , 1.0 , , 14.0 , - , align="left" , , align="left" ,

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

, 34 , , 0 , , 8.8 , , .485 , , .167 , , .742 , , 1.7 , , .5 , , .3 , , .6 , , 3.5 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 446 , , 190 , , 26.3 , , .472 , , .168 , , .590 , , 4.9 , , 1.9 , , .9 , , 1.1 , , 10.1

Personal life

On August 3, 2011, Miles was arrested in

Lambert-St. Louis International Airport St. Louis Lambert International Airport is the primary commercial airport serving metropolitan St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Commonly referred to as Lambert Field or simply Lambert, it is the largest and busiest airport in the state of ...

for carrying a loaded gun. After making nearly $62 million in his NBA career, Miles filed for bankruptcy on September 18, 2016. In October 2018, Miles addressed mental health issues that he had battled after his career in a ''Player's Tribune'' article. Since February 2019 he has co-hosted ''The Knuckleheads'' podcast with

associated with ''

The Players' Tribune ''The Players' Tribune'' is a new media platform that produces daily sports conversation and publishes first-person stories from professional athletes. The platform was founded by former professional Major League Baseball player Derek Jeter in ...

''. A show where they interview former and current professional basketball players from the perspective of ex-NBA players. On October 7, 2021, Miles was indicted for insurance fraud in the Southern District of New York for allegedly defrauding the NBA's health and welfare benefit plan.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Miles, Darius 1981 births Living people African-American basketball players American men's basketball players Basketball players from Illinois Cleveland Cavaliers players Doping cases in basketball Los Angeles Clippers draft picks Los Angeles Clippers players McDonald's High School All-Americans Memphis Grizzlies players National Basketball Association high school draftees Parade High School All-Americans (boys' basketball) Portland Trail Blazers players Small forwards Sportspeople from Belleville, Illinois 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American people