Darius Garland facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Darius Garland

Garland with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2022
No. 10 – [[Cleveland Cavaliers|Cleveland Cavaliers]]
Point guard
Personal information
Born	(2000-01-26) January 26, 2000 (age 25) Gary, Indiana, U.S.
High school	Brentwood Academy (Brentwood, Tennessee)
Listed height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight	192 lb (87 kg)
Career information
College	Vanderbilt (2018–2019)
NBA Draft	2019 / Round: 1 / Pick: 5th overall
Selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers
Pro career	2019–present
League	NBA
Career history
2019–present	Cleveland Cavaliers
Career highlights and awards
2× NBA All-Star (2022, 2025) McDonald's All-American (2018) 3× Tennessee Mr. Basketball (2016–2018)

Darius Kinnard Garland (born January 26, 2000) is an American professional basketball player. He plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Before joining the NBA, he played college basketball for the Vanderbilt Commodores.

Darius was born in Gary, Indiana. His father, Winston Garland, was also a professional basketball player. Darius went to Brentwood Academy for high school. He joined the main basketball team in eighth grade. By the time he left, he had helped his team win four state championships. He also won the "Tennessee Mr. Basketball" award three times. Darius was considered one of the best young players in his age group. He was even named a McDonald's All-American, which is a big honor for high school basketball players.

Darius started his college career at Vanderbilt. However, he got a knee injury after only five games. This injury ended his college season early. He then decided to leave college to get ready for the NBA draft. After a tough first season in the NBA, Darius worked hard. He was chosen for his first NBA All-Star Game in 2022. He also finished third for the NBA's Most Improved Player award that year. He was named an All-Star again in 2025.

Early Life and Basketball Start

Darius Garland was born in Gary, Indiana. His parents are Felicia and Winston Garland. Winston Garland played in the NBA. Darius started playing baseball and basketball when he was five years old. Soon, he decided to focus only on basketball.

He scored his first basket in second grade. In third grade, he went to basketball camps. These camps were led by Bryce Drew, who later became his college coach. Darius played on a travel team against older kids. In fourth grade, he joined a special team in Nashville, Tennessee. His family moved to Tennessee after he finished sixth grade. This move allowed him to go to Brentwood Academy with his teammates. His father said it was a "big leap of faith" for the family.

High School Basketball Journey

Darius joined the main basketball team at Brentwood Academy when he was in eighth grade. In his first year, he scored about 17 points per game. He also helped his team win a state championship. He was one of the top players for the "Tennessee Mr. Basketball" award.

As a sophomore, he won the MVP award at a holiday tournament. He scored 23 points in the final game. He averaged 18.6 points and 4.3 assists per game that year. He also won the Tennessee Mr. Basketball award. Between his sophomore and junior years, he grew taller. By his fourth year, experts said he was the best point guard in his class.

In March 2017, Darius was recognized as a top high school player. He averaged 23.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.1 steals per game. His team had a great record of 30 wins and only 2 losses. They also won another state championship. On November 13, 2017, he decided to play college basketball for Vanderbilt. He liked that it was close to home and that Bryce Drew was the coach.

In his senior year, Darius averaged 27.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.3 assists. He helped Brentwood Academy win their fourth straight state title. This tied a state record. He became only the second player to win Tennessee Mr. Basketball three times. In March 2018, he was named Gatorade Tennessee Player of the Year. He also played in the 2018 McDonald's All-American Boys Game. He had 11 assists in that game.

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes

Name	Hometown	High school / college	Height	Weight	Commit date
Darius Garland PG	Brentwood, TN	Brentwood Academy (TN)	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)	175 lb (79 kg)	Nov 13, 2017
	Recruiting star ratings: Scout: N/A   Rivals:   247Sports:    ESPN:   ESPN grade: 93
Overall recruiting rankings:   Rivals: 17  247Sports: 11  ESPN: 16
Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources:

College Career at Vanderbilt

Darius Garland was the most highly-rated player to ever join Vanderbilt's basketball team. In his first college game on November 6, 2018, he scored 24 points. On November 19, he scored a season-high 33 points against Liberty. This was the second-highest score by a freshman in Vanderbilt history.

However, his college career was cut short. On November 23, he injured his knee during a game. Four days later, his coach, Bryce Drew, announced that Darius had a meniscus injury. This meant he would miss the rest of the season. On January 22, 2019, Darius decided to leave Vanderbilt. He wanted to focus on recovering from his injury and getting ready for the 2019 NBA draft.

Professional NBA Career

Joining the Cleveland Cavaliers (2019–Present)

Early Years (2019–2021)

Garland at the opening of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in 2019

The Cleveland Cavaliers chose Darius Garland as the fifth pick in the 2019 NBA draft. On July 3, 2019, he signed his first contract with the Cavaliers. He played his first NBA game on October 23, 2019. He scored eight points and had five assists in that game. Darius made history by being the first NBA player born in the 2000s to play in a game.

On November 22, he scored a season-high 23 points. During his first year, some people thought his play was disappointing. He finished his rookie season averaging 12.3 points and 3.9 assists per game. He was not chosen for the NBA All-Rookie teams.

In his second season, on December 23, 2020, Darius scored 22 points. On April 5, 2021, he scored a career-high 37 points against the San Antonio Spurs. Even though the Cavaliers did not make the playoffs, Darius improved. He averaged 17.4 points, 6.1 assists, and 1.2 steals per game.

Becoming an All-Star (2021–2024)

On January 12, 2022, Darius achieved his first "triple-double." This means he had double-digit numbers in three categories: 11 points, 10 rebounds, and a career-high 15 assists. On January 15, he had 27 points and a career-high 18 assists. On February 3, he was chosen for his first NBA All-Star Game.

On March 8, Darius scored a career-high 41 points. He also had 13 assists in that game. The Cavaliers had a much better season, winning 44 games. This was double their wins from the year before. However, they lost in the NBA play-in tournament and did not make the playoffs. Darius finished third in voting for the Most Improved Player award.

Garland at the 2022 NBA All-Star Game

On July 9, 2022, Darius signed a big five-year contract with the Cavaliers. On November 13, he scored a career-high 51 points. He made 10 three-point shots in that game. He became only the fourth Cavaliers player to score 50 points or more. He was also the youngest player to score 50+ points and make 10+ three-pointers before turning 25. On November 18, he led the Cavaliers to a win with 41 points. Darius helped the Cavaliers have a great season in 2022-23. They won 50 games and earned a high spot in the Eastern Conference.

Second All-Star Selection (2024–Present)

On January 30, 2025, Darius Garland was named an NBA All-Star for the second time. On February 5, 2025, he scored 25 points and made a game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer. This shot gave the Cavaliers a 118–115 win. Darius helped the Cavaliers achieve the best record in the Eastern Conference that season. They won 64 games, which was the second-best record in the team's history.

In the playoffs, Darius faced some injuries. The Cavaliers were upset by the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals. This ended their playoff run earlier than they hoped. On June 9, Darius had surgery on his injured left big toe. He is expected to recover and be ready for the start of training camp.

Career Statistics

NBA Regular Season

NBA Playoffs

College Statistics

Personal Life

Darius Garland's father, Winston Garland, played college basketball for Missouri State. He then played for seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Darius has an older sister and four older brothers. Both of his grandfathers served in the United States Army.

See also

In Spanish: Darius Garland para niños