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
NBA All-Star (2022) 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 varsity basketball team when he was only 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 the country. He was even named a McDonald's All-American.

Darius chose to play college basketball at Vanderbilt. He was the best player ever to join their team. However, his college career was cut short after only five games. He got a knee injury and decided to leave college. This allowed him to focus on getting ready for the NBA draft. After a tough first season, Darius became an NBA All-Star in 2022. He also finished third for the NBA's Most Improved Player award that same year.

Early Life and Basketball Start

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

He kept playing basketball in elementary school. He scored his first basket in second grade. In third grade, he went to basketball camps. These camps were led by Bryce Drew. Drew later became his coach in college. Darius played on a travel team against older kids. In fourth grade, he joined a special team in Nashville, Tennessee. He did this because local teams were not challenging enough.

After sixth grade, his family moved to Tennessee. This move allowed him to attend Brentwood Academy. His teammates from his special basketball team also went there. His father said it was a "big leap of faith" for the family.

High School Success

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

As a sophomore, he won the MVP award at a big 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. The sports website MaxPreps named him an honorable mention All-American.

Between his sophomore and junior years, he grew taller. By his fourth season, he was ranked the best point guard in his class. This was according to 247Sports.

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. Darius was named a first-team Junior All-American by MaxPreps.

On November 13, 2017, he decided to play college basketball for Vanderbilt. He liked that it was close to home. He also liked coach Bryce Drew. In his senior year, Darius averaged 27.6 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.7 steals. He led Brentwood Academy to their fourth straight state title. This tied a state record. He became the only player besides Brandan Wright 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. He also took part in the Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit.

College Career at Vanderbilt

Darius Garland started the 2018–19 season as the best player ever to sign with Vanderbilt. He was the only freshman chosen for the preseason all-conference team.

In his first college game on November 6, 2018, he scored 24 points. This was the most points in the game. On November 19, he scored a season-high 33 points. This was the second-most points ever by a freshman at Vanderbilt.

However, his college career ended quickly. On November 23, he injured his knee during a game. Four days later, his coach, Bryce Drew, announced that Darius would miss the rest of the season. He had a meniscus injury. On January 22, 2019, Darius announced he would leave Vanderbilt. He wanted to recover from his injury and get ready for the 2019 NBA draft. He was later invited to the NBA Draft Combine. He left early because he believed a team would pick him high in the draft.

Professional Career

Cleveland Cavaliers (2019–present)

Early Years (2019–2021)

Garland at the opening of Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in 2019

The Cleveland Cavaliers picked Darius Garland with the fifth choice 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 this game, he made history. He became the first player born in the 2000s to play in the NBA. On November 22, he scored a season-high 23 points.

During his first season, some people thought he was not playing well. He ended his rookie year averaging 12.3 points and 3.9 assists per game. He was not chosen for the NBA All-Rookie teams.

On December 23, 2020, Darius started his second season. He scored 22 points and had six assists. On April 5, 2021, he scored a career-high 37 points. He also had seven assists in that game. Even though the Cavaliers did not make the playoffs, Darius improved. He averaged 17.4 points and 6.1 assists per game.

First All-Star Selection (2021–present)

On January 12, 2022, Darius achieved his first career triple-double. He had 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 15 assists. Three days later, he had 27 points and a career-high 18 assists.

On February 3, he was chosen for his first NBA All-Star Game. This was a big achievement for him. On March 8, Darius scored a new career-high of 41 points. He also had 13 assists in that game.

The Cavaliers improved a lot that season. They won 44 games, twice as many as the year before. However, they lost in the play-in tournament. This meant they 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 new contract with the Cavaliers. It was a five-year deal worth $231 million. 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 hit 10+ threes before turning 25. On November 18, Darius led the Cavaliers to a win with 41 points.

Career Statistics

NBA

Regular season

Play-in

Playoffs

College

Personal Life

Darius Garland's father, Winston Garland, played college basketball and then for seven seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Later, his father worked as a leader at the Indiana State Prison and coached basketball.

Both of Darius's grandfathers served in the United States Army. Darius has an older sister and four older brothers.

See also

In Spanish: Darius Garland para niños