Darius Miles facts for kids
Miles in 2006
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| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | October 9, 1981 Belleville, Illinois, U.S. |
| High school | East St. Louis (East St. Louis, Illinois) |
| Listed height | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) |
| Listed weight | 235 lb (107 kg) |
| Career information | |
| NBA Draft | 2000 / Round: 1 / Pick: 3rd overall |
| Selected by the Los Angeles Clippers | |
| Pro career | 2000–2009 |
| Career history | |
| 2000–2002 | Los Angeles Clippers |
| 2002–2004 | Cleveland Cavaliers |
| 2004–2008 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 2008–2009 | Memphis Grizzlies |
| Career highlights and awards | |
|
|
| Career statistics | |
| Points | 4,507 (10.1 ppg) |
| Rebounds | 2,190 (4.9 rpg) |
| Assists | 840 (1.9 apg) |
Darius LaVar Miles (born October 9, 1981) is an American former professional basketball player. He was known for his exciting, high-flying style of play.
Miles was chosen directly from high school by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2000 NBA draft. He was the third player picked overall. In 2001, he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. This was a big achievement for a player who went straight from high school to the NBA.
His basketball career faced a challenge when he had a serious knee injury. After two years away from the court, he returned to play for the Memphis Grizzlies during the 2008–09 season.
Contents
Early Life and High School Basketball
Darius Miles was born in Belleville, Illinois. He went to high school in East St. Louis, Illinois. He played basketball at East St. Louis Lincoln High School and East St. Louis Senior High School.
Before deciding to join the NBA, Miles had planned to play college basketball. He signed a letter to play for the St. John's Red Storm men's basketball team. His commitment helped attract other talented players to the team.
Professional Basketball Career
Playing for the Los Angeles Clippers (2000–2002)
Darius Miles entered the 2000 NBA draft right after high school. The Los Angeles Clippers chose him as the third overall pick. At that time, he was the highest-drafted player to come directly from high school.
For his first two seasons, Miles played with the Clippers. He, along with teammates like Quentin Richardson and Elton Brand, excited fans with their fast-paced and athletic style of play. In 2001, he earned a spot on the NBA All-Rookie Team first team. Miles and his teammates helped the Clippers improve their record. They went from 15 wins in the 1999-00 season to 39 wins in the 2001–02 season.
Joining the Cleveland Cavaliers (2002–2004)
After two seasons with the Clippers, Miles was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2002. He played for the Cavaliers for about a season and a half. During the 2003–04 season, he was traded again, this time to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Time with the Portland Trail Blazers (2004–2008)
While playing for the Portland Trail Blazers, Darius Miles had some notable moments. On April 19, 2005, he scored a career-high 47 points in a game against the Denver Nuggets. This was one of the highest single-game scores in the team's history.
Late in the 2005–06 season, Miles suffered a serious injury to his right knee. He had to undergo microfracture surgery to repair it. Because of this injury, he missed the entire 2006–07 and 2007–08 NBA seasons.
Return with the Memphis Grizzlies (2008–2009)
After his long recovery, Darius Miles worked to return to the NBA. In December 2008, he signed with the Memphis Grizzlies. He made his season debut with the team on January 4, 2009. Miles showed flashes of his old quickness and jumping ability. He played 14 minutes in a game against the Cavaliers on January 14, scoring 13 points. The Grizzlies signed him for the rest of the 2008–09 season. However, his time with the Grizzlies ended in July 2009.
Acting Career
Besides basketball, Darius Miles also had a short acting career. He appeared in the movie The Perfect Score (2004). In this film, he played a high school basketball star who needed a good test score to get into college. This was similar to his own real-life situation before joining the NBA.
Miles also had a role in National Lampoon's Van Wilder (2002). He appeared alongside his Clippers teammates Michael Olowokandi and Quentin Richardson. He was also featured in a documentary called The Youngest Guns (2004). This film showed the early years of Miles and Richardson in the NBA.
NBA Career Statistics
| Legend | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Regular Season
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–01 | L.A. Clippers | 81 | 21 | 26.3 | .505 | .053 | .521 | 5.9 | 1.2 | .6 | 1.5 | 9.4 |
| 2001–02 | L.A. Clippers | 82 | 6 | 27.2 | .481 | .158 | .620 | 5.5 | 2.2 | .9 | 1.3 | 9.5 |
| 2002–03 | Cleveland | 67 | 62 | 30.0 | .410 | .000 | .594 | 5.4 | 2.6 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 9.2 |
| 2003–04 | Cleveland | 37 | 16 | 24.0 | .432 | .167 | .542 | 4.5 | 2.2 | .7 | .7 | 8.9 |
| 2003–04 | Portland | 42 | 40 | 28.4 | .526 | .200 | .702 | 4.6 | 2.0 | 1.0 | .8 | 12.6 |
| 2004–05 | Portland | 63 | 22 | 27.0 | .482 | .348 | .600 | 4.7 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 1.2 | 12.8 |
| 2005–06 | Portland | 40 | 23 | 32.2 | .461 | .200 | .534 | 4.6 | 1.8 | 1.1 | 1.0 | 14.0 |
| 2008–09 | Memphis | 34 | 0 | 8.8 | .485 | .167 | .742 | 1.7 | .5 | .3 | .6 | 3.5 |
| Career | 446 | 190 | 26.3 | .472 | .168 | .590 | 4.9 | 1.9 | .9 | 1.1 | 10.1 | |
Life After Basketball
After his NBA career, Darius Miles has spoken about the challenges he faced. In October 2018, he shared his experiences in an article for Player's Tribune.
Since February 2019, he has co-hosted a podcast called The Knuckleheads. He hosts it with his former teammate Quentin Richardson. On the podcast, they interview other professional basketball players. They share stories and insights from their time in the NBA.
See also
In Spanish: Darius Miles para niños
- List of people banned or suspended by the NBA
