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 | |
|
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| 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 a tall player, standing 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) (2.06 m) and weighing 235 lb (107 kg) (107 kg).
Darius Miles was chosen directly from high school to play in the NBA. The Los Angeles Clippers picked him third overall in the 2000 NBA draft. He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team in 2001. This was a big achievement for a player coming straight from high school.
Miles faced a challenge when he had a serious knee injury. He was released by the Portland Trail Blazers in April 2008. He had been away from playing for two years because of surgery. However, he made a comeback in the 2008–09 season with the Memphis Grizzlies.
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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 joining the NBA, Miles planned to play college basketball. He had signed to play for the St. John's Red Storm men's basketball team. The coach, Mike Jarvis, said Miles's commitment helped bring 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.
His first NBA game was on October 31, 2000. He scored eight points and had seven rebounds in that game. For two seasons, Miles played with teammates like Quentin Richardson and Elton Brand. They were known for their exciting style of play.
Miles and his teammates helped the Clippers improve their record. They went from 15 wins in 1999–2000 to 39 wins in 2001–02. In the 2001–02 season, the Clippers almost made the playoffs.
Time with the Cleveland Cavaliers (2002–2004)
After the 2001–2002 season, Miles was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers. He played there for about a season and a half. Then, he was traded again to the Portland Trail Blazers during the 2003–04 season.
Playing for the Portland Trail Blazers (2004–2008)
During the 2004–05 season, Miles had a disagreement with his coach, Maurice Cheeks. He scored a career-high 47 points in a game on April 19, 2005. This was one of the highest scores in the team's history at that point.
Late in the 2005–2006 season, Miles hurt his right knee badly. He played his last game of that season on April 15, 2006. He then missed the entire 2006–07 and 2007–08 NBA seasons. This was due to surgery to fix his injury.
The Portland Trail Blazers tried to remove Miles's contract from their team's salary. An independent doctor decided that Miles's knee injury was severe. This meant he might not be able to play basketball again. The Blazers released him in April 2008.
However, Miles could still sign with another team. If he played in 10 games, the Blazers would not save the money they hoped to. Miles also had a suspension from the league that he needed to serve.
Comeback with the Memphis Grizzlies (2008–2009)
On August 22, 2008, the Boston Celtics signed Miles to a contract. This gave him a chance to earn a spot on their team. He showed he was healthy and had a good attitude, but he was released before the season started.
On December 13, 2008, Miles signed with the Memphis Grizzlies. After serving his suspension, he played his first game on January 4, 2009. He showed some of his old quickness and jumping ability in a game on January 14. He scored 13 points in that game.
The Grizzlies signed Miles for the rest of the 2008–09 season on January 30, 2009. However, on July 9, 2009, the Grizzlies decided not to keep him.
Injury and Salary Controversy
NBA rules state that if a team gets salary relief for a player's career-ending injury, and that player later plays in at least ten games, the salary relief ends. The money is added back to the team's salary cap.
In January 2009, after Miles played a few games, the Portland Trail Blazers were concerned. They worried that if another team signed Miles and he played ten games, it would affect their salary cap. The NBA Commissioner's office then said any team could sign Miles. The Memphis Grizzlies re-signed him. Miles then played enough games to trigger the rule. This meant the $18 million was added back to Portland's salary cap amount.
Miles's final NBA game was on April 13, 2009. He played for about six minutes in a game against the Phoenix Suns.
Acting Career
Darius Miles also had some acting roles. He appeared in the movie The Perfect Score (2004). In this movie, he played a high school basketball star. This role was similar to his own life, as his character needed a good test score to go to college.
He also appeared in National Lampoon's Van Wilder (2002). He was in this movie with his teammates from the Clippers. Miles also appeared in a documentary called The Youngest Guns (2004). This film showed his first few years playing 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 Stats
| 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 | |
Personal Life and Beyond Basketball
In October 2018, Darius Miles shared his experiences with mental health challenges. He talked about these issues after his basketball career ended.
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 basketball players. They share stories from the perspective of former NBA players.
See also
In Spanish: Darius Miles para niños
- List of people banned or suspended by the NBA
