Darius Garland
Born 2000 · Age 25
American professional basketball player (point guard) for the Cleveland Cavaliers; Vanderbilt one-and-done; 2× NBA All-Star; son of former NBA player Winston Garland.
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Life & Career Timeline
Born in Gary, Indiana
Darius Kinnard Garland born to Felicia and Winston Garland in Gary, Indiana.
Started playing basketball
Narrowed focus to basketball after playing baseball; began playing basketball at age five.
Scored first basket (elementary school)
Scored his first basket while in second grade.
Attended youth camps run by Bryce Drew
Attended basketball camps in Valparaiso, Indiana run by Bryce Drew (who later became his college coach).
Joined Nashville-based AAU team
Joined an AAU squad based in Nashville in fourth grade because local teams did not meet his standards.
Family moved to Tennessee
After sixth grade, the Garland family moved to Tennessee so Darius could attend Brentwood Academy with AAU teammates.
Joined Brentwood Academy varsity (eighth grade)
Became a starter on Brentwood Academy's varsity basketball team while still in eighth grade.
Freshman: State championship & USA Junior Team nod
As a freshman at Brentwood Academy averaged ~17 PPG, led team to TSSAA Division II-AA state championship and was named to USA Junior National Team.
King of the Bluegrass MVP
Claimed MVP honors at the King of the Bluegrass Holiday Classic after scoring 23 points in the title game.
TSSAA Division II-AA Mr. Basketball (sophomore)
Earned TSSAA Division II-AA Mr. Basketball honors and averaged 18.6 PPG and 4.3 APG in his sophomore season.
Sophomore season recognized by MaxPreps
Included in MaxPreps Sophomore All-American Team (honorable mention).
Ranked as top point guard in 2018 class
By his senior year he was ranked the best point guard in the 2018 recruiting class (247Sports) and was a consensus five-star recruit.
Junior season: Naismith honorable mention, state title
Averaged 23.4 PPG, led Brentwood Academy to a 30–2 record and a state championship; earned Naismith Trophy High School All-America honorable mention.
Committed to Vanderbilt
Committed to Vanderbilt University, citing proximity to home and coach Bryce Drew as factors.
Participated in Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit
Played in other premier senior all-star games (Jordan Brand Classic and Nike Hoop Summit).
Senior season: Fourth straight state title & standout stats
Averaged 27.6 PPG, 5.0 RPG, 4.3 APG and won a fourth consecutive TSSAA state championship, tying the state record.
Gatorade Tennessee Player of the Year & Naismith semifinalist
Named Gatorade Tennessee Player of the Year and was a semifinalist for the Naismith Trophy.
McDonald's All-American Game — 11 assists
Recorded a game-high 11 assists at the 2018 McDonald's All-American Game.
Only freshman in SEC preseason all-conference team
Entered the 2018–19 season as Vanderbilt's highest-ranked recruit ever and was the lone freshman on the preseason All-SEC team.
College debut for Vanderbilt — 24 points
In his first collegiate game (vs Winthrop) led all scorers with 24 points.
Season-high 33 points vs Liberty
Scored 33 points — the second-most by a Vanderbilt freshman in school history.
Suffered meniscus knee injury
Injured his knee on a layup vs Kent State and left the game early; later diagnosed with meniscus injury.
Out for remainder of college season (meniscus)
Vanderbilt head coach announced Garland would miss the remainder of the season due to the meniscus injury.
Declared for 2019 NBA Draft (left Vanderbilt)
Announced he would leave Vanderbilt to recover and prepare for the 2019 NBA draft after five college games.
Left NBA Draft Combine early
Was one of 77 invitees to the NBA Draft Combine but left early due to belief he'd be selected in the draft lottery.
Selected 5th overall in 2019 NBA Draft
Drafted 5th overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2019 NBA draft.
Signed rookie scale contract with Cavaliers
Signed his NBA rookie scale contract with Cleveland.
NBA debut — first player born in 2000 to debut
Debuted in NBA (85–94 loss to Orlando) with 8 points, 5 assists; became first player born in the 2000s to make an NBA debut.
Rookie season then-season high 23 points
Scored a season-high 23 points vs Dallas (also 4 assists) in a blowout loss.
Rookie season averages and All-Rookie snub
Finished his rookie season averaging 12.3 PPG and 3.9 APG and was excluded from both season-end NBA All-Rookie teams.
2020–21 season debut — 22 points
Made season debut posting 22 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists in a win over Charlotte.
2020–21 season averages
Averaged 17.4 PPG, 6.1 APG and 1.2 SPG despite Cavs missing playoffs.
Career-high 37 points (then)
Scored a then-career-high 37 points with 7 assists in a win over San Antonio.
Team improvement: Cavs double previous wins
Cleveland improved from 22 wins to 44 wins in the 2021–22 season, finishing 8th in Eastern Conference (did not reach main postseason).
First career triple-double
Recorded 11 points, 10 rebounds and a then-career-high 15 assists in a win over Utah.
Career-high 18 assists
Posted 27 points and a career-high 18 assists in a comeback win over Oklahoma City.
Selected to first NBA All-Star Game (reserve)
Named as a reserve to the 2022 NBA All-Star Game — Garland's first All-Star selection.
Scored then-career-high 41 points
Scored 41 points with 13 assists in a narrow win vs Indiana.
Finished 3rd in Most Improved Player voting
Finished third in voting for the NBA's Most Improved Player award (behind Ja Morant and Dejounte Murray).
34 points in play-in tournament
Led team with 34 points in a 115–108 play-in loss to the Brooklyn Nets.
Signed five-year, $231M designated rookie extension
Signed a five-year, $231 million designated rookie extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Career-high 51 points & 10-of-15 3s
Scored a career-high 51 points (27 in the 4th quarter) including 10-of-15 three-pointers in a loss to Minnesota; became one of few Cavs to score 50 and youngest to score 50+ with 10+ threes before 25.
41 points in double-overtime win
Led Cavaliers with 41 points in a double-overtime 132–122 win over the Charlotte Hornets.
Helped Cavs to No. 4 seed & first 50-win season since 1993
Contributed to Cleveland earning a No.4 seed and recording their first 50-win season (without LeBron James) since 1993.
Season achievements & performance (2023–24)
Recorded solid regular-season production (listed in career stats), continued as franchise cornerstone through 2023–24 season.
Estimated cumulative career earnings (public figure)
Aggregated public reporting indicates Garland has made at least approximately $99.8M in professional basketball (figure reported on public player pages).
Cavaliers finish with best Eastern Conference record (64–18)
Helped lead Cleveland to the best record in the Eastern Conference at 64–18 — second-best regular-season record in franchise history.
Named reserve for 2025 NBA All-Star Game
Selected as a reserve for the 2025 All-Star Game — Garland's second All-Star selection.
Buzzer-beating 31-foot 3-pointer vs Pistons
Hit a 31-foot buzzer-beating three to give the Cavaliers a 118–115 win over Detroit.
Playoffs: Cavs upset by Pacers in Eastern Conference Semifinals
Cavaliers lost to the Indiana Pacers in five games in the Eastern Conference Semifinals; Garland struggled with injuries during the postseason.
Reported career earnings & salary notes
Public sources note Garland has earned significant NBA compensation; a sports reference/NBA profile lists career earnings and 2025 salary figures.
Underwent left big-toe surgery
Underwent surgery on injured left great toe; expected 4–5 months of rehabilitation before resuming basketball activities by training camp.
Key Achievement Ages
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