Garland dazzles with his ball-handling, court vision, deep shooting, and lobs to Mobley and Jarrett Allen. And he’s seen the light come on in a big way, with clutch plays in the final minute to seal wins, big shotmaking, a 10-assist quarter in Oklahoma City to mount a comeback, a 5-1 road trip that featured trips to Portland, Utah, and San Antonio, and an Eastern Conference Player of the Week honor in mid-January that came the same day he put up 22 points and 12 assists in a win over James Harden, Kyrie Irving, and the Nets.
Year three is often when players are expected to make the leap. Garland is doing so with a smile that permanently seems fixed on his face and an increasingly emphatic case to earn the first All-Star nod of his career.
“I wake up every morning with a smile on my face, really, because I know it’s going to be a pretty good day around these guys,” Garland said.
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Garland credits undrafted Penn State product Lamar Stevens for coining “The Dogs” as the mindset the Cavs have been operating with this season.
“Lamar started barking and it really just stayed with us, really,” Garland said. “We’re just some dogs. We're underdogs. A lot of people don't think that we should be in the position that we are right now. Being an underdog definitely gives us another boost. When we go out on road games and win big games, we start barking so people will know, ‘the underdogs are here and we're here to stay. You just can't roll over us anymore.’”
Garland’s path certainly allows him to embrace that role. A five-star recruit in high school, Garland had offers from pretty much every college basketball blue blood. His end goal was making it to the league as seamlessly as possible, and after attending Brentwood Academy in South Nashville, Garland opted to sign with Vanderbilt.
The Commodores were coached at the time by Bryce Drew, who is now the head coach at Grand Canyon. Garland attended basketball camps as a kid when Drew coached Valparaiso, and Drew noticed quickly how special Darius could be.
“His skill level was just always off the charts,” Drew said, “way above where it should be for whatever age or level he was at. His size or his strength maybe wasn't there compared to other kids that were physically mature at the time but, it didn't matter because he was so skilled and he had such a charisma about him with the basketball in his hands. He was just always a fun player to watch no matter what age.”
Garland often played a year or two above his age group in AAU, and that allowed him to start to develop the vision and creativity he’s showcasing in the NBA. By never backing down from a challenge, or from someone bigger or stronger than him, he had to be smarter or improvise. He’s found an edge at every level he’s played once his body caught up. Drew compares him to a comedian, praising his “quick wit” on the court that allows things to come naturally to him.
Part of that mindset comes from his relationship with his father, Winston, who played in the NBA for eight seasons, and also played professionally overseas. Winston was a legend in Northwest Indiana, and Darius couldn’t help getting comparisons to him, even as young as six. He’d often be called Little Winston, to his own aggravation. He’d be quick to point out, “I’m not Little Winston, I’m Darius,” but it took an AAU tournament when he was in high school to finally put that nickname to rest.
The 2300 block of Cleveland St. sits near the cross street of West 23rd in Gary, Indiana. Head east on West 23rd about a mile to get to Roosevelt Park. A block later, West 23rd meets Jackson St., where one house has been known for decades as Michael Jackson’s birthplace.
But one house off the 2300 block of Cleveland St. was the beginnings of a 22-year-old who is quickly making a name for himself in the home of rock and roll.
“We used to be outside in our front yard a lot playing baseball,” Darius Garland said from Machine Gun Kelly’s 27 Club coffee shop on the East Bank of the Flats in Downtown Cleveland. “We had a court in the backyard. People would definitely stop, look over the fence, and ask ‘Where's the Jackson's house?’ That was funny.”
Garland visited the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for the first time in early January and gravitated towards anything and everything related to Jackson. “That’s Gary, man,” he said, admiring Jackson’s signature outfits and white glove, even being driven to imitate MJ’s dance moves in front of a wall-sized portrait of the artist.
At a Motown exhibit, he made note of how young Michael looked as he carefully examined a magazine featuring the Jackson 5 on the cover. This was his first time in the museum and he can’t wait to go back with his older brother, Des, who lives with him just east of downtown.
To honor his upbringing, Garland got a tattoo in 2020 that said “Welcome To Gary” with an image of his former block's street sign. From Cleveland St. to Cleveland — there’s a lengthy stop in Tennessee in between — the electric Cleveland Cavaliers guard has maintained a spirit of intensity and playfulness that matches his play on the court. It’s equal parts toughness and appreciation for where he came from, a mindset that matches the fanbase of the city he plays in, and the “grit” based mentality coach JB Bickerstaff takes with the young team.
“Where I'm from, there's not a lot of people that make it out,” Garland said. “Just even getting past the age of 21 or whatever it is, that's an accomplishment from the city I'm from. To make it to the league, it was totally another step. There are only a couple of us actually from Gary, Indiana that made it to the league, so it's cool just representing my city and where I'm from. Like I said, it's not a lot of people that make it, so just doing that for this city means a lot to me.”
by BILL DIFILIPPO // ASSOCIATE EDITOR
UPROXX STUDIOS
Where I'm from, there's not a lot of people that make it out.
I don't want any, like, slack or anything.
Just coach me really hard. That's the whole deal with me.”
“He said, man, I'm tired of this little Winston stuff, man,” Des Garland said. “I’m going to be Darius. Y'all going to remember me as Darius from now on.”
That healthy but contentious dynamic gave Coach Drew a natural bridge, as Drew long faced comparisons to his father. Homer Drew is a Valpo legend, and Drew played at Valparaiso in the shadow of his father (after whom the Valpo court is now named) and hit the biggest shot in Valparaiso history. He was picked 16th overall in 1998 and played six seasons between the Rockets, Bulls, and Hornets. After retiring, he got into coaching, much like his brother Scott (who led the Baylor Bears to their first NCAA Championship in 2021), and took over as the head coach at Valpo in 2011 after Homer retired.
When Drew moved to Vanderbilt, he saw a chance to swing for the fences and bring Garland into the fold.
“We kind of hit it off from the beginning,” Drew said. “I felt just from a personality standpoint, I thought he'd be someone that I could really coach and coach well…and we really thought that we could put Darius in a position to be a high lottery pick after his year with us.”
The playmaking Garland has shown with the Cavs was evident at Vanderbilt from the jump, but a meniscus tear just five games into the season against Kent State sidelined him for the rest of the year and shifted his focus towards rehabbing and prepping for the draft.
He signed with Klutch, worked out in Los Angeles, and started lifting. It wasn’t long until the Lottery buzz was too loud to ignore. Garland was selected fifth overall in the 2019 Draft, behind Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, RJ Barrett, and De’Andre Hunter, and represented the next step for the rebuilding Cavaliers, who selected Collin Sexton the year prior.
“That’s what he was excited about, for him to make his mark in Cleveland and start his career here,” Klutch agent Brandon Cavanaugh, who is from nearby Warrensville Heights, said. “His family was happy for him to be here. We were happy for him to be here, first and foremost. You know, Rich [Paul] and myself are from Cleveland. So that was kind of an exciting moment for us because we were guiding him and leading the way. Where are the places to live, places to hang out, great restaurants. We knew the whole landscape, you know? Obviously we got great relationships and great connections there. Those guys made it home very fast.”
Home was a full circle moment in a way befitting Northeast Ohio, as Garland would eventually buy one of Rich Paul’s former houses after moving out of the Warehouse District — Des joked that Darius was running out of space in his apartment because of all his shoes. Garland is a bonafide sneakerhead, and still has some of his old shoes from college even he can’t quite part with.
That collector’s mindset mirrors his approach on the court. He’s obsessed with game film and if he sees something he could do differently, he makes a note and incorporates it into his game. If he sees something another player is doing that he wants to add, he works on that until he can unleash it in live action. That has resulted in a flurry of moves offensively, from Steve Nash-like probes under the hoop, to Chris Paul-style lobs, ball-handling that resembles Kyrie Irving’s wizardry, and deep threes that are impossible not to associate with Steph Curry. The third-year guard has also amped up his defensive effort of late, taking on more difficult matchups, snagging more rebounds that are freed up by the Cavs talented bigs, and even putting himself in a position to take charges like teammate Kevin Love.
“I like to watch film,” Garland said. “I just like to talk to people about the game. That's why I love to talk. I'll just sit down and watch the game with you and just pick your brain about something.”
Garland has plenty of people to talk to on this Cavs team. Ricky Rubio was brought in over the summer, and was constantly teaching on the court before his season-ending injury. Cleveland traded for Rajon Rondo as a result, and Rondo relished the opportunity to teach Garland as well. He likes to be coached hard, a trait that goes back to that early relationship with his father.
“Just be honest with me,” Garland said. “I don't like BS-ing. Just be completely honest with me. I want you to get on me. If I do something wrong, I want you to yell at me. I want you to do the same thing that you're doing to the last person on the bench. I don't want any, like, slack or anything like that. Just coach me really hard. That's the whole deal with me.”
That’s a big part of the reason why he’s clicked with Bickerstaff, a coach who is extremely focused on process over results. Bickerstaff’s route to becoming an NBA head coach was as winding as any, and he waited his time to land in a situation filled with players who responded to his coaching style. He emphasizes the little things on the floor, and stresses that those little things connect to the big things. He wants his players to want to learn and to ask those questions that lead to that learning.
The Cavs recently discussed being one percent better with their sports psychologist, the idea that tiny habits and changes may not be noticeable in the micro, but over time compound and lead to drastic improvements. That’s the process of rebuilding, and improving as a unit, while weathering long road stands, injuries, COVID protocols, or otherwise.
(Garland missed over a week in protocols around the New Year; and his absence was definitely felt – as Jarrett Allen said, “I missed the lobs. I missed him as a person too.”)
It’s clear Garland is the key to always keeping a focus on that one percent, and Bickerstaff is committed to getting the most out of him, through that honest — and hard — coaching.
“He makes us a dynamic basketball team because he’s a threat in all aspects of the game,” Bickerstaff said.
That threat, mixed with just how good Allen and Mobley have been in the Cavs “Tower City'' lineup, has the team poised to not just make a playoff run, but get some national attention as Cleveland hosts the All-Star game in February. Mobley is a shoe-in for the Rising Stars game, while Love returning to the Three-Point Contest for the first time since 2014 would make a whole lot of sense. The Cavs have made it clear they think Allen, Garland, and Mobley all deserve to be in the conversation for the game on Sunday night, while Garland’s scorching hot play as of late has led to others echoing that sentiment.
Darius Garland should be in the All-Star Game,"
“Darius Garland should be in the All-Star Game,” Jazz guard and All-Star Donovan Mitchell said after the Cavs win over Utah during their 5-1 road trip in January. “What he’s doing is next-level.”
For his part, Garland is more focused on bringing attention to his teammates. He’ll make an impassioned plea for Jarrett Allen as an All-Star (“He dunks everything.”); he will be the first to tell you Evan Mobley is Rookie of the Year (“Watch a Cavaliers game. He’s a unicorn.”); but when it comes to himself, he’ll let you be the judge.
“If you vote for me, you vote for me,” Garland said.
The important thing to Garland is that the center of the basketball universe is going to be Cleveland for a few days. It’s a city he feels comfortable in, a city that’s embraced him, and a city that’s bringing out the best in him, on and off the floor. He and the Cavaliers are committed to bringing winning back to the Wine and Gold, and giving Cleveland St., Cleveland, Ohio, and everywhere in between something to be proud of.
“It reminds me a lot of Gary, to be honest with you,” Garland said, “just having that Midwest feel, being cold outside, the warehouses, the train tracks.
“I am at home. I'm definitely growing into a young man in Cleveland.”
TRUE GRIT
HOW DARIUS GARLAND is taking the Cavs to the next level
Creative Direction: Martin Rickman Design: Daisy James & Ralph Ordaz
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Creative Direction: Martin Rickman Design: Daisy James & Ralph Ordaz PHOTOGRAPHY: Emanuel Wallace
Creative Direction: Martin Rickman Design: Daisy James & Ralph Ordaz
Creative Direction: Martin Rickman Design: Daisy James & Ralph Ordaz
by MARTIN RICKMAN // EDITORIAL DIRECTOR // DIME AND UPROXX SPORTS
Creative Direction: Martin Rickman Design: Daisy James & Ralph Ordaz
PHOTOGRAPHY: EMANUEL WALLACE
TRUE
GRIT
HOW DARIUS GARLAND is taking the Cavs to the next level
by BILL DIFILIPPO // ASSOCIATE EDITOR
by BILL DIFILIPPO // ASSOCIATE EDITOR
by BILL DIFILIPPO // ASSOCIATE EDITOR
by BILL DIFILIPPO // ASSOCIATE EDITOR
TRUE GRIT
TRUE
GRIT
As the Cavs continue to ascend in the Eastern Conference, the tone-setting guard has seen everything seemingly unlocked through the addition of Rookie of the Year favorite Evan Mobley, the third pick in the 2021 Draft out of USC.
The Cavs sit at 30-19, good for third in the East, and are in a prime position to make the playoffs for the first time without LeBron James on the roster since the 1997-98 season, before Darius was born.
What he’s doing is next-level.”
TRUE GRIT
Where I'm from, there's not a lot of people that make it out.
TRUE
GRIT
I don't want any, like, slack or anything.
Just coach me really hard. That's the whole deal with me.”
