• Faith: Christian
• Career: Athlete
• Birthday:  January 26, 2000

Darius Kinnard Garland was born on January 26, 2000, in Gary, Indiana. He is the youngest child of Winston and Felicia Garland. Winston and Felicia's three older children are Desmond, Kody, and Kacie.

The Garlands are a tight-knit group that is a strong source of influence and support for their youngest family member. One example of their influence comes from his father, Winston. The Milwaukee Bucks selected him in the second round of the 1987 NBA Draft. Winston was a journeyman who played for five teams during his seven-year NBA career: the Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, and Minnesota Timberwolves. Winston also played overseas in Italy for one season.

Winston's experience enabled him to pass his love for basketball down to Darius. As a result, Darius began hoopin' as a preschooler and praised his dad for being his basketball role model. Under his father's guidance, Darius learned to play basketball at different speeds and to enhance the natural abilities he inherited from his dad.

Along with teaching Darius about basketball, Winston and Felicia also proved their love for Darius and his siblings through sacrifice. They moved to Nashville, Tennessee, when Darius was in middle school, shielding their children from the crime and poverty in Gary, Indiana. They also relocated, hoping to increase their children's chances of being successful.

Their sacrifice paid off when Darius became a high school student, attending Brentwood Academy. In the classroom, Darius maintained a B average GPA. On the court, he also excelled, tying a Tennessee state record, winning the TSSAA-Division 2 State Championship four consecutive times. He was also the second player in Tennessee history to win three straight Mr. Basketball awards.

Darius was also named the 2017-2018 Tennessee Gatorade Player of the Year. He was eligible to win this and other awards by scoring 2,503 points through four seasons at Brentwood Academy.

After a spectacular high school career, Darius committed to play college basketball for Vanderbilt University. Unfortunately, he only played five games with the Commodores before tearing the meniscus in his left knee. In those five games, Darius recorded 81 points, 19 rebounds, 13 assists, 4 steals, a 53.7 field-goal percentage, and a 75.0 free-throw percentage.

Despite a brief college career, Darius declared for the NBA after his freshman season. His draft night proved to be another demonstration of his family's support, with 62 of his family and friends in attendance. All guests celebrated as the Cleveland Cavaliers chose to trust in his potential, selecting him with the 5th pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.

Through 457 games with the Cavaliers, Darius earned 7,671 points, 2,738 assists, 1,078 rebounds, 468 steals, and 47 blocks. He also shot 45.3% from the field and 86.7% from the free-throw line. He also led the Cavaliers to three consecutive playoff appearances from 2022 to 2025. In 22 playoff games, he recorded 381 points, 120 assists, 63 rebounds, 23 steals, 3 blocks, a 42.8 field-goal percentage, and an 85.7 free-throw percentage.

Thanks to these stats, Darius became a two-time NBA All-Star, being selected in 2022 and 2025.

Midway through the 2025-2026 season, Garland was traded to the Los Angeles Clippers for guard James Harden. In 19 games with the Clippers, Darius earned 378 points, 121 assists, 44 rebounds, 22 steals, and 5 blocks, a 47.1 field-goal percentage, and an 86.0 free-throw percentage.

Ironically, Darius's father, Winston, also played for the Clippers. Though the father and son share this career bonding moment, Darius isn't concerned about living in his father's shadow. This is because Winston has always given Darius space to establish his identity.

This frees the guard known as "DG the PG" to help the Clippers become a championship contender.

Darius Garland's Religious Beliefs

Darius's athletic success can be linked to his faith in God. While Darius takes a reserved approach to sharing his religious beliefs, a few hints reveal his Christian values. First, his mother calls their decision to move from Gary, Indiana, to Nashville, Tennessee, a leap of faith. This is the same kind of leap Abraham took when God promised to make him the father of many nations (Genesis 12:1-3; New International Version). Second, his mother mentioned how he depended on prayer to overcome the knee injury he suffered at Vanderbilt.

Three more indications of his faith were evident during the 2019 NBA Draft and warmups for a Cavaliers game.

During Darius's pre-draft party, someone mentioned that Darius came home on Father's Day to spend time with their dad. On draft night, Darius was seen wearing Fear of God Essentials apparel.

Additionally, during shoot-around for a Cavaliers game, Darius spent a lot of time with a small child who called him his favorite player.

While this isn't a direct indication of Darius's faith, it proves he exemplifies the compassion God has for children and those in need (Psalm 34:18; Matthew 18:1-5, NIV). After all, love is the eternal attribute that validates the sincerity of a Christian's faith (1 Corinthians 13:1-13, NIV).