The Garland File
- 5th Overall Pick in the 2019 NBA Draft by the Cavaliers
- All Star 2021-22
- Nickname is "Boog"
Who needs college?
Well, we know Darius Garland doesn't. In a league that has long debated whether or not to allow players be drafted out of high school, let Garland serve as proof that sometimes it does work out in the end. After only playing in five games at Vanderbilt, Garland opted for the NBA Draft, despite dealing with a knee injury that cut his college career short.
The Brentwood, Tennessee native didn't see his draft stock drop at all, only having to hear four player's names called in front of him. Garland has since emerged as a star in the making for the Cleveland Cavaliers, earning his first All-Star honors in the 2021-22 season. Perhaps he was always destined for the 'pros' though, as the son of former NBA player Winston Garland, who played seven years in the league.
So while a knee injury might have derailed the first few seasons in the league, the guard couldn't be kept down forever. In a way, stardom was always in the cards.