After LeBron James left the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second time in 2018, things didn't look great. They lost a ton, and in even-bad-for-Cleveland fashion. Guard Darius Garland, drafted in 2019, seemed like a bright spot, but the team still looked awful his first two years.
And then something crazy happened: Garland turned into a star, and brought hope back to Cleveland way ahead of schedule.
This year Garland’s game was sizzling—enough so to drag Cleveland out of the cellar of the NBA and lift them into a contender. In the process, Garland earned his first All-Star appearance, and, with rookie Evan Mobley and center Jarrett Allen, made it clear that Cleveland’s time in the basement was over: the team made it into the NBA’s play-in tournament, and came within a game of reaching this playoffs, despite nobody expecting them to.
Garland sat down with GQ after the Cavs’ exit from the play-in to talk about his quick ascent in the NBA, his desire to keep playing with teammate Collin Sexton, and why everyone should invest in Cavs stock before it’s too late.
GQ: You were a finalist for the Most Improved Player Award this year. What was the major difference between this year and last for you?
Darius Garland: My confidence. My confidence has increased over the last couple of years. I’ve been feeling out and learning the game, watching a lot of film. It was a lot of little stuff, for me. Everything started last summer: being with the USA Select Team and playing with the Olympic team for a couple of games gave me some confidence going into the season. And it just took over.
How does confidence translate to the court? Everything looked different for you this season, so how does confidence become something more concrete?
It’s your mindset. Saying you are gonna do it. That this is my goal, my plan, and I was gonna stick to it. My goal was to be a finalist for the Most Improved award, to be an All Star and to be in the play-in or playoffs. Those were my three main goals from last summer and I achieved them all. But I’m striving for more. I’ve got more in me.
What goals are you formulating this offseason?
Getting into the playoffs, for sure. I want to make it to the first or second round. That’s my number one goal. Having that play-in game experience and not getting into the playoffs, I was kind of hurt about it. But, next year, we’ll be back better and a lot healthier.
What hurt so much about going to the play-in but not making it to the playoffs?
It was getting that experience and I didn’t want the season to end. Being there, feeling the playoff experience, that atmosphere with the whole city behind you, you could barely hear in the arena. It was lit the whole time, in Brooklyn [and in] the second game against Atlanta at home. That was probably the most intense basketball I’ve ever had in my life. So it was cool having that experience, but I definitely want to get into the playoffs.
Something is brewing in Cleveland: y’all had two All-Stars this season, it’s been one of the most successful Cavs teams since LeBron James left. Why should I invest in Cavs stock?
We’re a young team, we’re fun to watch, it’s a lot of exciting basketball: threes, alley oops and dunks. Why not invest in us? We can only get better. We young and we lit.
Koby Altman said the organization felt very fortunate for you to be in Cleveland and want to play for the Cavaliers. What did that mean to you?
It meant a lot to see that confidence from the front office in me. Just knowing that if anything was to go wrong, they’ll have my back. I'm there for Cleveland. I love the city of Cleveland, I love the people and organization, so it’s cool just being there.
I’ve never heard anyone say that they “love” Cleveland.
It’s a lot of food spots that's pretty good. The summers here are crazy: get on a boat and go on the lake. It’s just…culture. It’s a big melting pot. Everyone gets along with everyone. A lot of people say it’s gloomy here all the time, but it’s gloomy in New York, too, right now.
Another part of your ascent can be attributed to J.B. Bickerstaff, your head coach. What’s the one thing he’s really drilled into you that’s helped your growth as a guard?
Leadership. That’s the one thing we talk about every day. Going into my second year, he literally told me, “You have the keys, this is your team, you just have to drive the car.” That’s the analogy he gave me. I had to learn how to drive this car, with this team, coming in as one of the youngest guys on the team and I had to be the leader and talk the most. Being more vocal, being a leader, putting people where they want to be and try to be the best on the court at all times. Be the first on the court. Be the last one to leave. It’s all the little things we talk about.
What is leadership through your lens?
I’m not the most outspoken person, or the loudest guy on the floor. So I try to do it with my actions. I try to play hard all the time. I try to point to different people and search them out, telling them to be in the right position. I can’t just scream or be yelling all the time.
Has that been a hard adjustment for you? Because we don’t often ask people this young, to do this. What’s been the growing moments, the difficult parts you’ve had to face?
It was difficult. I’m coming in as a 19 year old rookie. I’m trying to tell a 35, 36 year old like Kevin Love to come set this screen. Or, at the time, guys like Tristan Thompson to come set this screen. These guys have won championships here with one of the best players to ever play basketball. It was kind of difficult trying to learn everybody and different ways to be a leader with different guys. Some guys you can just yell at. Some guys you have to come up to them and tell ‘em in they ear where to be at. It’s all different situations, different ways I had to be that kind of leader.
Did anyone step in to teach you how to do it?
K-Love has talked to me a lot about leadership. Tristan, at the time, did too. One of my position coaches, JJ Outlaw, has tried to find different ways for me to be more vocal and talk to guys. This year, Ricky Rubio and Rajon Rondo have helped me tremendously in my growth. Watching film, seeing where guys like to have the ball at, where they like to score, that’s just a little of what I’ve learned in my three years here.
Rubio and Rondo are two great guards to learn from. What have they taught you?
Rondo gave me the mental part of the game. We watch film throughout the entire season. Every game, on the road, on the plane, in the room, at dinner. We watching film no matter what with ’Do. With Ricky, it was the game inside the game. He would tell me to play a game while we’re playing a game. Put people in pick and roll situations, go at him and see what he does. The next play: put him in the same pick and roll situation and see what happens. He was teaching me how to pick apart a defense. I picked those things up easy from those two.
You’ve talked a bit about the youth movement in Cleveland since you’ve been there. A big part of that is Collin Sexton and his future with the team. It feels like people forgot about him. Do you still want to play with him?
I hope Collin stays around. I really like playing with him. He’s super cool off the court and we have a lot of similarities: we both like shoes and clothes and we love the game of basketball. He was like my big brother coming into the league. So, hopefully, Collin sticks around. Hopefully we get more some more years to play with each other and make some playoff appearances.
Where have you found inspiration for how you attack with the basketball? A lot of your dribble combinations and layup packages are unique around the NBA.
I get a lot of stuff from Kyrie [Irving], a lot from Steph [Curry], CP [Chris Paul], Dame [Lillard]. I like to watch some old film, too. Some Steve Nash film, Steve “Franchise” [Francis] film. Then, Rod Strickland or my dad [Winston Garland], I’d go watch their old clips and see some of the movements and combos they did. When I’m in the gym I try to work on different scenarios and situations that I can get in my bag and go get one, really.
When do you know you’ve got it perfect enough to try in an NBA game?
I just…literally do it. Take it right to the game. I try anything. I believe in my handle. I just work on it so much that I’ll try anything in-game.
You’re becoming the biggest star Cleveland has had since Kyrie and LeBron have left town.
I never really thought about it. I try to stay in the present moment and work on myself. I’m trying to get better. I’m trying to get this team better. I’m trying to get this organization better. I’m working on myself. Those guys are true legends in Cleveland and the NBA so allr respect to them, but I’m just working on my team and myself right now. I talk to ‘Bron and Ky after games and stuff, but nothing really ever about Cleveland.