Darius Garland Injury History

Darius Garland, affectionately known as "DG the PG," is the starting point guard for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Standing 6 feet 1 inches tall, Garland is known for his quick handles, impressive speed, and ability to shoot off the dribble. Born on January 26, 2000, in Gary, Indiana, he is the son of Felicia Garland and former NBA player Winston Garland. Garland attended Brentwood Academy in Tennessee, where he emerged as a five-star recruit. He went on to play for Vanderbilt University in the 2018-19 season.

In the 2019 NBA draft, Garland was selected fifth overall by the Cavaliers in the NBA Draft. Darius Garland soon became the first player born in the 2000s to play in the NBA. Although he initially struggled, he had a breakout season in 2021-22, earning an All-Star spot and finishing third in the NBA's Most Improved Player race. Following this impressive 2021-22 season, Garland signed a five-year, $231 million extension with the Cavaliers in the 2022 off-season. He celebrated this contract extension early in the 2022-23 season. On November 13, 2022, Garland scored a career-high 51 points, including an impressive 27 points in the fourth quarter alone. With this terrific performance, he also became the youngest Cavalier to score over 50 points and hit 10+ three-pointers in a game. In his sixth NBA season in 2024-25, Garland earns a salary of $36,725,670.

Darius Garland’s Injury History

It's never easy being a 6'1" player in a game dominated by giants. Darius Garland's basketball career has been plagued by injuries throughout the years, with multiple setbacks that have sidelined him for stretches of almost every NBA season that he played. Whether it was a few games here and there or more serious issues, injuries have been a constant challenge for him. As Garland enters his sixth NBA season with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2024-25, here's a detailed look at his injury history, as per Fox Sports as of November 12, 2024:

Date	Injury
4/13/24	Back
3/28/24	Ankle
12/15/23	Jaw
11/25/23	Neck
11/14/23	Neck
10/26/23	Hamstring
10/24/23	Hamstring
4/5/23	Leg
3/10/23	Quad
2/8/23	Thumb
1/7/23	Thumb
12/30/22	Thumb
11/4/22	Knee
10/19/22	Eye
2/23/22	Back
2/11/22	Back
1/31/22	Back
12/28/21	Health Protocols
11/23/21	Neck
10/21/21	Left Ankle
5/16/21	Injury Management
4/30/21	Ankle
4/10/21	Ankle
3/11/21	Groin
1/10/21	Shoulder
1/3/21	Right Shoulder
3/1/20	Groin

Major injuries Darius Garland sustained in the NBA

Groin Injury (2020 February-March)

During his rookie season, Darius Garland suffered a groin injury that kept him out of the last five games of the campaign. As reported by Akron Beacon Jornal, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff spoke to reporters after the game and was initially optimistic about his return, indicating that Garland was expected back during a road trip. However, Garland ultimately didn’t return that season.

Right Shoulder Sprain (2021 January)

In his sophomore season, Darius Garland missed eight games due to a right shoulder sprain that began causing discomfort following a win over the Atlanta Hawks on 2nd January 2021. As per ESPN, the Cleveland Cavaliers re-evaluated Garland daily and eventually, he returned to play on January 22, 2021, against the Brooklyn Nets.

Left Ankle Sprain (2021 April)

In a game against the Washington Wizards on April 30, 2021, Darius Garland landed awkwardly on Wizards’ veteran Davis Bertans and sprained his left ankle. As reported by Akron Beacon Jornal, Garland’s left ankle was ‘pretty swollen’ as per then head coach J.B. Bickerstaff. Eventually, Garland had to sit out seven consecutive games. After attempting a comeback in the second-to-last game, Garland re-aggravated the injury and played only 12 minutes. He then missed the final game of the 2021-2022 season as well.

Low Back Soreness (2022 February)

In February 2022, Darius Garland was battling lower back soreness. Speaking to 92.3 “Ken Carman Show”, Cavs GM Mike Gansey specified it as a bone bruise. Garland was advised to rest and ended up missing eight games total in February as per the game log data on the Basketball reference.

Left Eye Laceration (2022 October)

In the opening game of the 2022-23 season, Darius Garland suffered a left eye laceration after an accidental hit from Raptors’ Gary Trent Jr., which resulted in six missed games.

Broken Jaw (2023 December - 2024 January)

On December 14, 2023, in a match against the Boston Celtics, Darius Garland collided with Kristaps Porziņģis white attempting a drive. Due to the impact with 7 feet 3 Porziņģis, 6 feet 1, Garland suffered a fractured jaw which required surgery. In what turned out to be the biggest injury lay-off in Garland’s career, He eventually missed 19 games, according to game log information on Basketball Reference.

During this period, Garland experienced significant physical and mental challenges. He revealed to Chris Fedor of the official Cleveland website that he lost about 12 pounds and struggled with a restricted diet. Reflecting on this difficult period, Garland said, "I can still remember that play. I was trying to make strides, trying to take steps in the right direction, and trying to get better, and then, boom, I literally get hit in my face and it's back to d— near square one all over again. That's what made it so tough last year. The momentum was picking up. Was getting better every day. We were getting better as a team. I felt like I was starting to learn so much and then … another bump in the road, another year of adversity. I sort of lost my joy for basketball." Eventually, Garland was back on January 31st, 2024.

Major Injuries Darius Garland Sustained before the NBA

Torn Left Meniscus (2018-19 College Season)

During his freshman year at Vanderbilt, Darius Garland’s season was cut short by a torn meniscus in his left knee. The injury occurred during the Commodores’ fifth game against Kent State, and Garland underwent surgery shortly afterward. The injury limited Garland to just five games in college, but he demonstrated enough potential in that short span to secure his NBA draft stock and was eventually drafted fifth overall in the 2019 NBA draft by the Cavaliers.