The Cleveland Cavaliers are off to a flying start in the NBA. They are currently one of two teams who are unbeaten in the league, boasting 8-0 record so far this season. One of the Key figures in their successful start to the season is their point guard Darius Garland. They defeated the Bucks on Monday in a game that had a game within, as Lillard and Garland were engaged in a 1v1 battle of their own.

Both players traded impressive plays, with Lillard finishing with 36 points and Garland edging him out with 39, securing the win for the Cavs with a brilliant final pass to teammate Jarrett Allen. After the game, Garland expressed admiration for Lillard, saying, “Man, it was amazing. I grew up watching Dame,” a nod to the Bucks star, who is a decade older.

He also added, “I still watch his film to this day, so it’s super cool to have a little duel, a couple of minutes of one-on-one basketball in a high-intensity game like this. It was super fun battling against him.” stating that he learned a lot from Dame and even today he watches his tape to learn from it. With his strong performances, he is making a strong case for the 2024-25 All-Stars.

Garland has returned to the top of his game after successfully going through his jaw surgery. Cavaliers coach Kenny Atkinson also shares the thought, “He is a true point guard. And now add the scoring to it, and you’ve got an All-Star guy.” Implying keeps his point guard in high regard. Let’s take a look at where he gets his basketball traits from and explore his ethnicity and roots.

What is Darius Garland’s Ethnicity?

Darius Garland was born on January 26, 2000, in Gary, Indiana, to parents Winston and Felicia Garland. An American citizen of African-American descent, Garland shares his roots with his parents, who were also born and raised in Gary. Both Winston and Felicia are American, and their shared heritage has played a significant role in shaping Darius’s background.

Who is Winston Garland, the Father of Darius Garland?

As mentioned before, Garland’s father Winston Garland was also born and raised in Gary, Indiana. A former point guard who played in the NBA for over seven seasons, Winston’s journey started with playing high school basketball for Roosevelt High School. He then attended Southeastern Community College for two years before transferring to Southwest Missouri State.

After graduating, Winston was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round of the NBA Draft of 1987. He played for other teams as well later on including the likes of Golden State Warriors, LA Clippers, Denver Nuggets, and Houston Rockets, and played his final season in the league for the Minnesota Timberwolves. After playing a maiden season in Italy he called it quits.

According to Winston his son “is so much better than I was” he said in an interview with Andscape. He explained further, “He does so many more things than I did. He enjoys watching the game. He enjoys studying it.” referring to his son’s success. However, Darius still considers his father as his role model. “As a basketball player, I learned everything from him,” as his dad has been very influential in his upbringing and also in his career as a hooper. The dad-son duo carries a very special bond.

Who is Darius Garland’s mother?

The other pillar that has supported Darius in his journey throughout is his mother Felicia Garland. She has been a big support and shared that Darius and his father are quite similar and referred to them as “two clowns“. She further added, “They love to have fun, and I love that about both of them, always smiling, making people smile.” Felicia also seems to like having fun and cheering people around her if you’ve ever seen Garland’s TikTok account.

Although she’s not much of a sports enthusiast, Darius did mention that she’s quite superstitious as she did not travel to a game against the Pacers on the road as she thinks, “Road games, every time they come, we lose“. Darius is very close to his parents who have done a lot in order to help him succeed.