Cavaliers All-Star Shares Unique Perspective on Title Run

One year has made all the difference for the first-place Cleveland Cavaliers.

Feb 10, 2025; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) celebrates his three-point basket in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-Imagn Images | David Richard-Imagn Images

Just over a year ago, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland's mouth was wired shut due to a broken jaw.

Garland had to eat through a straw and lost 12 pounds throughout the ordeal as he struggled. The Cavs fired head coach J.B. Bickerstaff following a second-round exit, and fans and NBA analysts alike speculated in the offseason that a trade to move Garland could be on the horizon.

Today, Garland is an All-Star for the second time in his career and the starting point guard for the 44-10 Cavaliers — Cleveland's best win percentage in the team's 55-year history. From losing his joy for basketball to thriving now, it's been quite the journey for Garland, who shared his perspective with ESPN's Scott Van Pelt on SportsCenter Wednesday night.

"Last year, I was literally wired up, mouth shut, can't eat, drinking out of a straw, and now I'm a two-time All-Star," Garland said. "It's a blessing just being here, being one of the top 24 players in this league. It's an honor being represented as that. To do it twice is super cool, but I've got plenty more to go."

Garland said the driving factor behind the team's success is the players' confidence in each other, and that first-year head coach Kenny Atkinson has been a fresh voice in the locker room. The 25-year-old also spoke about how badly the Cavaliers want to win a title for the city of Cleveland and how much it means to the team.

"The city deserves it, they’re some really die-hard fans," Garland said. "They rooted for us when we were going through the bad times and even now through the good times. We’re hungry for a championship, we’re going for it. I think we have the talent. The coaching staff is really ready and locked in and so are we. We’re locked in, ready and trying to make a push for June.”

In 2024, the Cavaliers won their first playoff series without LeBron James since 1993. Cleveland currently has the third-best odds at winning the title, per ESPN BET, and it'll take Garland's best postseason effort to defeat rivals like the reigning champion Boston Celtics.

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