Terrell Brandon on Darius Garland and the Cavs All-Star Point Guard Tree

By Brendan Bowers / @BowersCLE

During the celebrity game in Cleveland, NBA All-Star Darius Garland spoke to a national audience about the keys to success for his Cavaliers team this season. The silky smooth point guard whose range, game, and talent has put the Cavaliers in the hunt for an Eastern Conference championship averages 20 points and eight assists per night. While helping to unite and inspire a team who very much believes they can compete for a championship, he’s also become must-see TV for another Cavs All-Star point guard–Terrell Brandon.

Brandon is the last Cavaliers player to host an All-Star Weekend in Cleveland. He was named to the team for a second-straight season in 1997 when the 50-year NBA anniversary celebration was hosted in the 216. Now, with the city in the national spotlight once again, Terrell is excited for Garland and teammate Jarrett Allen to experience what he did 25 years ago.

“I’m always watching the Cavs and I’m a big fan of the entire group,” Terrell Brandon told Basketball Interviews. “As a former point guard, I’m particularly locked in on Garland and what he’s doing. His jumper is outstanding. His passing ability and how he operates as the floor general is amazing. If you just run the court, he’s definitely going to get you the ball.”

Beyond the skill-set, Brandon is also quick to mention Garland’s toughness. As an undersized point guard himself at 5-11, Terrell appreciates the spirit and mentality that Garland takes to the court as much as his sweet stroke and wizardry off the bounce.

“Darius plays hard, Brandon added. “What I really admire about him is that he plays with toughness. He’s played through injuries, and you don’t hear him talking about any excuses. He puts his head down and goes to work.

“I think all of us, as former Cavs –knowing what Cleveland stands for–Garland, Allen and this team definitely fit that mark. So we’re all proud of them.”

While Brandon considered Garland a lock for the All-Star Game in the days leading up to the announcement, he also believed Jarrett Allen earned a spot on the team as well as rookie Evan Mobley. Allen eventually made it as an All-Star replacement for James Harden, and Mobley finished with 18 and 11 in the Rising Stars game on Friday despite missing out on Sunday’s game.

“I just knew that I had to make the team coming into that year,” Brandon recalled heading into the 1996-97 campaign. “It’s so rare that a player gets the opportunity to play in his adopted hometown. I adopted Cleveland, and Cleveland adopted me. So I just said I have to go out and get a good start to the season. Put up some decent numbers, and we, as a team, have to win. I just said, with the blessings of God, I have to make this team.”

Brandon made the team the last time All-Star Weekend was in Cleveland by averaging 20 points, six assists, and four rebounds. It would be the second year in a row that he was named as an All-Star reserve like Garland was this season. Brandon was also featured on the cover of a Sports Illustrated issue that dropped during All-Star weekend with a headline that read, “The Best Point Guard in the NBA.” He still remembers his SkyPager blowing up when he first heard the news.

“Back in the day, they had the SkyPagers,” Brandon said. “We had just played a game, and I believe it was Charlotte. Just before we were taking off, my SkyPager went off. It was my agent, Bill Duffy. He said congratulations T, you made the All-Star team as a reserve.

“I looked at it, and I didn’t tell anybody. I just kept looking outside. But inside, I was like, yes–I can’t wait to get off the airplane and call my parents.”

Brandon said it means a lot to be an All-Star point guard in Cleveland. The legacy that he and Mark Price built at the position has only continued with Kyrie Irving and now Garland this season.

“Thinking about the foundation John Bagley helped build with Coach Lenny Wilkins. The standard that the great Mark Price established here in Cleveland. Kyrie Irving helping the team win a championship. Now Garland is coming right up that Cavs All-Star point guard tree. It’s a beautiful thing to watch. We’re all very proud of him.”

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