Speaking to Cyro Asseo of HoopsHype, Clippers point guard Darius Garland discussed the toe injury that required him to undergo surgery last offseason and caused him to miss 37 games in 2026/27. The former No. 5 overall pick also talked about being traded from Cleveland to Los Angeles in February and playing for head coach Tyronn Lueamong other topics.
Below are a few highlights from Asseo’s interview with the two-time All-Star.
On Garland’s toe injury, which he says is fully healed:
“It started off as like a bone bruise at first, like, just kept stubbing my toe in the front of my shoe. And then me thinking it’s just a toe, I could just play on it. It just got worse. So I had like some torn ligaments and stuff like that. So I just had to get that reconstructed. But I’m all good now.
“It was very frustrating, just because the season I had before (2024/25), it was really, really good. So I think we could have had a chance of making a run if I didn’t get hurt. So that was pretty frustrating. But it’s pretty tough just out there playing with nine toes for like half a year. But it’s all good, though, because the second half of the year, I had all 10 toes. And I felt really good. I felt like I was getting back to normal.
“But now, having a full summer, having a full offseason back to 100 percent. It was a mental fog most of the time. Because we’re using our toes 24/7. So just out there trying to run on it and play defense, slide, and everything like that. It was pretty tough. Just had to work through it. I get paid to do this stuff. I just wanted to put on my hard hat and go out there and work and do the best I could.”
On being traded:
“The trade was actually pretty easy for me, bro, to be honest with you. Which was crazy; we were already in L.A., we had a road trip to L.A. already, so the transition wasn’t too hard, to be honest with you. Mentally, it wasn’t a shock, but it was still like a shock. I’ve been here for seven, seven and a half years, and now just to up and pack my bags like that, it was just like, dang.
“But it’s part of the business. I understand the business side of it. So once I got to L.A., I was pretty happy. Got to be in a new city, like a real new revamp. So it was cool. Easy transition, though. Super excited to be there. I was pretty happy. I was coming to a new opportunity just to take on a new challenge. So I was excited about that.”
On playing for Lue:
“It’s super cool, because I’ve actually watched him in 2016. I told him I wanted to play a little bit like Kai (Kyrie Irving) and how he played in 2016 in that Finals run. So actually seeing his vision actually work, so trying to implement it into my game, I think it would be pretty cool. It’s going to be pretty interesting how he tries to fit it in. But I’m super excited. We’ve been talking a lot about the offense this year. I’m super excited to get back over there in L.A. and just be with the team and be with the guys.”
Other topics in Garland’s Q&A with Asseo include adjusting to living/playing in a major market, being a mentor to young players like Keaton Wagler and Yanic Konan Niederhäuser and which aspects of his game he thinks are overlooked.