CLEVELAND — Editor's note: the video in the player above is from a previous story.
Darius Garland's 41-point performance in the Cleveland Cavaliers' 127-124 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night had social media buzzing.
That included a post from Los Angeles Rams cornerback Jalen Ramsey, who took the opportunity to tell a story about growing up near Garland in Tennessee.
Like Garland, Ramsey attended Brentwood Academy just outside of Nashville. But despite being five years older than Garland, the three-time All-Pro cornerback made it clear he wanted no part of playing against the future three-time Mr. Tennessee Basketball -- even when he was still in middle school.
"DG THE PG Been like that, I’m glad the world seeing it now," Ramsey tweeted on Wednesday night. "Side note: when I was in high school, DG was at the middle school & would always tell me he could beat me 1 on 1. Truth is, I never played him because he was probably right."
As it turned out, football worked out just fine for Ramsey, who went on to star at Florida State before emerging as one of the top defensive players in the NFL and a key cog in the Rams' Super Bowl-winning roster this past season. Similarly, Brentwood Academy proved to also be a launching point for Garland's stardom, as the No. 5 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft earned All-Star honors for the Cavs this season while averaging team-highs of 21 points and 8.2 assists.