2000 LA Clippers lottery pick and high school superstar Darius Miles, 34, has filed for bankruptcy.
Darius Miles joined the LA Clippers with great promise. As the 3rd overall pick in the 2000 NBA Draft, no high school player had ever been selected higher at the time. Soon before the likes of 1st overall picks Kwame Brown (2001) and LeBron James (2003) came straight out of high school, Miles was part of an increasing group of players to bypass college and head straight for the league.
He had such potential in the eyes of the Clippers and was one of the most highly sought after high schoolers we’ve seen. As a high-flying athlete, potent scorer and fierce shot blocker in a long, 6’9″ frame, Miles looked like someone who could help turn the franchise around. But he never panned out as the star they hoped.
Now, after not playing in the NBA since being waived by the Memphis Grizzlies in January 2009, Miles has filed for bankruptcy.
The Belleville News-Democrat reported the details:
"In June, he filed bankruptcy…But injuries, legal problems and bad investments have left Miles asking the court to allow him to sell off his assets to pay creditors. Miles listed $460,385 in assets and $1.57 million in liabilities…Miles listed a $20,000 child support debt in his bankruptcy. He lost more than $100,000 in 2008 in a California real estate deal. Another real estate deal — with fellow investors former NFL Rams player Marshall Faulk and rapper Nelly — was mired in lawsuits over a Laclede’s Landing property. Newspaper stories wrote about Miles rewarding himself with diamond jewelry."
Nights like the following, when Darius Miles showed off his scoring ability in the NBA, are long gone.
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After such excitement coming out of high school and averaging 9.4 points (50.5 percent shooting), 5.9 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 1.5 blocks in 26.3 minutes per game as a rookie, Miles’ time with the LA Clippers came to a quick end after his sophomore season in the NBA.
In 2002, he was traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers and went on to start 62 games in the 2002-03 season.
From then on, Miles bounced around and his career continued to be bothered by injuries as he spent the remaining years of his career in Portland and Memphis. Knee injuries were so detrimental to Miles that he completely missed two straight seasons from 2006-08, accentuating his fall from predicted stardom.
He received the bulk of his money with the Trail Blazers, but he’s now lost the $61,999,973 he amassed over his NBA career.
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Even as a high school-to-pro player, Miles’ story goes out as a cautionary tale to college students eager to participate in the one-and-done phase and head straight for the NBA after one year. Acquiring a college education and a better understanding of how to handle life and money after playing basketball is something so many ex players have wound up longing for.