With History On His Side, TBL All-Star MVP Chris Darrington Has Championship Aspirations In Mind With Toledo Glass City
From being voted Mr. Basketball in Ohio to one of the best players in The Basketball League in 2022, the point guard out of Toledo keeps making lasting memories in basketball
Chris Darrington knows a thing or two about making history.
It’s part of an uplifting story that continues to take shape this season in The Basketball League by leaving his lasting mark on the game: one bucket, one rebound, one assist, and one steal at a time.
Growing up in Toledo, Ohio, the point guard out of Scott High School was named Ohio's Mr. Basketball, earned District Player of the Year honors, and was chosen first-team All-Ohio as a Senior leading the Bulldogs to their first City League title for the first time since 2006. Following in the footsteps of former NBA players Bob McAdoo, Shawn Marion and Carl Landry, Darrington spent two seasons at Vincennes University in Indiana where he became the only player in NJCAA to average more than 20.0 points per game in 2016-17, earning him his first-team NJCAA Division I All-America selection after helping Vincennes to a 32-3 record and a District XVI championship. The following season Darrington’s tale took place at Tennessee with a stint securing an SEC Championship for the Volunteers before transferring and concluding his college basketball career back home in Toledo at the University of Toledo.
Fast forward to this past Saturday night in Syracuse, New York and Darrington was busy making history all over again. After a first half of the regular season in The Basketball League that saw Chris average a team-high 24.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game for Toledo Glass City, he came away with the MVP Award at the TBL and National Basketball League Canada All-Star Game after dropping 35 points, 4 assists, and 3 rebounds against the the NBLC All-Star squad.
So what’s next for the kid out of Toledo?
The chance to make more unforgettable moments as Chris Darrington stays focused on leading the expansion Toledo Glass City toward a TBL Championship with the second half of the season and a postseason push still ahead of him.
Has it sunk in yet what you've been able to accomplish with winning MVP of the very first All-Star game between TBL and NBLC? That’s a major accomplishment. How would you describe that moment?
I would describe the moment as a very special moment. To win the first MVP of the All-Star game in the league is huge and my name will be in the history books forever and I’m forever grateful for that. I think with all the hard work that I put in on a daily basis and just keeping my faith first that anything is possible for me.
You have been one of the most consistent players in TBL through the first half of the season. How have you approached this year playing in TBL? What's been your mindset?
My mindset has been basketball is gonna be basketball. I work hard and I take care of my body so I don’t really worry much about that part. I’ve been more focused on just doing the things that I don’t want to do on a consistent basis, such as getting in the ice bath and stretching at night before bed and even going back to the gym at 10 o’clock at night for a light 45 minute workout. Doing those things is what I feel like has helped me be consistent. It’s also helped to keep my faith first. I think when you keep your faith first and you believe in something that is so much bigger than yourself, I think the sky is really the limit.
It’s also been a blessing to play with guys from Toledo because I know they care about the name on the jersey just as much as I do. To bring this opportunity here to the city and really compete for something, my mindset was I need to be the best version of myself for these guys so we can go and win a championship.
You recently signed with an agency – Starting 5 Global Sport Management – to help further your career overseas and in the G-League. Was this an easy decision for you to make to move forward with new representation?
I was really blessed to sign with an agency at Starting 5 after not being able to get an agent or get an overseas look for about 2-3 years. It was a time where agents wouldn’t text me back. It was a time where teams wouldn’t reply to me. It was a time where they said my numbers in college just weren't good enough so they thought I couldn’t play because I was in bad situations for me individually. They would ask for my film but it was outdated, so being able to sign with an agency with a great reputation has been wonderful because I know more opportunities are on the horizon.
After your last year in college playing at the University of Toledo you were able to sign in Saudi Arabia to begin your professional career. Unfortunately, that season was cut short because of the Coronavirus pandemic. What did you learn about yourself through traveling overseas and experiencing life off of the court in another country?
What I learned in Saudi Arabia was that there are different cultures in the world that do things differently than what you do at home here in the States. I think that that was a great experience for me and also a culture shock to be able to live in an environment like that. For example, every female is covered up and the only thing you can see is their eyes. They pray five times a day. The whole city shuts down for prayer and it’s also 100° every day, so being able to experience that life overseas showed me that there is so much to the world that most people won’t even get to see.
This truly has been a breakout season for you as a professional then. Were you ever concerned that you might not get the chance to shine?
No, I never felt that I wouldn’t get my opportunity to shine because I have a great coach who has believed in my ability from day one and he continues to tell me to be aggressive and to play my name and everything will work out for me.
If it weren’t for playing in The Basketball League this season, what would you be doing?
If not for the TBL I would be doing something around the game of basketball and staying involved in some way either in coaching, training, and probably just working a normal job outside of the sport and taking care of my son. I’m so grateful for what the league has done for me and hopefully it continues to be a blessing and open up other doors for not only myself but everyone aspiring to move up in this league.
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Wendell Maxey has covered and written about professional basketball and sports for 19 years including eight years reporting on the NBA in New York and Portland where his work appeared on ESPN.com, NBA.com, USA Today, FOX Sports, YAHOO Sports!, SLAM Magazine, and The Oregonian among other publications and outlets. Connect with him on Twitter and LinkedIn or read through his archive on Linktree.