Exclusive: Cedric Coward on ‘special’ Euro trip, why World Cup will not derail summer plan

When the NBA scheduled midseason games in Europe this year, some veterans grumbled about the extra miles and the toll on their bodies during a grueling campaign. Tuomas Iisalo’s unsorted Memphis Grizzlies can be forgiven for being one of the loudest, given their sacrifice to be the first team to land in Berlin. The schedule was brutal enough as it was, and the mounting losses led to the departure of Jaren Jackson Jr. Still, for the stoically confident Cedric Coward, the experience stood out far more than the extra miles on his legs.

“It was cool. It was definitely a special experience. To be able to be the first game in Berlin, that was super special, especially as a rookie,” Coward told ClutchPoints. “It’s great at growing the game, allowing us guys to get new experiences. Maybe guys haven’t been overseas before. That was my first time in Germany, so that was special. Got to connect with the fans overseas.”

A transatlantic trip in the thick of an NBA season is no small ask, and the physical toll of the extra travel is real. However, the 82-game grind can become somewhat monotonous, grinding in its own way. Players can be forgiven for not really remembering what town they are in, given the airport to hotel to arena and back shuttle schedules. It’s not like the MLB, where teams get a few days to explore a city. So Coward soaked in the culture, the food, the language, and the energy of being in a different part of the world.

On the business end, Practices, media sessions, and fan events created touchpoints with an audience that consumes the NBA at odd hours and from afar. For a young player still establishing his professional identity, that exposure matters.

Bigger picture, with Seattle and Las Vegas already on deck as the next expansion markets, European cities have also been floated as part of the league’s long-term vision. For a rookie still absorbing the professional lifestyle, the Berlin trip felt like a preview of what the league is becoming. Coward is no stranger to the international flavor that already defines the modern NBA though.

“I’m used to it because we have a lot of international players,” joked Coward. “I played in college with teammates that were from Germany and Serbia, but at the same time, going there and experiencing their culture, being in their world, is definitely something special. You get to try new foods, you get to hear a new language all the time, see the way people move around, and have those road experiences you may not get here in the States.”

However, a player’s world can only be so big if they want to reach All-Star status. That is why the rookie also made clear that the World Cup this summer won’t sidetrack his personal preparations. While several Grizzlies took in some EPL games during the Euro trip, Coward plans to stay locked in on his offseason workout regimen ahead of Summer League action. The globe might be going wild for a goal in the background, maybe. Coward just hopes to play on that sort of stage in a few years, if and when NBA basketball expands beyond North America.

“I don’t really watch soccer like that,” Coward admitted. “I’m not a huge soccer fan, but at the same time, to see how big soccer is around the world, it’s exciting. Hopefully, basketball can grow the same way worldwide and be like soccer is.”

It’s a candid take, and an instructive one. The World Cup stands as perhaps the single greatest example of a sporting event that transcends competition and becomes something closer to a cultural phenomenon. For the NBA and FIBA, it represents a benchmark, the kind of worldwide relevance that basketball is actively chasing. Trips like the one to Berlin are a step in that direction.

Getting quality minutes after years of watching from the sidelines has Coward antsy for the rest of this season. Ja Morant is out for a few more weeks, all but assuring the Grizzlies will miss the postseason. Coward will have a new lottery-level teammate to work with soon enough. Until then, finding some All-Rookie team silver linings amid a losing season is the first step in leading the franchise back to the NBA Playoffs.

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