NEW YORK – During a rare, brief and quiet moment on an otherwise exhilaratingly hectic night, Cedric Coward reached for his cell phone and made a request.
Barely 30 minutes had passed since Coward realized his NBA dreams when the 6-foot-6 swingman from Washington State University was selected with the No. 11 pick in the lottery.
Six months ago, Coward was barely on the national radar as a potential NBA prospect. He started his college career at Division III Willamette University in Oregon, then transferred to Eastern Washington for two seasons before ultimately ending up at Washington State.
Six weeks ago, in the final stages of rehabbing from shoulder surgery that ended his season after six games, Coward began ascending mock draft boards amid a whirlwind tour of meetings and individual workouts with 25 teams.
Despite the rapid rise that culminated with the Grizzlies trading up five spots Wednesday night to acquire his draft rights in a deal with Portland, Coward was grounded in the moment.
Whisked away to an empty office in the bowels of Barclays Center as he waited for the trade to be finalized, Coward asked a team official if it was okay to make a phone call before resuming a relentless circuit of league and media obligations.
“It’s my granddad,” Coward explained, without actually needing to. “I tried him earlier, but he didn’t answer. He thinks I’m busy, so he probably won’t pick up.”
Five rings in, Maxie Parks answered from Fresno, California.
“So proud of you,” Parks said before his grandson could get in a word. “We’re here watching you get drafted, and the way you conducted yourself, the way you spoke clearly and respectfully, you’re so smooth. One of the proudest days of our lives.”
On a night when there were no shortage of well-wishers and glowing feedback, no moment resonated more deeply with Coward than those few minutes speaking with his grandfather.
“That’s a testament to you and how you guys raised me,” Coward told Parks.
That’s now two generations of men in the family who have reached the highest level of their respective sports. It was almost 50 years ago when Parks was a member of the USA track team that captured a gold medal in the 4×400 relay at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.
Coward was born 27 years later but proudly embraces his grandfather’s feats as if he were around to witness them with his own eyes. That’s what made that phone call so important. So much of Coward’s upbringing was rooted in the lessons of respect, humility and hard work that he learned from his grandfather and immediate family. He couldn’t imagine experiencing the biggest night of his life at the NBA Draft without ensuring Parks was part of it.
It was a blessing to have a behind-the-scenes view of Coward’s night at every step.
He shared congratulations with other first-round draft picks, greeted NBA executives and told his story countless times across multiple media platforms. The circuit ended well after midnight in a private photo shoot with his parents, sister, girlfriend, agent and former coaches.
And at each turn, Coward was eager to share in side conversations how vital his grandfather’s role has been. As the family’s first sports star, Parks was a standout track athlete at UCLA in the 1970s.
“He would have made it back to the Olympics in 1980 again, but there was the boycott,” Coward said of the Olympics in Moscow, where the US was among 65 nations that opted out in political protest. “He was hoping to get one more chance in 1984 when the Olympics came to Los Angeles. That would have been big for him, but it was a little too late.”
Coward insists his grandfather’s story is part of what motivates him to take advantage of every opportunity to raise his game and improve. He wasn’t deterred when essentially no offers from big colleges came his way before his career began at the Division III level.
Coward parlayed a productive freshman season into a bigger stage at Eastern Washington, where he was a First-Team All-Conference selection after two years. When Eastern Washington’s coach took a job at Washington State, Coward followed and was set for a breakout season.
But a shoulder injury last November ended his season after just six games, when he averaged 17.7 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists and nearly two blocks. By shooting nearly 60-percent from the field and 40-percent on 3-pointers, Coward showed flashes of the versatility, explosive athleticism, deep-range touch and defensive tenacity that elevated his profile nationally.
Coward was prepared to transfer to Duke for one final college season but elected to stay in the draft after an impressive showing during last month’s NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. Although his workouts were limited as he completes rehab from the shoulder surgery, Coward’s measurements of a 7-foot-2 wingspan and an 8-foot-10 standing reach intrigued several teams.
That included the Grizzlies, who brought Coward in for a last-minute workout Monday before he arrived in New York. Memphis was the last stop Coward made before the draft.
“I must have left a pretty good impression,” Coward believed. “I knew I had the talent and work ethic to be here. Ultimately, when it comes to the steps I’ve taken in my career, it’s just to keep elevating, keep elevating and stay on that upward track. You always want to take steps forward.”
Yet at the same time, Coward refuses to be uprooted from the foundation set by his family.
That much was clear as he stopped at the NBA’s social media station along the circuit and shared how his first priorities as a professional are to pay his church tithes and also pay off the mortgage of his family home in California.
“That’s the center of our family, the foundation,” Coward insisted. “That’s the place we all go back to, and we’ll always have that.”
Awaiting his turn next at the social media station was Duke center Khaman Maluach, a South Sudan native who was the first prospect from NBA Academy Africa to be picked in the lottery.
“Man, you’re an inspiration,” Maluach shouted toward Coward from a few feet away.
“Nah, that’s you,” Coward responded. “We both came a long way, but you’re the inspiration.”
The two players selected one pick apart at No. 10 and No. 11 then embraced and shared a joke about how dominant Duke would be had their paths actually connected as teammates.
Coward doesn’t have to imagine that possibility any longer with another player he just missed the opportunity to play with in college.
Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells was considered the steal of the 2024 draft when he was selected No. 39 overall. After a breakout season in Memphis, Wells finished third in NBA Rookie of the Year voting and was an NBA All-Rookie First Team pick.
Their similar journeys – California natives who rose from small-college obscurity, transferred to Washington State and landed in the NBA with the Grizzlies – was not lost on either player. Wells, in attendance on Wednesday, was one of the first to greet Coward after he exited the draft stage.
“He’s a great, genuine guy,” Wells said of Coward. “I had a chance to work out with him a couple of times last year, and he’s good off the floor and on the floor. I’m happy to see him in the NBA and to be able to grow with him together in Memphis.”
Coward agreed.
“He started for the Grizzlies for a reason; he’s where he’s at for a reason,” Coward said of Wells. “I love the similarities. He got it out of the mud, too, going to Sonoma State and me going to Willamette, being able to prove narratives and doubters wrong. That’s the biggest thing.
Even bigger are the relationships that matter most in these moments.
Success is built on faith, hard work and respect. Those are characteristics Coward sees in his grandfather every day. Now, he envisions one more goal for Parks.
“I want to retire him one day soon,” Coward said. “He’s been grinding still, working in construction and odd-and-end jobs. Hopefully, he won’t have to do that anymore. I want him to be able to just go fishing and come to our games.”
Count on Coward to connect on that call, too.