From D-III to NBA, Memphis Grizzlies rookie Cedric Coward is living his ‘one-of-one’ story

SAN FRANCISCO – As Memphis Grizzlies rookie guard/forward Cedric Coward sat in the locker room before playing against superstar Stephen Curry, one of his childhood heroes, the latest moment of reflection in his dark-horse NBA dream-come-true had crossed his mind.

Coward was just like countless other kids then and now who dream the longshot NBA dream. This vision to become one of the NBA’s select few players was farfetched three years ago when he was playing NCAA Division III college basketball. But in what he even describes as a “one-of-one story,” Coward’s NBA dream has come to life.

“I’m super blessed to be in the position that I’m in,” Coward told Andscape prior to Monday’s 131-118 road loss to the Golden State Warriors. “Not a lot of people get to experience this. It’s like 450 of us [NBA players] in this whole thing. I’m one of them, which is great. So, I never take a day for granted.

“I always take each day and make it count as much as possible. But there are times where I’ve got to pinch myself and be like, ‘Damn, I’m really here.’”

The 2025 NBA draft will be known for marquee names such as Dallas Mavericks forward Cooper Flagg, San Antonio Spurs guard Dylan Harper and Philadelphia 76ers guard VJ Edgecombe. Then there is Coward, the 11th overall pick who was little known after playing only six games at Washington State last season. But he has quickly made a name for himself in the NBA as one of the Grizzlies’ leading scorers in this young season.

Coward was born on Sept. 11, 2003, in Fresno, California, and had an elite sports influence from birth thanks to his grandfather, former track Olympian Maxie Parks. Parks was a men’s 4×400 relay gold medalist for the United States in the 1976 Montreal Olympics. He also finished first in the men’s 100 meters at the USA Championships in 1976 and 1978 and ranked as high as fourth in the world in the event. Along with his grandson having basketball skills, Parks said he helped teach him to stride fluently and relaxed with an open gait, and to be well-conditioned.

Coward’s mother, Shanel Moore, said her son told her when he was 4 years old that he was going to be an NBA player. Parks said he learned that his grandson had great drive that could lead to something special when Coward made a proclamation during his sophomore year of high school.

“He said, ‘Papa, I want to be better than you,’ ” Parks told Andscape. “I told him, ‘Son, you could do that.’ He said, ‘My mama told me I could accomplish anything I want to, but it’s hard work.’ I told him, ‘You could do it. It’s hard work. But are you willing to put the work in?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ I knew when he made that comment that he could do it.”

By the time Coward was a senior in high school, however, he was merely hoping for interest from any Division I basketball program. He averaged 15.4 points and 4.6 rebounds as a senior during the 2020-21 season at Fresno Central East High (Calif.), and he also was an academic honor roll student and two-time All-River All-League selection.

In an online personal statement on NCSA (Next College Student Athlete) College Recruiting’s website in 2020, he likened his game to NBA stars such as “Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard or Draymond Green,” and also wrote: “My first choice would be to play at a Div. I level school as that is the highest level of play and I believe that I have the work ethic to play at that level. I am, however, not closed to the idea of playing at Div. II or III because ultimately I am in college to elevate myself both in athletics and academically.”

With no Division I offers, Coward started his college basketball career on a non-athletic scholarship at Division III Willamette University in Salem, Oregon, in 2021. Parks was pleased as he noted that the family thought it was best for Coward to leave the Fresno area to attend college to develop and mature.

“People get overlooked,” Parks said. “The talent was there when he played AAU ball. He has always been the best player on his team. Always been.”

The 2021 Northwest Conference Freshman of the Year averaged 19.5 points, 12.0 rebounds and 3.8 assists as a freshman for the six-win Bobcats during the 2021-22 season. He also set school records for double-doubles (19) and blocked shots (67).

While Division III basketball is far from an NBA hotbed, Coward kept the vision of making it to the league in mind.

“It was hard to believe I could go to the NBA then, if I’m being honest,” Coward said. “But I had to because I’m a big believer in manifestation and seeing where you want to be in life. And I always watch basketball all the time, especially NBA games. You have to imagine yourself on the court. Either that or the dream can die.

“And for me, even though it was hard, I felt as if I was working out for a team or I was on the court in a game. Even though I wasn’t in that situation, you had to keep believing in yourself. And for me, I had to keep making that vision possible, or in my mind at least.”

Coward fulfilled his dream to play Division I basketball by transferring to mid-major Eastern Washington. He first received attention from NBA teams during his second season at Eastern Washington, where he averaged a team-best 15.4 points and 6.7 rebounds per game on 56.5% shooting during the 2023-24 season.

Coward actually put his name in the 2024 NBA draft but eventually withdrew it. The 2024 All-Big Sky Conference first-team selection also went into the transfer portal and ultimately decided to sign with Washington State.

“A scout came and watched and I didn’t know it was a scout because they like to hide in shadows and not wear team gear and stuff like that,” Coward said of NBA scouts. “And so, I thought it was just a dude that came to watch practice. And within the week my coach was like, ‘Hey, just letting you know they came and watched you and they liked what they saw.’ And I was like, ‘OK, cool.’

“I didn’t really think that [was anything]. But as the [season] went on and we were successful and I became more successful with the team and we were winning – we obviously won the league championship and stuff like that – I was still getting reminders of that. It wasn’t in the forefront of my mind, but I was still getting reminders.

“And then after that I went [into the NBA draft]. If they’re looking at me now and I know how much better I can get, this is real. I can really do something with it. And so, from there, that was one of my focuses.”

Coward started fast for Washington State, averaging 17.7 points and 7.0 rebounds as a senior but had season-ending torn labrum surgery after playing in just six games. He was granted an extra year of college eligibility and committed to play at Duke this upcoming season.

But after performing well at the NBA Combine in Chicago, he spurned Duke by announcing to ESPN on May 24 that he would keep his name in the 2025 NBA draft. The 6-foot-5, 205-pound forward wowed NBA scouts by making 72% of his aggregate jumpers and measured with a 7-2 wingspan and a 38½-inch vertical jump.

“This is the best opportunity for me to achieve part of my dream, which is making the NBA,” Coward told ESPN on May 24. “Everything is pointing in the right direction right now to follow that.”

Coward was a media darling during NBA draft week as reporters were eager to learn about his rise from obscurity. The Grizzlies acquired Coward in a draft-night trade after he was selected 11th overall by the Portland Trail Blazers. Suddenly, one of the greatest draft stories came to life and became one of the best memories of Coward’s life.

Unfortunately for Coward, draft night in late June was bittersweet as his beloved grandparents were unable to attend because Maxie Park’s wife, Lovern, was ill. The Parks could still watch their grandson getting drafted on television in Fresno, but Lovern Parks died on Aug. 19 at the age of 72.

“Finally hearing your name called is a feeling that you only ever experience with certain other events,” Coward said. “It’s probably like winning a championship, which hopefully I get to experience, and getting married or something like that — events that have still yet to come in my life, but I know will come. …

“It also means a lot more because my grandma got to see it. She passed away, unfortunately, but she got to see me get drafted and walk across stage, and I got to go back home over the next couple days and see her and show her the [draft] hat and everything. It was awesome.

“It’s a situation where you’ll never get over it or get past it, but you have to go through it. And for me, I always think of the good times. For 22 years of my life, I had her in my life and, honestly, she’s taught me so much stuff that I cherish all the time.”

Said Parks: “I stayed and watched the draft with her at home like a lot of people do on TV. I felt he would be a lottery pick because of all the teams that brought him in to work out. He has a beautiful [shooting] stroke, and all they had to see was the consistency to buy in.”

Coward has made his presence known quickly with the Grizzlies off the bench, averaging 16 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists through five games. He entered Thursday third on the Grizzlies in scoring behind stars Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr., and he was tied for second among rookies in scoring, trailing only Edgecombe (22.3 points per game). Coward scored a game-high 27 points in a win over the Indiana Pacers on Oct. 25.

Even more remarkable is that Coward didn’t play in the 2025 NBA Summer League as he recovered from shoulder surgery. He wasn’t cleared to play until August and missed all seven shots in his preseason debut. Grizzlies head coach Tuomas Iisalo already has strong faith and respect in Coward and believes greater production is on the way.

“The first thing you got to know about Cedric is his approach to the game and his professionalism,” Iisalo said. “That is what’s driving the daily development. He has tremendous tools for a wing. He’s got great length, physicality. He’s athletic. He’s skilled. So, he has all the tools in place.

“It’s been a tremendous learning curve for him, obviously, not having played a lot in the last year because of his injury and then jumping from a relatively low level to the NBA. So, it’s been really impressive what he has been able to do in a short amount of time and with a short amount of practice time and live games.”

While humbled to be in the NBA, Coward is clearly playing with no fear.

“Fear creates doubt. Fear creates unsteadiness. Fear creates situations to where you’re not prepared for,” Coward said. “For me, I don’t like to be unprepared. I like to be prepared for every situation I go to, or at least understand if I’m not prepared for a situation — at least go into it with no fear.”

Sitting behind the Grizzlies’ bench during Monday’s game against Golden State was Coward’s grandfather, mother and sister, Lauryn Coward, all proudly wearing his No. 23 jersey. It was the first NBA game for Shanel Moore, Coward’s mother, who said she was in “awe” of the moment.

Maxie Parks saw Coward play in preseason on Oct. 6, fulfilling a goal he and his late wife had to attend their grandson’s NBA debut.

“What you could learn from his story is never to quit, never to doubt yourself,” Parks said. “Be willing to put the work in and understand that everything you are able to achieve is from the work you put out. Nothing comes easy, but believe in yourself.”

Said Moore to Andscape: “We believe in the power of manifestation. He believed in what he wanted to do and made it happen.”

Since being drafted, Coward has told his story in a motivational speech to his old high school basketball program and to a men’s junior college basketball program in the Fresno area. While such an NBA dream would be hard to duplicate, there are many life lessons to be learned from this Cinderella NBA story.

“There’s nothing like it, so it’s one of one,” Coward said. “I always say, ‘It’s my journey.’ That was the journey I took and I cherished and I appreciate that God led me through. But ultimately when it comes to people, especially little kids, look at my journey and look at everything I’ve been through to get it to this point. It’s literally about just perseverance and just keep going, man.

“Don’t let anybody stop you. Don’t let anybody tell you otherwise. Persevere through any obstacles you have and just keep having faith in yourself and in the ones that helped you get here.”

The post From D-III to NBA, Memphis Grizzlies rookie Cedric Coward is living his ‘one-of-one’ story appeared first on Andscape.