Cedric Coward on the ‘special’ Euro road, why the World Cup will not disrupt the 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 Iisal’s unsorted Memphis Grizzlies can say goodbye because they were one of the loudest, considering their sacrifice to be the first team to land in Berlin. The schedule was brutal enough, and mounting losses led to the departure of Jaren Jackson Jr. However, on stoically confident Cedric Cowardthe experience stood out much more than the extra miles on his legs.

“It was great. It was definitely a special experience. Being the first game in Berlin, that was super special, especially as a rookie,” Coward told ClutchPoints. “It’s great for the development of the game, allowing us boys to gain new experiences. Maybe the boys haven’t been abroad before. It was my first time in Germany, so it was special. I got to connect with the fans abroad.”

A transatlantic voyage in the midst of the NBA season is no small matter, and the physical toll of the extra travel is real. However, the grind of 82 games can get a bit monotonous, grinding in its own way. Players can be forgiven for not actually remembering what city they’re in, given the layout of the airport to the hotel to the arena and back. It’s not like MLB, where teams get a few days to explore a city. So Coward was soaked in the culture, food, language and energy of being in another part of the world.

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

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 trip to Berlin seemed like a preview of what the league is becoming. However, Kukavič is no stranger to the international flavor that already defines the modern NBA.

“I’m used to it because we have a lot of international players,” Coward joked. “I played in college with teammates who 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 food, you get to hear a new language all the time, you see how people move and you have those experiences on the road that you might not get here in the States.”

However, a player’s world can only be so big if he wants to achieve All-Star status. Therefore, the rookie made it clear that the World Cup this summer will not bypass his personal preparations. While several Grizzlies took in some EPL games during the Euroleague road trip, Coward plans to stay locked into his offseason training regimen ahead of Summer League action. Maybe the globe goes wild for the goal in the background, maybe. Coward just hopes to be playing on such a stage in a few years, if and when NBA basketball expands beyond North America.

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

It is honest and instructive. The World Cup is 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 global importance 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 the Cuckoo nervous for the rest of this season. Ja Morant is out for a few more weeks, all but ensuring the Grizzlies will miss the postseason. Coward will soon have a new lottery-level teammate to work with. Until then, finding silverware for all the rookies in a losing season is the first step in getting the franchise back to the NBA playoffs.