Memphis Grizzlies forward Cedric Coward says Kevin Durant has become a regular voice in his rookie season, with the two often talking after games. Coward described the exchange as a steady source of advice from one of the NBA's most accomplished scorers.
That connection matters now because Coward is still settling into the league after being selected 11th overall in the 2025 NBA Draft. He has already logged 62 games this season, averaging 13.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.8 assists while shooting 47.1% from the field and 84.3% from the free-throw line, numbers that show a rookie already carrying real responsibility on a team that finished 25-57.
"I've talked to KD a lot," Coward said, adding that the conversations usually happen after games featuring the Grizzlies and Durant's team. The message, he said, has been simple and repetitive: keep going no matter what happens. Whether the night ends in frustration, a good performance or a bad one, Coward said Durant's point is that the work eventually shows through. He also said the veteran warned that once a player falls out of love with the game, the slide begins.
Coward did not frame the relationship as a publicity stunt or a passing greeting. He called Durant, in his view, a top-three scorer of all time, and said there are few ways to make him uncomfortable on the floor. "You have to make him shoot whatever is not comfortable for him," Coward said. "That isn't many shots." The praise sits alongside a sharper fact: for all the talk around elite players Coward admires, he said he has not spoken yet with LeBron James or Stephen Curry.
That gap gives the Durant relationship its weight. Coward has drawn comparisons to Kawhi Leonard and Jalen Williams for his shooting mechanics and defensive versatility, but for now his most direct line to the league's older guard runs through postgame conversations with Durant. He said he would like to work out with Leonard one day, though he is not rushing anything. For the rookie, the immediate story is simpler: a veteran scorer he can reach after the final buzzer, and advice he expects to keep hearing for as long as both are willing to talk.
