Cedric Coward Defends Grizzlies Teammate Following Plenty Of Criticism

This season has been a very interesting one for the Memphis Grizzlies, and after having some solid success in recent years, clearly, this is now a team officially in transition. After trading Desmond Bane in the summer, the team dealt Jaren Jackson Jr. at the trade deadline, with only Ja Morant remaining from those promising teams of the early 2020's.

That would have come as a major shock to everyone in the NBA if you told them that early in the season, as there were plenty of reports about issues with Morant in Memphis, especially involving tensions with his Head Coach. That's led to immense criticism for the former No. 2 overall pick, but now rookie Cedric Coward, who was the No. 11 overall pick for Memphis in 2025 has stood up for his teammate, giving him some major compliments.

"If you want to say all the negative connotations about him, you're dead wrong and you need to keep your thoughts to yourself. Ja is one of the best people I've ever met. One of the best people to be around.”

This comes after many questioned his character following several incidents off the ice, and with a reported negative trade value, things weren't going well for Morant in Memphis.

Ultimately, we all know the talent that Morant has, and it's always been the off-ice issues and behaviour that has plagued him, but with a star rookie standing up for him, it shows that he's still a good teammate and a very good NBA player.