The Minnesota Timberwolves are heading into the season with a decent 3-3 record in their preseason games, but the real talk should be about an amazing addition to the coaching staff: Tim Lewis. This guy isn’t just any new assistant. Lewis is the very first British-born coach in the entire NBA, and he’s bringing a seriously unique approach to the game. He’ll be looking to help Anthony Edwards and the Wolves chase down their first-ever NBA title.
From Wales to the World Stage: Lewis’s Wild Journey
Lewis isn’t your typical NBA coach, not by a long shot. He was born in Saint Asaph, Wales, and even represented his country on the court back in the 1990s. But his coaching career? That’s what’s truly global. He’s literally coached across the world, leading the Thailand and Qatar national teams, and had coaching stints in Germany, Belgium, Canada, the United States, and Panama. Think about that for a second! Most recently, he was the head coach for the Eneos Sunflowers in Japan, and get this, he helped them snag the Empress Cup just this past January. We’re also talking about more than 15 years coaching England and Great Britain age groups. This dude has seen it all, done it all, and won big in multiple places. Now he’s ready to bring that worldwide experience to the NBA.
The 25-Year Bond and a Game-Changing Role
One of the coolest parts of Lewis joining the Timberwolves is his deep connection with Head Coach Chris Finch. These two go way back, nearly 25 years! They actually played against each other, with Lewis at Crystal Palace and Finch with Sheffield Sharks. Their paths kept crossing, with Lewis having “stops with Chris when he was in Belgium and then before the Olympics, I spent six months at Houston with him.” Lewis even said, “We’ve become close, it’s almost like brothers. We’ve known each other 25 years and it’s a strong bond.” Finch clearly trusts him because after Lewis had a previous, brief spell with Minnesota and then left for three years to be a head coach in Japan, Finch was relentless. For a year and a half, he kept knocking on Lewis’s door, saying, “come back, come back.” Eventually, Lewis gave in this summer, taking on a “more influential role, with more of an input and impact on things.” His specific genius? Post-game analysis. Lewis previously worked with the G League team, the Iowa Wolves, during Covid, and then joined the Wolves staff with responsibility for this unique role. He explained, “I would just go through all our game plans.” He said it was time-consuming and “nobody had done it before” for post-game analysis. Most teams do pre-game analysis, but Lewis is digging deep into what just happened, which could give the Timberwolves an insane edge in adjustments moving forward.
With eight different teams winning the Larry O’Brien Trophy over the past eight seasons, this NBA title race is wide open. Teams like the San Antonio Spurs, who made it to the Finals last year with Victor Wembanyama before losing to the New York Knicks, or the Philadelphia 76ers, who picked up Jaylen Brown and LeBron James in the offseason, are certainly looking strong. But with a strategic mind like Tim Lewis, and his unique post-game analysis, the Timberwolves are clearly gearing up to make a serious push for their first championship. This season is going to be wild, and with Lewis on board, the Wolves are definitely one to watch.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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