With eight different teams winning the NBA title over the past eight seasons, predicting this year's Larry O'Brien Trophy winner in June is difficult. The San Antonio Spurs, led by Victor Wembanyama, reached the Finals last season before losing to the New York Knicks, while the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers are also in contention.
Amid the uncertainty, the first British-born coach in the NBA, Tim Lewis, will be hoping to help Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves reach their first NBA title. Born in Saint Asaph, Wales, Lewis represented his country as a player in the 1990s before building a coaching career across the globe, including stints with the Thailand and Qatar national teams and clubs in Germany, Belgium, Canada, the United States and Panama. Most recently he was head coach of Eneos Sunflowers in Japan, helping the team win the Empress Cup in January.
Lewis's long-standing friendship with Minnesota head coach Chris Finch dates back 25 years, to when they played against each other in Britain. Lewis was an assistant to Finch at the London 2012 Olympics and has been persistently invited back to Minnesota. After a previous spell with the franchise, he returned this summer in an expanded role, now responsible for offensive game planning.
The Timberwolves have also reshaped their backcourt. In July, Minnesota acquired Josh Green and LaMelo Ball in a four-team trade. Ball made 272 three-point shots in the 2025-26 season, the second most in the NBA, and his partnership with Edwards is viewed by Lewis as an offensive coach's dream.
Source: BBC Sport · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing