RW Sport Performance

🏆 Coach of the Week: Tim Lewis, Eneos Sunflowers (Japan) Professional Basketball Team 🏆

This past weekend, the Sunflowers, led by Head Coach Tim Lewis, captured the Empress Cup—the most prestigious and coveted championship in Japanese basketball.

The run was nothing short of remarkable. Coach Lewis and his team upset both the No. 2 and top-ranked teams, winning four games in six days on their way to the title. An extraordinary accomplishment by any standard.

Coach Lewis has coached around the world, most recently with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and he is clearly making a powerful impact at ENEOS. He is building a program—and a culture—that players, staff, and supporters can be proud of.

His superpower? Positivity. And last week, that mindset translated directly into belief, resilience, and championship performance.

Congratulations to Coach Lewis and the Sunflowers on an outstanding victory. 👏🏀

Sport leadership is never easy — especially when the stakes are high. Phee Collier made that clear over the weekend with her critical comments about WNBA leadership.

For most of my career in coaching, leadership, and consulting, I’ve been a strong advocate for athlete engagement. Why? Because doing hard things in sport requires incredible, trusting relationships. When those bonds exist, athletes and coaches can accomplish extraordinary things. When they don’t, organizations are destined to struggle.

Coaches will always be accountable for winning, and leaders will always be accountable for the growth and health of their programs. But none of that is possible without investing in powerful relationships with the people who matter most — the athletes.

Today’s athletes know their role, their influence, and their power in shaping the game. For years, that voice was stifled. Now, it’s stronger than ever.

The best coaches and leaders already thrive by building genuine, lasting connections with athletes. For everyone else, the time to catch up is now.

🇺🇸 Officially, there is no “I” in TEAM.

Team USA showed flashes of brilliance on Sunday with incredible individual performances. But as the Ryder Cup proved once again, talent alone doesn’t equal team success. Entering Sunday, they faced a historically difficult comeback position — not because of ability, but because of the lack of connection.

Take Bryson DeChambeau as an example. On Friday and Saturday, his near-total lack of engagement with his partner gave the impression that he was playing solo. Contrast that with the European pairs — connected, supportive, and united under pressure. In the crucible of team golf, belief in each other is the competitive edge. Without it, Team USA plays “a man down” or “with one less club.”

Until Team USA fully embraces the power of connection and relationships, they’ll keep running into the same wall. Belief within a team is the separator when margins are razor-thin. Here’s hoping that by Ryder Cup 2027 — on the road — the “I” finally disappears from TEAM USA.