'Be myself': Canada's Noah Lewis brings personal edge as Raptors 905 coach

It was minutes into the Raptors 905 season opener when Noah Lewis leaned past assistant coach Isaiah Fox for a better view of the game and remembered something important.

"Oh wait, I can stand up. I can be on the court."

Over the last five years, the Comox, B.C. native had been in many roles with the Toronto Raptors — from joining the organization in 2021 through the Wayne and Theresa Embry fellowship program, to running a G League offence alongside former 905 coach Eric Khoury shortly after, and then spending the last couple of seasons as a video coordinator and player development coach on Darko Rajakovic's staff — but this was truly his first time stepping into the spotlight.

So, admittedly, taking over as bench boss of the Raptors G League affiliate team "felt weird" at first.

"But once you get out there and you just start coaching, then all of a sudden you're just in it. Then it's what I know. It's what I've been doing. It's basketball ... all of a sudden it's like, 'oh, I'm good on this,'" Lewis, the third Canadian head coach of the 905, told Sportsnet.

Basketball has been Lewis' guiding light through most of his life. After completing a successful playing career with Mount Royal University in Calgary — as captain and a five-time CIS Academic All-Canadian — he wanted to stay close to the game. Lewis went overseas to complete a master's degree in Sports Business and Leadership in the U.K., all while applying to join the Raptors through their fellowship program.

Although he didn't get accepted at first, Lewis went back to Mount Royal in a coaching capacity and got valuable hands-on experience, which tipped the scales in his favour when he applied a second time.

He'd be the first to admit that coaching may have been in the back of his mind when he first embarked on this winding journey, but the initial objective was simply to "have a career in sports."

But it's because of that less-than-linear path that Rajakovic believed Lewis was capable of spearheading the organization's development pipeline.

"Noah is a great Raptor representative," the fourth-year NBA head coach said. "He's somebody who embodies the values of our organization ... He has a very unique background ... and that's something we as an organization respect and embrace a lot. He's somebody who is genuine, who is very competitive, who has a lot of love for the game and somebody who's going to coach the guys to a high standard."

Lewis spent the past three seasons developing his craft under Rajakovic. While leading the organization's Movement Academy thanks to his specialized background in physical literacy, he recognized how "modelling" the Raptors head coach's open-door policy undoubtedly prepared him to lead the 905.

"It's been amazing. (Rajakovic) gave me a ton of opportunities to grow my role within the Raptors and I think that helped me get to where I am right now," Lewis explained. "He wants people to have initiative and bring ideas forward. I think that's the kind of environment I'm trying to create, because at the end of the day, I have my base of knowledge, and if that's all that's getting to the players, you only get one base of knowledge. But if you empower other people, bring forward what they have, then you're getting access to all these people's shared wealth of knowledge."

It was fitting that right after Lewis said that over the phone, he immediately left to join Rajakovic and sit in on a Raptors shootaround. The same way he and his whole G League staff prepared for the season alongside the NBA squad during training camp.

Rajakovic has been consistent about the fact that all 905 coaches are "always welcome to come and see practice and be with us. I think that's the right approach in order to develop players and people."

"I was a head coach in the G League myself, so I understand the importance ... they need to see that they're not being overlooked and somebody always cares about them, and that program has a lot of value to the organization ... for me, the biggest satisfaction would be that my assistant coaches are getting opportunities," Rajakovic said. "As I was growing as a young coach, for me it was always 'How do I find those opportunities?' I was in their shoes, so I understand what it means."

And with Rajakovic's backing, Lewis has wasted no time adopting and applying that shared philosophy of supporting others to garner support in return.

Just ask former Raptors two-way guard and current 905 affiliate player Chucky Hepburn, who earned the right — through a team-wide practice competition — to draw up the G League team's first set-piece of the season.

"Chucky has been really engaged with coaching (while rehabbing), and we did a little competition ... and as the winner of that, he got to run the first play, and I thought it was awesome. And I think the guys liked it. I've known Chucky has a deep (after-time-out) bag since back in play groups with the Raptors, so it was really cool."

The 905 ended up generating a lob pass on the play, but the catch was bobbled and wound up out of bounds. Lewis then took back the clipboard and drew up his own play for the 905, which they promptly scored on. And it reminded him of another important aspect of his new role.

"That's the fun part. I'd say 95 per cent of this job, I've realized, is controlling the environment and what we put into each day and how we get better each practice. But the really fun part for me, as a person who loves to compete, when it comes to the games, I have these 12 possessions a game where I can help the outcome."

The operative phrase being "loves to compete," which the players can personally attest to.

"He's an ultra-competitor," Raptors guard Alijah Martin said with a grin. "He has a really good jump shot and guarding him ... he always catches us lacking."

Third-year swingman Ja'Kobe Walter echoed that sentiment: "He's a dog, honestly. We would do sprints, and he's winning every time. We play these shooting games, and he's whooping us. He really works on his craft. He's really competitive. Real dog."

When asked about his on-court game — Lewis shot 39.3 per cent from beyond the arc as a senior — and the impression he's left on the players, the 905 coach's response was simple: "Shooters shoot."

And it's in keeping that spirit alive even in his new role that Lewis has implemented arguably the most important advice passed on by Rajakovic.

"Be myself in this. As much as I learned from Darko, I've got to coach as myself, just like he has to coach himself because players feel when it's real and it's authentic and they're going to be their most authentic selves as well when they see other people representing that."

It's why Lewis hasn't shied away from his desire to win sooner rather than later — no doubt sparked by his instinctual competitive nature. Rajakovic has always preached process over outcomes, so maybe it's the former player in him, but Lewis has decided to try and thread the needle between the two.

"From Day 1, we've talked about it. This league's about development, but we're trying to develop winners," he added. "So we try and make everything about winning, whatever it is. Sometimes it's physically competing, sometimes it's mentally competing. Whatever it is, we track everything winning-wise. We have a winner's board. Every drill, competition, game has been done for a win, and it's been tracked. Winning is like a habit that needs to be developed."

And the results have started to show.

Lewis and the 905 picked up their first victory of the season, and his first as a head coach, in the team's home opener in Mississauga, Ont. — against the reigning G League champions, no less.

After which, he was aptly met with a raucous celebration in the locker room.

Lewis described the experience as "special," but was also quick to turn the focus back on the players.

"They fought so hard, I couldn't be more happy to share it with them, the other coaches, all the staff, just such amazing people."

It's within that attitude that the likes of Tyreke Key, who dropped a career-high 36 points in Lewis' first win, believe that "Coach Noah does a great job in instilling confidence in us all ... he lets us play free."

An indelible mark he's consistently left on players within the organization.

"He was always getting us better," Walter said. "Always pouring into us whenever he can, off the court just making sure everybody's good. Easy person to talk to always. I don't think there's anybody that will ever have something bad to say about Noah."

Martin added: "Noah's going to thrive there. I know what type of guy he is. He helped me up here; he helped me (in the G League). I'm going to be watching for sure."

As will Rajakovic, Walter and just about everyone else Lewis has crossed paths with while climbing the proverbial ladder with the Raptors.

Watching and supporting the coach, who joined the organization a half-decade ago to "accumulate as much experience as possible," even if he didn't know where it would lead him, because it somehow landed him exactly where he wants to be.

"Did I ever have it in my mind I was going to be on the court with the Raptors? That I was going to be the head coach of the G League team? No, not at that time. But yeah, it's pretty special ... to be at home representing ... I think there's something to be said about people who want to be here are going to give you a lot, and I really want to be here."

And now, "here" gets to be standing on the sidelines of the court, no longer needing to lean past the other coaches for a better view. So long as he remembers.