Eric Lewis Announced Retirement After Social Media Dispute
NBA Refree Eric Lewis Retirement
Was it proper for the NBA to stop its inquiry into departing referee Eric Lewis?
As a result of an NBA inquiry regarding his having a burner account on then-Twitter (now X), where he defended himself, Eric Lewis missed the NBA Finals last June after working the previous four.
On Wednesday, the league announced the retirement of Lewis . This page contains the league’s complete statement.
“NBA referee Eric Lewis has informed the league office that he is retiring, effective immediately. In light of his decision, the NBA’s investigation into social media activity has been closed.”
Eric Lewis was charged with possessing the account, which has since been deleted and went under the alias “Blair Cuttliff,” where he posted anonymous defenses of his judgments and standing as an official. Referees are prohibited from openly discussing their work (outside of particular, authorized occasions) per an NBA regulation.
Lewis worked as an NBA official for 19 seasons and was regarded as one of the best in the game. The last game he officiated was Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals between the Lakers and Nuggets on May 16. During the playoffs last year, reports about his burner account came to light.
