Source: Jacob Kupferman / Getty / Eric Lewis
Eric Lewis won’t be blowing his whistle or handing out any technical fouls after retiring, effective immediately, the NBA has announced.
NBA referee Eric Lewis was one of the league’s best officials and a fixture on the court during the regular season and playoffs.
Now he is officially done with the NBA, the league said in a newsletter on Wednesday.
The 52-year-old ref’s retirement came while he was under investigation for possibly using a burner account on X, formerly Twitter.
His retirement, while it seems sudden, seems strategic or a compromise because the release notes, “In light of his decision, the NBA’s investigation into social media activity has been closed.”
Hmmmmm.
The league confirmed in late May, ahead of the NBA Finals, that it was looking into Lewis’ alleged use of a burner account on Twitter. Oops, we mean X.
The NBA was looking into whether Lewis was using his burner account to respond to messages critical of him on several occasions.
If that were the case, Lewis would have directly violated the NBA’s policy prohibiting officials from commenting on officiating publicly without the league’s approval.
Lewis’ not making the cut and being one of the 12 referees chosen to officiate the Finals despite having the grades and previous experience made it clear that the league was looking into what he allegedly did and was in some serious trouble, per USA Today.
Former NBA referee Eric Lewis worked in the association for 19 seasons and officiated over 80 playoff games, including six NBA Finals games.
Now, he can enjoy that free time and the freedom to post on X as much as he likes.
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Photo: Jacob Kupferman / Getty
NBA Referee Eric Lewis Hangs Up His Whistle Ending Investigation Into His Burner X Account was originally published on hiphopwired.com
