NBA referee Eric Lewis has retired.
His decision comes a few months after the league opened an investigation into whether he used a “burner” social media account to defend himself from criticism.
The NBA ended its investigation due to Lewis’ retirement. According to league policy, officials are restricted from making any public comment about calls made — or not made — in a game without authorization from the NBA.
It remains unclear whether Lewis was using the account under the name “blair cuttliff.”
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Referee Eric Lewis gestures during the first half of Game 5 of the Eastern Conference semifinals between the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat May 10, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II, File)
Lewis, who had worked as an NBA referee nearly two decades, was not selected as an official for this year’s NBA Finals due to the ongoing investigation
The Denver Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat in five games to win the title.
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The social media controversy came to light in May after some now-deleted tweets were revealed by a pair of social media users. The account on Twitter, now known as X, used the handle “blair cuttliff.”
If the league determined the account was his, Lewis faced potential discipline for violating league policy.
Referee Eric Lewis during a 2023 Western Conference semifinal game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors May 4, 2023, at Chase Center in San Francisco. (Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
It appears the social media account in question opened in 2015.
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Lewis worked more than 1,200 games, including playoffs, in 19 seasons.
He last worked May 16, when Denver hosted the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals. The reports of the tweets came out about a week later.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.