Report: NBA investigating referee Eric Lewis over alleged burner account on Twitter

The NBA has opened an investigation into referee Eric Lewis over an alleged burner account he operated on Twitter, ESPN reported Sunday. The account in question responded to numerous tweets on league officiating, defending both Lewis as well as other NBA referees.

According to NBA rules, referees are prohibited from making public comments on officiating without authorization. Lewis could face punishment from the league pending the results of the investigation.

According to ESPN, the alleged account went by the username “Blair Cuttliff” and had a handle of “@CuttliffBlair.” It has since been deleted.

Lewis is a veteran official who is in his 19th season working for the NBA. He has officiated more than 1,100 games, including 82 playoff games. His most recent appearance came during Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals between the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers on May 16. Lewis has been one of the NBA’s highest-rated officials throughout the years and has officiated six Finals games since 2019.

This isn’t the first time a member of the NBA has gotten themselves in trouble with Twitter burner accounts. Kevin Durant infamously admitted to using burner accounts to defend himself from criticism he received after leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Golden State Warriors. Additionally, former 76ers GM Bryan Colangelo resigned in 2018 after he and his wife were linked to burner accounts criticizing some of the team’s players.

LeBron James responds to NBA investigation on Eric Lewis’ burner account

News of Lewis being investigated even caught the attention of Lakers star LeBron James, who responded Sunday with a tweet. James, who played in the last game that Lewis officiated, let out his thoughts on the situation.

“This Eric Lewis (sh*t) true???” James wrote.

This Eric Lewis 💩 true??? 🤨

— LeBron James (@KingJames) May 27, 2023

James and the Lakers ultimately ended up getting swept in the series against the Nuggets, who advanced to their first NBA Finals in franchise history. He averaged 27.8 points, 9.5 rebounds and 10.0 assists across the series but ultimately couldn’t do enough to stop Nikola Jokic and company. James just completed his 20th NBA season and broke the NBA career scoring record. He is under contract in LA for two more seasons with a player option in 2024-25.

James sharing his thoughts on the matter reflects just how big the investigation around Lewis has become. We’ll have to wait and see where it leads, though, as the NBA continues their investigation of him moving forward.