The NBA has initiated an investigation into Eric Lewis, a veteran referee, following his alleged involvement with a Twitter account that defended him and other NBA referees while responding to various posts about league officiating. League sources have confirmed this development to ESPN.
The Twitter account in question, under the username "Blair Cuttliff" and handle @CuttliffBlair, has been deleted since the investigation began.
The potential concern arises from a league rule that prohibits referees from publicly commenting on officiating matters without proper authorization. If it is established that Lewis made such statements, disciplinary action could be taken against him.
Eric Lewis, who is currently in his 19th season as an NBA referee, has officiated over 1,100 games and 82 playoff games. He has consistently received high ratings as an official in recent years and has been assigned to six Finals games since 2019. His most recent assignment was Game 1 of the Western Conference finals between the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers on May 16.
The use of burner accounts has been a previous issue in the NBA. In 2018, Bryan Colangelo, then-general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers, resigned after he and his wife were linked to burner accounts that criticized the team's players. Additionally, in 2020, former Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant admitted to using multiple burner accounts to engage with fans who criticized him or his team.
NBA reporter Marc Stein was the first to report the league's investigation into Eric Lewis.
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