0
SAN FRANCISCO, CA – MAY 4: Referee Eric Lewis #42 looks on during the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors during the Western Conference Semi Finals of the 2023 NBA Playoffs on May 4, 2023 at Chase Center in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images)
Veteran National Basketball Association referee Eric Lewis has officially retired from the league following an investigation into an alleged Twitter burner account he used to respond to criticisms of himself and other officials.
Still, NBA officials are not allowed to comment publicly on their officiating without consent from the league.
When news of Lewis’ alleged activity made it to social media, some NBA players took the opportunity to air their grievances, specifically Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, who had many run-ins with the referee throughout the season.
This Eric Lewis 💩 true??? 🤨
Lewis is not the first league official to have his integrity called into question. Former NBA referee Tim Donaghy was revealed to have bet on games he officiated. An FBI probe into his actions found that he made calls to affect the overall point spread and took money from gamblers for inside tips on games and players; he would later serve 11 months of a 15-month prison sentence for his crimes. Donaghy said the league would demand referees give preferential treatment to its superstars in the Netflix documentary Operation Flagrant Foul. “When (commissioner) David Stern structured the league, we as officials knew that it was better to treat the star players better than others,” he said. “I just wanted to be the best referee and advance up the ladder, and I saw the way guys that were in the NBA Finals handled the game. They didn’t call fouls against the stars, and they were well respected.”
RELATED CONTENT: NBA Champ Robert Horry Ejected From Son’s Basketball Game After Screaming at Referee
Source: Black Enterprise