In one of the most 2023 stories possible, longtime NBA referee Eric Lewis — known to Laker fans for some recent controversial calls last season — announced his retirement on Wednesday.
The NBA quietly announced the retirement of longtime NBA referee Eric Lewis on Wednesday. Lewis came under scrutiny when an investigation was launched during the NBA playoffs when a potential burner account on Twitter was linked to him.
As a result, Lewis did not officiate a Finals game for the first time in five years as the league looked into the situation. With his retirement on Wednesday, the league closed the investigation into him.
NBA referee Eric Lewis is retiring in the aftermath of his social media activity. pic.twitter.com/i1z5H9oLle
— Chris Haynes (@ChrisBHaynes) August 30, 2023
Lakers fans will remember Lewis most recently as one of the officials in the Lakers game in Boston this season, a game the Lakers lost after one of the more egregious non-calls ever on LeBron James.
After that call, Patrick Beverley delivered his greatest contribution as a Laker in which he took a camera to the officials to show them they missed the play. The official he showed the camera to was Lewis.
Later on in the season, fans discovered a burner account on Twitter that looked an awful lot like it belonged to Lewis. The account was used to defend himself and fellow NBA officials, and it was some pretty damning evidence.
The investigation also caught the eye of LeBron James. As fans started unearthing the burner and its numerous replies, LeBron tweeted about the situation as well.
Unfortunately, it certainly appears we’re not going to get any results from the investigation. With the league’s decision to close the investigation with Lewis’ retirement, it’s incredibly unlikely we’ll know their findings.
If you wanted to read more into this and suggest that his retirement came with the guarantee of the investigation closing, I wouldn’t blame you. That part is speculation, but it’s fair speculation.
Nonetheless, this brings an end to a really odd and bizarre situation that could only exist in 2023.
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude.