Welp, this is such a 2023 headline. But it’s true, the NBA is investigating a ref having a burner Twitter account.
NBA referee Eric Lewis is facing an investigation by the league over his alleged use of a burner account on social media to defend himself against strangers. The account, which went by the name “Blair Cuttliff” and has since been deleted, garnered attention from fans for its proclivity to defend Lewis and other NBA officials.I f the account is indeed tied to Lewis, he could face disciplinary action. The concern stems from a league rule that prohibits referees from publicly commenting on officiating without prior authorization.
NBA ref Eric Lewis has been outed as having a burner account (@CuttliffBlair). Lmaooo this is a momentous day. The account will surely be deleted soon so for the archives, the entirety of the account’s replies. All involving… yep, Eric Lewis. 😂
(h/t @Mikey_Wyllin) thread 🧵⬇️ pic.twitter.com/6GTvURouOc
— Pablo Escobarner (blue check) (@PabloEscoburner) May 25, 2023
Not Lewis’s First Controversy
In addition to the burner account issue, Lewis found himself in another controversy on social media when an old photo of his family wearing Boston Celtics gear surfaced on Twitter. This raised questions about the unusually high winning percentage of the Celtics in games officiated by Lewis, with the team winning over 60 percent of the time.
One notable incident involving Lewis this season was when he issued a technical foul to then-Los Angeles Lakers guard Patrick Beverley, who grabbed a photographer’s camera to show Lewis evidence of a missed call. The burner account in question had a particular focus on defending Lewis against Lakers fans.
Laughed at me when I grabbed the camera 📷 yea aight 🤦🏾♂️
— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) May 27, 2023
King James Weighs In
Both Beverley and LeBron James, Beverley’s former Lakers teammate, have spoken up about the news surrounding Lewis. Lakers superstar LeBron James took to Twitter with an “eyebrow raise” emoji, suggesting he is skeptical of the allegations.
This Eric Lewis 💩 true??? 🤨
— LeBron James (@KingJames) May 27, 2023
Lewis, who is currently in his 19th season as an NBA referee, has officiated over 1,098 regular season games and 82 playoff games in his career. The NBA has strict rules prohibiting referees from publicly commenting on officiating without prior authorization, and if it is determined that Lewis posted the tweets from the burner account, he could face disciplinary action. The league is reportedly unhappy about the situation and has opened an official investigation into the matter.
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