Orlando, Fla. — Eric Lewis, the longtime NBA referee who retired in August 2023 following a social-media investigation, has been reinstated to the league’s officiating program and will resume work Friday in the NBA G League.
Lewis, 54, is set to call the Winter Showcase matchup between the Osceola Magic and the Noblesville Boom at 6 p.m. ET at the Orange County Convention Center. The assignment marks his first professional game since stepping down after 19 NBA seasons.
Conditions for reinstatement
The league approved Lewis’s return after he completed stress-management counseling and training on responsible social-media use. NBA president of league operations Byron Spruell said the process mirrors the protocol for any official coming back from an extended absence.
“He made a mistake, and he owned it,” Spruell noted, calling the path “progressive rather than punitive.” Spruell added that if Lewis performs well in the G League, he could work select NBA regular-season games later this season and be considered for a full-time comeback in 2026-27.
Background of the investigation
The NBA opened an inquiry in May 2023 into a since-deleted Twitter account, “@CuttliffBlair,” that routinely defended league officials. Investigators determined the burner account belonged to Lewis, leading to his retirement on Aug. 30, 2023. The veteran referee was omitted from the 2023 NBA Finals after having worked the previous four championship series.
“It started very small and got out of hand,” Lewis said of the account. “I’m very apologetic to my family and to the league. This won’t happen again.”
Path since leaving the NBA
During his time away, Lewis stayed active by training officials in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference and working as a referee in the Atlantic Coast Conference. He plans to continue calling ACC games while handling G League duties.
Lewis’s résumé includes 1,161 regular-season contests, 91 playoff games and six NBA Finals. Before joining the NBA, the former Bethune-Cookman guard spent three seasons in the league’s developmental circuit, now the G League.
“I’m excited about earning people’s trust back,” Lewis said. “Getting back into that environment feels like returning to a big part of my life.”
Source: ESPN
