This week, the NBA announced its referees for the 2023 NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets.
Scott Foster approaches his 16th Finals while Tony Brothers and Marc Davis will each be officiating in their 12th Finals.
The most notable name missing is Eric Lewis after he became a regular on the Finals crew since making his first appearance in 2019.
The reason is clear after the league opened an investigation after Lewis allegedly maintained a burner account on social media. Multiple reports state the referee allegedly posted under the username “Blair Cuttliff” and defended calls made by himself and other officials. Refs are prohibited from commenting on individual decisions without authorization.
The league has not revealed a timetable for the completion of its probe into whether Lewis used the Twitter account. It also remains unknown what discipline from the league Lewis could face if they determine the account belongs to him.
Meadowlark Media’s Tom Haberstroh noted that Lewis will be missing out on the pay bonus referees receive when they’re selected for Finals duty.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NBA stories via Google! Follow Us
Lewis has worked more than 1,200 games, counting both the regular season and playoffs, in 19 seasons as an NBA referee.
He last worked on May 16, when Denver played host to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.
This looming decision could cost him his entire career.
