Author: Monojit Mandal
The National Basketball Association (NBA) has opened a formal investigation into the conduct of veteran referee Eric Lewis in relation to a now-deleted Twitter account. Lewis and other NBA referees were defended by the account, which had the pseudonym “Blair Cuttliff”, who routinely reacted to publications about league refereeing. Lewis could be punished if it is discovered that he was the person who tweeted about the referees’ choices without proper authorization.
When a photo surfaced of Lewis’ wife and children wearing Boston Celtics jerseys, suspicions about him began to grow. Due to the fact that Lewis refereed a game between the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers earlier this year, this information alarmed NBA fans on Twitter. LeBron James and Jayson Tatum of the Celtics were involved in a controversial missed foul call during the game, which angered the Lakers players and fans.
James immediately addressed the developing scenario on his Twitter account when the news broke on Saturday, challenging the veracity of the accusations against Lewis. Patrick Beverley, his former teammate who had played with Lewis in the same match, did the same. When Beverley entered the court with a camera to show the incorrect call, she received a technical foul.
Lewis’ Twitter account was deleted after it became public, but was resurrected under the guise of Mark, the brother Lewis claims to have. The league’s investigation will carefully examine the situation in light of the ongoing playoffs to see if Lewis was really managing the account or if his defense has any substance.
This episode serves as a reminder of the underlying problems in the arbitration system and how prejudices can persist in some situations. Regardless of the consequences, it shows how important it is for the NBA to solve these problems and work towards impartial refereeing.
It’s important to note that this isn’t the first time that burner accounts have caused controversy in the NBA. Bryan Colangelo, the general manager of the Philadelphia 76ers, resigned in 2018 after he and his wife were linked to burner accounts that criticized the team’s players. Similarly, Kevin Durant acknowledged in 2020 that he used many burner identities to connect with fans who criticized him or his team.