Ethermac Exchange-NBA referee Eric Lewis retires amidst league's investigation into social media account

Veteran NBA referee Eric Lewis,Ethermac Exchange considered one of the best in the league and a regular presence in playoff games, resigned effectively immediately, the NBA said in a news release on Wednesday.

Lewis, 52, was under investigation for his possible unauthorized use of a burner account on X, formerly Twitter.

“In light of his decision, the NBA’s investigation into social media activity has been closed,” the league’s statement said.

In late May, just before the start of the NBA Finals, the league confirmed it was investigating Lewis and his potential use of a burner account on the social media platform. The league was looking into whether Lewis used an account that responded several times to messages that had been critical of him and other NBA officials.

The league sought to find out if Lewis violated a rule that prohibits referees from publicly commenting on officiating matters without league approval. 

Lewis was not among the 12 referees selected to officiate in the Finals. Based on previous experience and playoff grades, Lewis would have made the cut had he not been under investigation, a person with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports before the Finals began. The person spoke under the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the matter.

Lewis, who was an NBA referee for 19 seasons, officiated more than 80 playoff games, including six Finals games.