The NBA opened an investigation into 19-year referee Eric Lewis over allegations he used a Twitter account to respond to posts about officiating and defend himself and other officials, league sources confirmed to ESPN.

NBA insider Marc Stein also reported about the investigation Friday.

Lewis can face potential discipline if the investigation confirms he was behind statements made on the account, as referees aren’t allowed to publicly comment on officiating without permission.

 

The veteran official made headlines in January when his crew acknowledged it missed a foul call in a contest between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics that would’ve sent LeBron James to the free-throw line for the potential game-winner. Instead, the Celtics won the contest 125-121 in overtime.

James tweeted about the Lewis situation Saturday.

Lewis has officiated over 1,100 games and 82 playoff contests. He’s been assigned to six NBA Finals games since 2019. The last matchup he officiated was Game 1 of the Western Conference finals between the Denver Nuggets and Lakers on May 16.

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