Ex-NBA Referee Eric Lewis Returns to Officiating Two Years After Investigation

The veteran official will receive a second chance.

Eric Lewis has not officiated in the NBA since 2023. / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

After two years away from the professional game, referee Eric Lewis is back in the NBA officiating fold.

The NBA is reinstating Lewis to its officiating pool with immediate effect, it announced Friday afternoon. Lewis will begin officiating G League games this weekend, and could potentially return as an NBA official.

Lewis, 54, retired in Aug. 2023 amid a highly public investigation into allegations he used a burner account on Twitter. As part of the conditions of his return, Lewis—who has worked in college basketball since his retirement—agreed to take part in the NBA's renewed investigation, undergo social-media use training, and seek stress-management counseling.

"We are confident (Lewis) has learned from that experience and can properly serve the game again," NBA president of league operations Byron Spruell said in a statement via veteran league insider Marc Stein, noting the league found Lewis's actions "did not impact his ability to officiate games fairly and with integrity."

Lewis previously officiated 1,161 regular-season games from 2005 to '23.

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