Eric Lewis grabbed the attention of several media outlets and the hatred of fans during his career as an NBA official. For nearly two decades, the 52-year-old served under the league and transitioned into a mainstay among the group of referees that we are familiar with today. However, he was never well-received by the league and often got called out for the silliest calls.
If there is one player that did not stand Lewis’ calls, it would be LeBron James. During the 2022-23 season, the Los Angeles Lakers were paired against the Boston Celtics. The game already had a series of questionable calls from Lewis but one particular foul had James completely frustrated. Not only James but even Patrick Beverley did not like the call. Beverley went to the extent of showing images from a courtside cameraman.
Similarly, Eric Lewis had himself involved in a series of unusual events. Either way, his work was massively appreciated by the league which he why they let him stick around for this long. Lewis started his career as an official well over 20 years ago. He worked at the high school level and eventually made his way to college tournaments. Lewis entered the NBA G League in 2004 and moved to the main stage in 2005.
Eric Lewis’ average income was $550,000 per year
There isn’t any proper or official information available on this matter. When it comes to referees, the NBA usually keeps things very discreet. However, the average income of an NBA official is estimated to be around $400,000 to $500,000 per year. This has been reported by several sports news sites as well. Eric Lewis was said to have earned a salary of $550,000 per year. Some sources claim he was one of the highest-paid officials around.
It is hard to pinpoint exactly how much Lewis would’ve earned throughout 19 seasons. This is solely because the NBA salaries that were handed out during the earlier 2000s were probably significantly lower than what it is today. However, sources claim that Lewis has an estimated net worth of $5 million (USD). He announced his retirement months after the conclusion of the 2022-23 season.
NBA referee Eric Lewis has retired pic.twitter.com/vwCqao6tJr
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 30, 2023
Eric Lewis was involved in an investigation over a then-Twitter account that defended him and other officials. The league dropped the investigation shortly after he decided to retire. However, Eric was previously involved in a controversy after a picture of his family wearing Celtics merchandise went viral. Oddly enough, the Celtics have had a very successful run with him as an official. This led fans and experts to wonder if he ever tampered with games.