Warriors part-owner banned a year, fined $500K for shove

Kyle Lowry #7 of the Toronto Raptors argues with Warriors minority investor Mark Stevens (blue shirt) after Lowry chased down a loose ball in the second half against the Golden State Warriors during Game Three of the 2019 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 05, 2019 in Oakland, California. According to to the Warriors, Stevens will not be in attendance for the remainder of the NBA Finals as they look further into the incident. Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images/AFP

by Jim SLATER

OAKLAND, United States (AFP) — Golden State Warriors investor Mark Stevens was fined $500,000 and banned from NBA games or team activities for a year for shoving and cursing at Toronto guard Kyle Lowry in an NBA Finals game, the league announced Thursday.

But the punishment doesn’t go as far as Lowry wants, the Raptors playmaker saying he wants Stevens out of the league for his actions in Toronto’s 123-109 game-three victory Wednesday.

“A guy like that shouldn’t be part of our league,” Lowry said.

The NBA and club bans were immediate and will last through the 2019-20 playoffs, a league statement said.

Lowry scored 23 points as Toronto seized a 2-1 lead in the series, but it was when he dove after a loose ball on the sideline in the fourth quarter that sparked the incident.

After Lowry tumbled into the courtside seats, he was shoved and cursed at by Stevens, a Silicon Valley venture capitalist sitting in an adjacent seat. Lowry complained to a referee and Stevens was eventually removed.

“He had no reason to touch me,” Lowry said after the game. “He had no reason to reach over two seats and then say some vulgar language to me.”

The NBA issued a statement calling Stevens’ moves “beyond unacceptable” and banned him from NBA games.

The Warriors issued an apology from the club and Stevens, saying they were “extremely disappointed” in his behavior and that he was prohibited from returning to NBA Finals games.

“I think more should be done,” Lowry said. “He’s not a good look for the ownership group they have.

“A guy like that showing his true class, he shouldn’t be part of our league. There’s just no place for that.”

The league has forced out owners before, notably former Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling after racist remarks were made public in 2014. He was banned from the NBA for life and the club was sold to Steve Ballmer.

‘Unbelievable’

Lowry had no idea his aggressive fan was an NBA part-owner.

“I didn’t know it would be as big of a deal as him being a part of the group that writes the checks,” Lowry said. “Unbelievable. Even worse. Even worse. He should understand this is what happens.”

Lowry thanked Warriors players and LeBron James, who all praised Lowry for his composure in handling the incident when he could have responded with force and cursing himself.

“In that situation, I don’t think I could have handled it any better,” Lowry said. “I’m glad I did what I did and I understand that things could have been a lot different if I reacted a different way or put my hands on him or did anything of that nature.

Lowry said he kept his composure by thinking of others after asserting that Stevens had sworn at him several times.

“I hold myself to a high, high standard. And I have to make sure that I uphold that. That’s a big thing for me. Never letting guys like him get under your skin because that’s bull crap.”

Lowry said it might be a situation where a team “owner” saw a player as just another “asset” in an investment.

“Not all of them. But certain ones, yes. And I can say for sure that guy makes me feel like that,” Lowry said. “Mark Stevens makes me feel like he’s one of those guys.”

Lowry was able to hit key shots and keep the Warriors from pulling within seven in the second half despite his anger.

“I was furious. I’m not going to lie,” Lowry said. “I was pretty upset. Marc Gasol kind of came to me and said, ‘Look, come on, we need you, come back, they will handle it.’

Stevens bought into the Warriors in 2013, purchasing the stake in the team that had belonged to Vivek Ranadive.

© Agence France-Presse