Warriors investor fined, banned from NBA for shoving Raptor Kyle Lowry

The NBA has banned Golden State Warriors investor Mark Stevens from attending games and any team activities for one year, and has fined him $500,000 for shoving Toronto guard Kyle Lowry during Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night.

Stevens’ ban is effective immediately and will carry through the entire 2019-20 season, including the playoffs.

#NBA commissioner Adam Silver on Golden State Warriors minority owner Mark Stevens actions against #Raptors Lowry in game 3 @CityNews @Sportsnet #NBAFinals pic.twitter.com/WLN1KT6LHU

— Lindsay Dunn (@LindsayDunnTV) June 6, 2019

The NBA says its investigation found that Stevens pushed and directed obscene language toward Lowry.

Lowry says Stevens is “not a good look for the ownership group that they have” with Golden State. He’s also thankful for the support he’s gotten from other NBA players, including LeBron James and Warriors guard Steph Curry.

Curry called it an “unfortunate situation all the way around” and that Lowry “handled it correctly.” Curry adds that he does not know Stevens and that his actions do not represent the way Warriors conduct themselves. The star guard adds that it’s important to have “respect for the game all the way around – fans, owners, team, players, coaches, everybody – because there’s so much good happening on the court.”

Golden State coach Steve Kerr also apologized to Lowry and the Raptors. The Warriors organization did the same earlier Thursday.

The Warriors have released a statement about last night’s incident involving Warriors investor Mark Stevens shoving Kyle Lowry, which includes an apology from the organization and says the investigation is ongoing: pic.twitter.com/E8OQN3GPOC

— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) June 6, 2019

The word I'm getting: Warriors part-owner Mark Stevens, who shoved Kyle Lowry last night, will be making a public apology and providing a donation to Kyle's "Lowry Love Foundation."

But, that said, Stevens has yet to reach out to Lowry in the aftermath of the incident.

— Arash Madani (@ArashMadani) June 6, 2019

With 10 minutes left in the game, Lowry ran down a loose ball and jumped in the air as it was going out of bounds, not far from where Warriors owner Joe Lacob was sitting. Lowry knocked the ball into a referee and landed in the lap of one male fan who appeared to grab Lowry’s jersey with two hands.

A female who was standing nearby patted the veteran guard on his back. At the same time, a man wearing a blue shirt who was sitting down — now identified as Stevens — extended his left arm and gave Lowry a hard shove in his left shoulder.

A #Warriors fan got ejected during Game 3 for pushing Kyle Lowry ⬇️#NBAFinals | #WeTheNorth pic.twitter.com/xWfEu4gRaj

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 6, 2019

Lowry got up and complained to officials, although nothing further happened.

“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. There’s no place for people like that in our league, and hopefully he never comes back to an NBA game.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByX_076gKD3/?igshid=nkuq9xhvjljl

Warriors spokesman Raymond Ridder and security officials confirmed the fan who shoved Lowry was ejected and escorted from Oracle Arena.

With files from the Associated Press