When Kyle Lowry dove into the crowd and got pushed by someone sitting courtside, it seemed like a big deal.
But the incident only escalates now that the pusher has been identified as Warriors minority owner Mark Stevens.
Warriors statement:Mr. Stevens’ behavior last night did not reflect the high standards that we hope to exemplify as an organization. We’re extremely disappointed in his actions and, along with Mr. Stevens, offer our sincere apology to Kyle Lowry and the Toronto Raptors organization for this unfortunate misconduct. There is no place for such interaction between fans—or anyone—and players at an NBA game.
Mr. Stevens will not be in attendance at any of the remaining games of the 2019 NBA Finals. Review of this matter is ongoing.
Stevens is one of four people listed below Joe Lacob (owner and CEO) and Peter Guber (owner) on the Warriors’ executive board.
Lowry landed on a fan a couple seats down from Stevens. Stevens tried to use the chaos of the situation to take a cheap shot at the Raptors guard. It’s completely unacceptable.
Stevens has much more to lose than a typical fan. Will his punishment end at missing the rest of the NBA Finals? Golden State says the league is still investigating. He could be banned from games next season and beyond. There are also questions whether he’ll be permitted to keep his shares of the franchise.
Ultimately, that will probably depend on player and public response. If this generates enough outrage that it threatens the bottom line, the league will likely act. Otherwise, remember NBA commissioner Adam Silver works for the owners – including Stevens.