GSW investor bans 1 year after pushing Lowry

The NBA banned investor Mark Stevens from the Golden State Warriors for one season and fined him $ 500,000 after the team's top executive shoved Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry , and cursed him several times in the third game of the NBA Finals at Oracle Arena.

The ban takes effect immediately and includes all activities of the Warriors team. It will continue until the 2019-2020 season and the playoffs, the league announced Thursday.

"A representative of the team should be held at the highest level possible, and the conduct of the Golden State Warriors investor, Mark Stevens, last night was unacceptable and has no place in our league "said the league in a statement. "As the review of this case continues, Mr. Stevens will not be allowed to attend NBA games."

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Stevens, who was sitting on the court Wednesday night, was sent off early in the fourth quarter for pushing Lowry after the guard crashed into a row of seats while he was trying to save a goal ball.

Lowry confirmed Thursday that Stevens, 59, had also directed obscene language on "several occasions" during the incident.

"It does not look good for the property group that they have," Lowry said before announcing the ban. "… a guy like that, showing his true class, he should not be part of our league, there is no room for that."

Lowry said later: "I was furious, I will not lie."

Stevens apologized in a statement released Thursday night and said he fully accepted the punishment of the league and the Warriors.

"I take full responsibility for my actions last night at the NBA finals and I am embarrassed by what happened," he said. "What I did is wrong and there is no excuse for that, Mr. Lowry deserves better, and I reached out today to try to apologize directly to him, as well as to other members of the Raptors and Warriors organizations, I thank them for that, and I hope that Mr. Lowry and others affected by this misunderstanding understand that the behavior I showed last night does not reflect the person that i am or have been throughout my life.I have made a mistake and i am really sorry.I must be better and i can not wait to remedy the situation.J & # 39; fully accepts the punishment inflicted by the NBA and the Warriors. "

Adam Silver, commissioner of the NBA, said that immediately after the incident, the league investigators had spoken to Warriors and the security of the NBA, had questioned Stevens to collect his testimony, gathered the entire video, interviewed some of the people sitting nearby and talked to Lowry after. the game.

After gathering the facts, Silver said, the final decision came from discussions between the league office and the Warriors.

When asked why Stevens was not banned for life, Silver said, "I think we recognize that it's not a science to make those decisions. we felt that, given Mr. Stevens' degree of contravention, the fact that he was extraordinarily sorry, the fact that he had no blemish on his previous involvement with the NBA or the Warriors, that a ban a year seemed appropriate with the fine.

"But he made a mistake in my mind and paid a very high price for it."

Prior to the NBA's decision, the Warriors issued a statement Thursday condemning Stevens' actions and stating that he would not be present for the rest of the NBA finals. The team went on to say that Stevens, who appears in the media guide of the team on the Warriors board, would be suspended from all team activities during the investigation.

"The behavior of Mr. Stevens last night did not reflect the high standards we hope to illustrate as an organization," said the Warriors in their statement. "We are extremely disappointed with his actions and, with Mr. Stevens, sincerely apologize to Kyle Lowry and the Toronto Raptors for this unfortunate mistake – there is no room for such interaction between fans – or whoever it is – the players at an NBA game. "

Lowry said Stevens did not personally contact him, but he was grateful to the league for his "strengthening" and organizing the Warriors for his apology.

"I do not think there's any reason," Lowry said. "For me personally, I do not know him, I do not care to know him, he showed his true colors at the time, a guy like that should not be part of our league, be honest with you. Is my personal opinion "

The Warrior coach, Steve Kerr, said Thursday that he had seen the "concussion" in Game 3 – but had not seen the actual thrust – and would personally apologize to of Lowry and the Raptors.

"It's unacceptable," Kerr said of Stevens' actions, which became the main story of the day off between games 3 and 4. Toronto leads the series 2 to 1 after the 123-109 win Raptors Wednesday. The Warriors will host the fourth game on Friday (at 9:00 pm, ABC, ABC).

"It's a shame that this has to be one of the finals," Lowry said. "The finals were fun and the finals were competitive, so it's really bad that you have to participate and be part of it."

The incident, which occurred not far from Warrior owner Joe Lacob, occurred when Lowry, who was chasing a ball, struck the ball to a referee and landed on the knees of a male fan, who seemed to seize Lowry's jersey with both hands. A woman standing nearby patted Lowry on her back. At the same moment, Stevens, who was sitting, extended his left arm and gave Lowry a strong push on his left shoulder.

Lowry has risen and complained to the officials, who kicked Stevens out of the match. After the match, before Stevens was identified as the man who pushed him, Lowry said the fan that pushed him should be banned "forever" from NBA games.

"As I said last night, there is no room in our game for this," Lowry said Thursday. "In this situation, I do not think I could have handled it better, I understand that things would have been very different if I had reacted differently – if I did something or put my hands on it. [on him] or do something of that nature. "

Warrior star Stephen Curry said the incident could have been "much worse" and that Lowry deserves to be commended for handling the situation appropriately.

"Obviously, a regrettable situation around us," Curry said Thursday. "Thank Kyle for the way he has handled the situation – a lot of different reactions you could have had – he handled the situation properly.

"… you do not want to see this in our game. Hope this does not happen.I do not think it reflects the way we handle business here.As a Warriors organization, franchise we have a high level and do things with class and professionalism.I know Mark apologizes and everything else, but we will handle this situation. "

The Los Angeles Lakers star, LeBron James, who watched the game on television, said Thursday on Instagram that he "could not and would not remain silent about it" and that Stevens "knew the rules more than just the person sitting watching the game on the court. "

The National Basketball Players Association issued a statement in which it stated that it was monitoring the league and the Warriors' investigations and that it was "eagerly awaiting" a resolution.

"The NBPA has already expressed support for a" zero tolerance policy "regarding verbal and / or physical aggression against players," said Executive Director Michele Roberts in her statement. "Stevens' status as a member of the property group does not change that view."

Stevens was a partner of Lacob as a venture capitalist at Sequoia Capital, which helped finance companies such as Google and PayPal. It is unclear how important his involvement in the Warriors is.

"[I] understand that there are a lot of fans and kids watching this game, "said Lowry.I understand that I have two young children, [and have] to be able to stay at a certain level – that I stand at a high level. I have to make sure I maintain that … [and] never let guys like him get under the skin. It's hogwash. "

Associated Press contributed to this report.