AP Photo/Tony Avelar
NBA fans were vocal on Twitter about Warriors minority owner Mark Stevens after he shoved Kyle Lowry during Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
- Mark Stevens, a billionaire venture capitalist who is also a minority owner of the Golden State Warriors, shoved Kyle Lowry during Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
- Before Stevens was identified, Lowry called for the fan to be barred from ever attending an NBA game again.
- On Twitter, NBA fans and reporters alike called for Stevens to be forced to give up his stake in the Warriors and barred from games.
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Game 3 of the NBA Finals came to an abrupt momentary stop early in the fourth quarter on Wednesday night after a fan sitting courtside shoved Kyle Lowry, who had leaped into the crowd to chase after a loose ball.
On Thursday, Axios reported the fan who shoved Lowry was Mark Stevens - a billionaire venture capitalist who also owns a minority stake in the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors later confirmed his identity.
Before the identity of the fan was known, Lowry had already called for him to be barred from NBA games for life. When it was revealed that it was Stevens, a minority owner of the Warriors and thus a representative of the league, who had be involved in the interaction, calls for more aggressive measures were made.
LeBron James posted on Instagram that "swift action" needed to be taken regarding Stevens' relationship with the team, adding that there is no place in the league for such behavior in the league.
On Twitter, reporters and NBA fans alike voiced their opinion, calling on Stevens to sell his stake in the team.
The NBA and the Warriors both put out statements indicated that Stevens would not be attending any games for the rest of the 2019 NBA Finals and that the matter was still under further review.
According to NBC News media reporter Dylan Byers, people inside the Warriors organization believe he will be forced to sell his stake before the start of the next NBA season.
Game 4 of the NBA Finals is set for Friday in Golden State, with Toronto currently holding a 2-1 lead and hoping to win their first championship in franchise history.
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If Kyle Lowry walked into Mark Stevens's office and shoved him he would be arrested. https://t.co/BzjB13s6us
- Nathaniel Friedman (@freedarko) June 6, 2019Mark Stevens needs to immediately lose his ownership rights and be permanently banned from attending @NBA games. Nobody should ever do what he did, and that is especially true for an "owner." #NBAFinals https://t.co/hBmG0VvWVT
- Robert Michael Murray 🦖 (@rmmageddon) June 6, 2019Mark Stevens should give up his stake in the team and be banned from NBA games https://t.co/nIuMnPOoRN
- Andrew Joseph (@AndyJ0seph) June 6, 2019So Mark Stevens is the guy who pushed Kyle Lowry.
Make him sell his Warriors shares. Ban him from all Warriors/NBA games for life.
If Kyle Lowry puts hands on him...he's a whisper in the wind. You would never hear from Lowry again.
Adam Silver has to fix this.
- Arlington Lane II (@TheATrainSTL) June 6, 2019As minority owner of the Warriors, Mark Stevens should have to sell his stake. Imagine if the Waltons walked into a dollar store and shoved an employee.
- Jon Strait (@JonStrait) June 6, 2019This Mark Stevens guy who pushed @Klow7 during last nights game needs to lose his ownership stake in the @warriors
- Zach Prinz (@zprinz92) June 6, 2019I think that @NBA should force Mark Stevens to sell his stake in the @warriors, for what he paid for it, for making contact with an opposing player. If @mcuban had done this they would have drawn and quartered him already. Missing rest of series is a slap on the wrist #NBAFinals
- DMaver (@dpmaver) June 6, 2019Mark Stevens https://t.co/4p4yJcxPZr pic.twitter.com/1RAJZkrwMZ
- Stri:(a (@StrikaNation24_) June 6, 2019