The Golden State Warriors barred part-owner Mark Stevens from attending any of the remaining games of the NBA Finals after he was involved in an incident with Toronto’s Kyle Lowry on Wednesday night.
Stevens pushed Lowry after the player dived into the stands chasing a loose ball during Game 3 of the series in Oakland, California. The billionaire venture-capital investor was ejected after the incident.
“Mr. Stevens’s behavior last night did not reflect the high standards that we hope to exemplify as an organization,” the team said in a statement. “We’re extremely disappointed in his actions and, along with Mr. Stevens, offer our sincere apology to Kyle Lowry and the Toronto Raptors.”
The incident looked like an encounter with an ordinary fan, but news site Axios identified the man as Stevens on Thursday morning.
The billionaire was a partner at Sequoia Capital when the firm invested in the likes of Google, LinkedIn and PayPal. He’s now managing partner at S-Cubed Capital, a family office in Menlo Park, California, though he has retained a role at Sequoia as a special limited partner.
The Raptors won the game, 123-109, giving them a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series. The Warriors are vying for their third-straight championship.
‘No Reason’
In a post-game interview, Lowry said he hopes Stevens is never allowed to attend an NBA game again.
“He reached over and put his hands on me for no reason, then he said a couple vulgar words to me, repeatedly,” he said. “In our league, there’s no place for that.”
LeBron James, the biggest star in the NBA, echoed those remarks.
Stevens “himself being a fan but more importantly PART-OWNER of the Warriors knew exactly what he was doing which was so uncalled for,” James said on Instagram. “He knew the rules more than just the average person sitting watching the game courtside so for that something needs to be done ASAP!”