The NBA has officially decided on the punishment for Golden State Warriors minority owner Mark Stevens for pushing Kyle Lowry.
During game three of the NBA finals, the Raptors star went into the crowd during a hustle play and Stevens gave him a little push.
Here’s the fan that gave Kyle Lowry a bit of a push that had Lowry frustrated pic.twitter.com/A41HCGdMAY
— Board Man Gets Paid (@cjzero) June 6, 2019
The league announced late Thursday afternoon that Stevens would be fined $500,000 for his actions and wouldn’t be allowed to participate in NBA activities through the conclusion of the next season.
Mark Stevens banned one year and fined $500,000 pic.twitter.com/etxoHobIxB
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) June 6, 2019
All things considered, this seems like a fair enough punishment for Stevens. There’s never an excuse to touch an athlete during a game. There just isn’t. Outside of an all-out riot where you have to defend yourself, you shouldn’t ever be touching players. (RELATED: Golden State Warriors Fan Shoves Toronto Raptors Guard Kyle Lowry)
Having said that, Stevens didn’t right hook Lowry. He gave him a shove, which is still wildly inappropriate and unacceptable.
A one-year ban and a fine of $500,000 seems like a very appropriate response. The money will mean nothing to Stevens, but I imagine the year-long suspension certainly will.
Kyle Lowry weighs in on the fan who was ejected for shoving the Raptors’ point guard. pic.twitter.com/NamNOpbEZ3
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) June 6, 2019
The league had to do something. They just had to. You can’t let anybody, especially an opposing owner, ever make contact with a player.
However, the people out there demanding he be forced to sell his part of the Warriors are absolute clowns. Again, he didn’t punch him. He gave him a little shove in the heat of the moment.
Stevens deserved to be punished, and I think the NBA did a nice job of finding where the appropriate line was for this call.
