Warriors and NBA Announce 1-Year Ban and $500K Fine for Mark Stevens for Shoving Kyle Lowry

The NBA Finals shifted to the Bay Area in a 1-1 series tie heading in to Game 3 at the Oracle Arena. The Toronto Raptors rose to the occasion, winning the game on the road over the Golden State Warriors to take a 2-1 series lead.

During the game, however, Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry dove into the stands, only to be pushed away from two seats over by a Warriors "fan" who turned out to be Mark Stevens, a venture capitalist and investor in the team. Now, after much furor over what an appropriate punishment for Stevens would look like, the NBA and the Warriors have issued a joint statement laying it all down definitively.

Stevens has been fined for $500,000 for his actions in the fourth quarter of Game 3, as well banned from all NBA games and Warriors team activities for one year. As well as shoving Lowry, he also yelled vulgar language at the Toronto All-Star.

Regardless of Stevens' actions, the Dubs still have a series to win, and they currently find themselves trailing. With so many injuries to overcome, and questions surrounding Kevin Durant's health, having to deal with this embarrassing distraction doesn't help matters. As for the Raptors, they look as dangerous as ever, and there's suddenly one more reason to rally around Kyle Lowry on basketball's biggest stage.