Kyle Lowry explained how he kept his cool after Mark Stevens shoved him and said there is no place in the NBA for people like him

Ben Margot/AP

Golden State Warriors minority owner Mark Stevens shoved Kyle Lowry during Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
The NBA and Warriors later barred Stevens for one season and fined him $500,000.
After the incident, Lowry said there is no place for Stevens in the NBA and called him a bad look for the Warriors ownership group.
Lowry also explained why he didn’t retaliate to Stevens’ shove, saying he wanted to set an example for his own children and other fans of the league.
Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.

Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry said there is no place in the NBA for Mark Stevens’ behavior after being shoved by the Golden State Warriors minority owner during Game 3 of the NBA Finals.

Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Lowry thanked the Warriors and the NBA for their response to Stevens. The Warriors initially barred Stevens from attending any more Finals games. The NBA and Warriors later jointly announced that Stevens would be suspended for one season and fined $500,000.

"It’s just what our league is about, protecting the players," Lowry said. "Like I said last night, there’s no room in our game for that."

Lowry confirmed reports that Stevens also cursed him out, repeatedly telling him to "go f— yourself."

Tony Avelar/AP"He’s not a good look for the ownership group that they have," Lowry said. "I know [Warriors majority owner] Joe Lacob. Those guys are great guys. The ownership that they have that I know, they’re unbelievable guys. But a guy like [Stevens] showing his true class — he shouldn’t be a part of our league."

Lowry said he didn’t think he could have handled the situation any better than he did. Asked how he kept his composure at the moment, Lowry said he wanted to set an example for his own kids and other kids watching.

"Understanding at the moment that my team needed me. Understanding that there are plenty of fans and kids in the world watching this game. And me, being a grown man and having kids myself, and I’m a grown man, my kids could always go back and see that … Understanding that I have two young children. To be able to hold myself to a certain standard — which I do, I hold myself to a high, high standard — I gotta make sure that I uphold that.

"That’s a big thing for me, is being a guy that upholds himself to a high standard and never letting guys like [Stevens] get under your skin."

Lowry called Stevens’ behavior "bullcrap" and admitted that if the same situation took place in a different setting, he may have reacted differently.

"Things could have been a lot different if I reacted in a different way, or did something different, or put hands on him, or did anything of that nature," Lowry said.

Warriors players and coaches on Thursday commended Lowry’s handling of the situation and apologized for Stevens’ behavior. Some in the NBA world, like LeBron James, have called for more severe punishment for Stevens. One report said Stevens may be forced to sell his stake in the team.

Game 4 is in Oakland on Friday. Stevens will not be in attendance.

NOW WATCH: The world’s tallest mountains like Mount Everest and K2 have a ‘death zone’ — here’s a first-hand account of what it’s like