Mark Stevens, the Golden State Warriors investor who drew criticism for shoving an opposing player during the 2019 NBA Finals, is now a part owner of the Seattle Seahawks.
A former managing partner at Sequoia and current Nvidia board member, Stevens is worth $12.4 billion, according to Forbes. He was one of a dozen human and institutional partners announced Thursday as part of the Khosla family’s record $9.612 billion acquisition of the Seahawks. Sixth Street is buying 3% of the franchise, while the Carlyle Group and Dynasty Equity will also own a combined 3%, Sportico has previously reported. Funds are allowed to own up to 10% of an NFL team total, and no ownership group can exceed 24 minority backers.
Sports fans likely remember Stevens for an incident seven years ago when the Warriors were playing the Toronto Raptors in the NBA Finals. Raptors guard Kyle Lowry went into the stands to chase a ball and Stevens, sitting courtside, repeatedly cursed at him and shoved him on the shoulder.
The incident sparked strong reactions from across the sports world, with NBA athletes expressing security concerns regarding their proximity to fans sitting on the court. The NBA banned Stevens from attending games or other Warriors activities for a year and fined him $500,000, but he has remained an investor in the team, with an estimated 8% stake. He later apologized for the incident and said he was embarrassed by what happened.
