You’d think the Mark Stevens shoving Kyle Lowry incident would be enough courtside drama for one night, but there was a whole other incident at the NBA Finals game on Wednesday, involving both Beyoncé and the family of a different Warriors owner.
What happened: Nicole Curran, the wife of Golden State Warriors owner Joe Lacob, was sitting next to Beyoncé and leaned over to talk to Jay-Z. Per ESPN, after Beyoncé appeared on TV to be slightly less than pleased with the encounter, people online started directing hate and even death threats Curran's way.
Joe McLean is the premier wealth manager of the NBA's richest stars. He also has clients in the NFL and MLB, but the "gobs are the biggest in the NBA," writes NYT's Devin Gordon.
What he does: As Managing Partner at Intersect Capital, McLean's job is not to negotiate his clients' contracts (that's the job of an agent), but to "grow every dollar that comes in and track every dollar that goes out."
After he pushed Toronto Raptors player Kyle Lowry during Game 3 of the finals, the NBA announced Golden State Warriors minority owner Mark Stevens will be banned from future games for 1 year, and forced to pay a $500,000 fine, reports AP.
Details: Stevens is banned from all NBA games during the 2019-2020 season, the playoffs and any Warriors team activities, per AP. The penalty comes after the NBA confirmed it was Stevens who pushed Lowry, and that he used obscene language.
The person who pushed Toronto Raptors player Kyle Lowry at last night's NBA Finals game was not just any fan, but venture capitalist — and part Warriors owner — Mark Stevens, multiple sources confirmed to Axios.
Why it matters: The fact it wasn't just a fan but someone tied to the Warriors significantly ups the stakes.
Thanks to the success of the Golden State Warriors, I've been able to attend the NBA Finals the past several years to check out the latest and greatest tech trend or gimmick.
Background: Over the years I've seen everything from 360-degree replays to Facebook Messenger bots. Virtual reality has been a frequent area of interest, but it was less so this year. (There's no live broadcast, but NextVR is doing next-day highlights.)
Illinois passed a sports betting bill over the weekend that includes mobile betting, in-venue kiosks and, most notably, a mandate that operators use official league data for in-play and prop bets.
Details: Casinos, racetracks and other brick-and-mortar venues can offer mobile betting right away, while online-only operators like DraftKings and FanDuel must wait 18 months before entering the market. Large venues like Soldier Field and Wrigley Field would be able to apply for licenses to add on-site betting kiosks.
