The Miami Heat have banned Meyers Leonard from the team “indefinitely” after the center used an anti-Semitic slur on a Twitch stream while playing “Call of Duty.”
A video of Leonard circulated Tuesday afternoon, in which Leonard says, “F***ing cowards. Don’t f***ing snipe at me you k*** bi**h.”
Tuesday night, Miami released a statement condemning Leonard’s language.
“The Miami Heat vehemently condemns the use of any form of hate speech,” the statement reads. “The words used by Meyers Leonard were wrong and we will not tolerate hateful language from anyone associated with our franchise. To hear it from a Miami Heat player is especially disappointing and hurtful to all those who work here, as well as the larger South Florida, Miami Heat and NBA communities.
“Meyers Leonard will be away from the team indefinitely. The Miami Heat will cooperate with the NBA while it conducts its investigation.”
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) March 10, 2021
Twitch, the streaming platform, also banned Leonard, saying it does “not allow the use of hateful slurs.”
Leonard apologized Tuesday, saying he didn’t know what the anti-Semitic slur meant. The 29-year-old from Woodbridge, Va., is out for the season after undergoing shoulder surgery in February.
“I am deeply sorry for using an anti-Semitic slur during a livestream yesterday,” Leonard’s statement read. “While I didn’t know what the word meant at the time, my ignorance about its history and how offensive it is to the Jewish community is absolutely not an excuse and I was just wrong.
“I am now more aware of its meaning and I am committed to properly seeking out people who can help educate me about this type of hate and how we can fight it.”
Miami Heat center Meyers Leonard releases statement apologizing for saying anti-Semitic slur on a livestream: pic.twitter.com/AOi7ZE6nCy
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 10, 2021
• Andy Kostka can be reached at akostka@washingtontimes.com.
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