MIAMI Heat’s Meyers Leonard has been fined $50,000 after shouting an anti-Semitic remark in a Twitch livestream. The player has also been suspended from all Heat facilities and team activities for one week. Leonard made a vile comment during a Call of Duty game on Twitch on Monday night – and though he issued an apology for […]
MIAMI Heat’s Meyers Leonard has been fined $50,000 after shouting an anti-Semitic remark in a Twitch livestream.
The player has also been suspended from all Heat facilities and team activities for one week.
Leonard made a vile comment during a Call of Duty game on Twitch on Monday night – and though he issued an apology for his “ignorance,” his team announced today he won’t be playing “indefinitely.”
Footage heard the 29-year-old reportedly saying: “F**king coward. Don’t f**king snipe me, you f**king k**e b***h.”
Leonard said on Wednesday in a statement posted to Instagram: “I’m deeply sorry for using an anti-Semitic slur during a livestream yesterday.
“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.”
But less than 24 hours later, chiefs at Miami Heat hit out at the player in a social media post of their own – and say they “vehemently condemn the use of any form of hate speech.”
“Meyers Leonard will be away from the team indefinitely,” they said.
“The Miami Heat will cooperate with the NBA while it conducts its investigation.”
An NBA spokesman said the league “unequivocally condemns” hate speech and said they were gathering information.
Controversy over the comments grew on Tuesday after a clip from the Call Of Duty: Warzone Twitch stream began to widely circulate on social media.
Leonard made his NBA debut in 2012, after being drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers.
He was traded to the Miami Heat in 2019 and is currently out injured after undergoing shoulder surgery last month.
He is known to be an avid online gamer and has tens of thousands of followers on the Twitch platform.
Some of his sponsors have announced they’ll “cut ties” with him since the scandal, including e-sports organisation FaZe Clan and a number of other gaming companies, including Astro Gaming and Origin PC.
