Source: Michael Reaves / Getty
Miami Heat center Meyers Leonard wishes he could hit the reset button on his life right now. The professional baller is in big trouble after he was recorded using an anti-Semitic slur during a Twitch stream.
Keeping it a buck, if you’re an avid gamer, racism while playing games like Call of Duty online should not come as a surprise to you. But it is a pretty big deal when notable people get caught using racial slurs during online matches, and that’s why Meyers Leonard is catching so much heat.
In a video that has surfaced, Leonard can be heard clearly using an alarming term used to degrade Jewish people. In the clip, Leonard says with no hesitation in his voice, “don’t f***** snipe me, you k**e b*tch” while playing Call of Duty.
Leonard’s unsettling comfort while using the slur had many harkening back to when the NBA was still in the safety of the bubble trying to avoid COVID-19. While many of the Black-dominated league’s players kneeled in protest during the national anthem, Leonard was the lone fool on his team to stand for whatever reason. That reason seems to be clearer than ever following the release of the video.
The backlash to the video was swift, and Leonard has already taken a hit in the pockets losing a sponsorship deal with Origin PC, and we won’t be shocked if any other company he is working with does the same.
Leonard has not issued a statement or apology via the Apple Notes app. The Miami Heat are currently looking into the matter. Leonard isn’t the first notable white gamer to get caught saying some problematic things. Professional Gamer Ninja got caught “accidentally” using the n-word during one of his streams. Incredibly, he has only gotten bigger in the industry following the incident.
*Update*
Following the immediate backlash after a video surfaced of him using an anti-Semitic slur, Meyers Leonard has issued a statement/apology via the Apple Notes app as we predicted, and it’s as empty as we expected it to be.
Shared on his Instagram account with no caption, Leonard began his statement saying he was “deeply sorry for using an anti-Semitic slur during a live stream yesterday.” In the same breath, he followed his apology by claiming he “didn’t know what the word meant at the time,” putting the blame on his “ignorance about its history and how offensive it is to the Jewish community,” before just admitting to being wrong.
Leonard also apologized to the Miami Heat’s owner Mickey Arison, his teammates, coaches, and everyone associated with the NBA franchise.
The apology didn’t stop the Miami Heat from taking serious actions condemning Leonard’s use of the slur and announcing he will be away from the team indefinitely in a statement.
“The Miami Heat vehemently condemns the use of any form of hate speech,” the team’s statement begins. “The words used by Meyers Leonard were wrong, and we will not tolerate hateful language from anyone associated with our franchise.”
“Meyers Leonard will be away from the team indefinitely. The Miami Heat will cooperate with the NBA while it conducts its investigation,” the team says at the end of its statement.
Welp.
You can peep the social media reactions to Miles Leonard and his use of an anti-Semitic slur in the gallery below.
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Photo: Michael Reaves / Getty
1.
Lol, pretty accurate.
2.
Tears.
3.
Juicy!
4.
Oh, the accuracy.
5.
Immediately.
6.
Pretty much.
7.
We definitely have a good idea.
8.
Crystal clear 4K.
9.
10.
Yup.