Meyers Leonard.Photo: Michael Reaves/Getty Images
The NBA fined Miami Heat centerMeyers Leonard$50,000 for using a racial slur while hosting a video game stream on Monday.
Leonard, 29, was recorded using an anti-Semitic slur during a live broadcast ofCall of Dutyon the streaming platform, Twitch. A clip of the incident went viral on social media Tuesday and drew swift condemnation from theAnti-Defamation Leagueandthe Heat.
New England Patriots starJulian Edelman, who is Jewish, published anopen letter about the incident to Leonard on Wednesday.
“Meyers Leonard’s comment was inexcusable and hurtful and such an offensive term has no place in the NBA or in our society. Yesterday, he spoke to representatives of the Anti-Defamation League to better understand the impact of his words and we accept that he is genuinely remorseful,” Silver said in the statement.
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Leonard has so far missed most of the 2020-21 season and is expected not to see playing time until next year after undergoing shoulder surgery.
After the clip from Leonard’s gaming stream went viral, he issued an apology on hisInstagrampage.
“I am deeply sorry for using the anti-Semitic slur during a livestream yesterday,” he wrote. “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,” Leonard continued, in part.
Leonard isn’t the only professional to have sparked criticism for their behavior during a gaming broadcast in recent months.
Racecar driverKyle Larsonused the N-word during a virtual NASCAR race in April 2020. He was subsequently suspended, fired from Chip Ganassi Racing, and told to attend sensitivity training before being reinstated in October.
NASCAR driverHailie Deeganwas required totake sensitivity trainingbefore the start of the 2021 season after she used a slur about people with special needs during a broadcast on Twitch.
source: people.com
