Meyers Leonard was suspended by the NBA on accounts of using an antisemitic slur in 2021. He was fined $50,000 and wasn’t allowed to enter the team facilities and activities for one week.
30-year-old Meyers Leonard was an 11th overall draft pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. He hailed from a small town in southeastern Illinois. He was suspended for his actions during his “Call of Duty: Warzone” gametime where he said “F**king cowards. Don’t f**king snipe at me. You k*** b*tch.”
“Meyers Leonard’s comment was inexcusable and hurtful and such an offensive term has no place in the NBA or in our society,” NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said in a statement back in 2021 while enforcing his suspension.
“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.”
What did Meyers Leonard say in his apology after being suspended by the NBA?
Meyers Leonard apologized for his anti-Semitic slur during a live stream, which happened back in 2021. “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.”
He added that he was much more aware of the meaning of the word, after people helped him understand a few details. He took a step forward to educate himself over the subject. “I am committed to properly seeking out people who can help educate me about this type of hate and how we can fight it.”
“I acknowledge and own my mistake. There’s no running from something like this that is so hurtful to someone else.”
Moreover, he further apologized to his teammates, office staff, coaches and anyone remotely associated with the Miami Heat organization. “To my family, to our loyal fans and to others in the Jewish community who I have hurt. I promise to do better and know that my future actions will be more powerful than my use of this word.”
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