Miami Heat big man Meyers Leonard was denounced earlier this week for using an anti-Semitic slur while playing “Call of Duty: Warzone” live on Twitch.
Sacramento Kings star De’Aaron Fox, who is also an avid gamer, recently shared how he avoids getting involved in vulgar talk on streams and his thoughts on Leonard’s choice words.
“One, I wouldn’t say no s–t on stream,” Fox said. “That’s dumb as s–t. But I’ll say this, especially playing Call of Duty. I’ve been playing Call of Duty since I was 10 years old, probably shouldn’t have been playing, but I was playing, whatever. The trash-talking is much worse than what he said.
“Obviously it’s a slur — I didn’t even know what it meant. Me and my fiancee were like let’s look it up because I have no idea what this means. But after finding out it’s a slur and things like that, those lobbies get like that all the time, like all the time. But the streaming it, I don’t even know why he would say that.”
Leonard, 29, has been destroyed by various people for his comments.
Several people in NBA circles heavily criticized Leonard, while others in the sports world offered more gracious responses.
The league slammed Leonard with a $50,000 fine. In addition, he is suspended from the Heat’s facilities for a week.
Now, Leonard’s future in the league is in question.
The big man, who is out for the rest of the year due to injury, put up just 3.3 points and 2.3 rebounds per game this season. He also has a hefty team option for next year, which is not expected to be picked up.
As for Fox, he’s focused on making a difference on the floor. The guard is averaging a career-high 23.2 points and 7.6 assists per game this season.
