Miami Heat center Meyers Leonard is offering an apology for his ill-advised remarks that were roundly criticized as being anti-Semitic in nature.
Miami Heat center Meyers Leonard releases statement apologizing for saying anti-Semitic slur on a livestream: pic.twitter.com/AOi7ZE6nCy
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 10, 2021
Leonard was captured on video uttering the slur while in the midst of playing of the video game “Call of Duty: Warzone,” with the clip quickly going viral and the subsequent outrage offered over his comments.
Meyers Leonard says racial slurs while playing CoD pic.twitter.com/WHwUnbV0pR
— Main Team (@MainTeamSports) March 9, 2021
In the wake of the controversy, Leonard’s gaming sponsorship was canceled, with both the Heat and NBA looking into the situation to see if additional punishment will be warranted.
The incident was a shock to Heat fans and other NBA followers, given that Leonard last year made a concerted effort to connect with the NBA to address social justice issues.