An NBA player has come under fire after a video surfaced of him using an anti-Semitic slur during a livestreamed video game, CNN reports.
Meyers Leonard, who plays forward-center for the Miami Heat, was captured on the video app Twitch while playing the popular video game “Call of Duty: Warzone” where he reportedly said: “F**king cowards. Don’t f**king snipe at me. You k*** b****.”
The video was not posted on Leonard’s official Twitch account, but elsewhere where he was identified.
Leonard took to Instagram to issue a formal apology, saying that he is “deeply sorry for using an anti-Semitic slur.”
“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,” the note read. “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.”
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) March 10, 2021
The Heat released a statement regarding their player, disavowing Leonard’s behavior.
“The Miami HEAT vehemently condemns the use of any form of hate speech. The words used by Meyers Leonard were wrong and we will not tolerate hateful language from anyone associated with our franchise.”
CNN notes that Leonard had a partnership with ASTRO Gaming, a video game supply brand. They, along with other sponsors, have since dropped him.
“ASTRO is committed to creating an inclusive gaming environment and one that combats racism and other forms of discrimination, retaliation, and harassment,” a tweet issued by ASTRO read.
The Heat have since suspended Leonard indefinitely as the NBA further investigates the incident.
