(WSVN) - The Miami Heat have announced forward Meyers Leonard will be away from the team after he was captured using an anti-Semitic slur while livestreaming a popular video game.
Leonard spewed the slur while trash talking a fellow player during a public livestream of Call of Duty: Warzone on Twitch. Leonard posted an apology for using the slur on his Instagram page at around 7:30 p.m., Tuesday.
Late Tuesday night, the Heat announced in a statement Leonard “will be away from the team indefinitely.” The full statement reads as follows:
“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. To hear it from a Miami Heat player is especially disappointing and hurtful to all those who work here, as well as the larger South Florida, Miami Heat and NBA communities. Meyers Leonard will be away from the team indefinitely. The Miami Heat will cooperate with the NBA while it conducts its investigation.”
The Anti-Defamation League released a statement on Twitter that reads, “We are shocked and disappointed to see Meyers Leonard use this ugly, offensive anti-Semitic slur. We have reached out to the Miami Heat and NBA about this and urge Mr. Leonard to issue an apology immediately for this egregious and hateful rhetoric.”
The forward made headlines last season as the only Heat player to not kneel for the national anthem to protest racial injustice during NBA bubble play. He said at the time that he was with the Black Lives Matter movement. However, he was standing to support his brother, who is in the military.
Leonard is currently out for the rest of the NBA season recovering from shoulder surgery. The 29-year-old signed a two-year contract with Miami in November for close to $20 million. The Heat hold a team option for next year.
Leonard, who is an avid gamer, lost sponsorships from three gaming companies following the incident.
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