The Heat are reviewing a video clip that shows center Meyers Leonard using an anti-Semitic slur during a Twitch live stream on Monday night while playing ‘Call of Duty: Warzone,’ writes Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel.
The NBA is also reviewing the incident, issuing a statement that reads, “We just became aware of the video and are in the process of gathering more information. The NBA unequivocally condemns all forms of hate speech.”
Leonard is out for the season with a shoulder injury and is a long shot to have his $10MM+ team option for 2021/22 exercised. If he was already in jeopardy of having played his last game for Miami, this video certainly didn’t help matters. So far, it’s unclear how the NBA and Heat will respond — a fine or a suspension seems like a possibility.
Here’s more on the Heat:
- A pair of veteran scouts who spoke to Barry Jackson of The Miami Herald agreed that the Heat’s roster is in need of a stretch four and said Sacramento forward Harrison Barnes and San Antonio forward Rudy Gay would be among their targets if they worked for the team. The Spurs would be open to listening on Gay, according to Jackson. The two scouts also identified Rockets forward P.J. Tucker and Kings forward Nemanja Bjelica as logical targets — Miami has been linked to both.
- With restricted free agency on tap this summer, Heat sharpshooter Duncan Robinson is putting in work to become a more complete player rather than just a three-point specialist. Ira Winderman of The South Florida Sun Sentinel takes a closer look at Robinson’s development.
- After a slow start to the season, the Heat won seven of their last eight games entering the All-Star break. Anthony Chiang of The Miami Herald explores what the club needs to do to carry that success over into the second half, starting with keeping Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo healthy.
Kinda low ball of heat to look for a way out. People say stuff all the time, how about what montrez harrell said to doncic last year? Kind of a double standard, at least have some consistency.
It says it’s unclear how the heat will respond. Nowhere in there did it say they were looking for a way out.
It’s not a double standard, imo, though I’m not saying Harrell should have said what he said.
Leonard used a word he really cannot use, and it was in the heat of the moment of…. a video game, that he was broadcasting, in his free time, presumably as part of his reach out to fans as part of his personal brand. This is bad.
He is getting paid to play the game. Funny how people get paid to play a video game and the no life crowd that watches them. Second the way he talks he sounded like a arrogant jerk. Who takes a video game that seriously?
@arc89 you clearly don’t watch twitch/warzone. Call of duty as always had racial hate and other hateful things people say in the heat of the moment. While wrong to an outsider, I can guarantee 99 percent of people do the same in private and that shouldn’t be wrong.
It’s always wrong, but whether someone will call you on it in your own home is up to your family and friends.
nascars kyle lawson used inappropriate language playing a televised sim game and he was suspended indefinitely, lost his sponsors, pretty much lost everything. this shouldn’t be any different.
@tatsumaki A teenager acting like that wouldn’t be a shock but a grown man that is 29 is very immature. Seriously he is a grown adult acting like a child. Why would i want to watch other people playing a video game? When you do something that is not private you need to act smart. He knew he wasn’t in private or just playing with some friends.
@Tatsu: are you seriously defending his use of the K-word? And are you seriously saying using that word in private ‘shouldn’t be wrong’? Good grief, dude.
I think he defends people making mistakes you just like to twist words like the media does. That or you have dyslexia, still to be determined
@imindless: He’s not defending ‘people making mistakes’. He is literally saying that people using racial slurs ‘in private’ ‘shouldn’t be wrong’. Before you accuse me of having dyslexia, maybe you should learn to read first.
@death so saying something on a video game is worse than saying it intentionally to someone during a basketball game? Sound logic. If Leonard was a minority I guarantee this wouldn’t be up for debate, so persists the double standard. It’s not the first time non minority players have been thrown under a bus just look at sam dekker with williams making up claims about him even proven false….cancel culture is real.
Your attempt at equivalency is childish and tone deaf.
If Cryree said the same thing, he would be thrown under the bus just as hastily. We would all be here, throwing the same shade at him that I’m throwing at Leonard.
So, no, it’s not about whether Leonard is non-minority or not, it has to do with whether what Leonard said was racist.
Nick cannon and Montrezl have entered the chat room.
Kind of low for Heat to”look for a way out’? What are you talking about?
Trying to find a way out of paying Leonard who they are paying while injured.
Here’s the clip and you can see he said It and clearly didn’t mean anything by it.
link to youtu.be
Tell em how nick cannon means it and gets his show back though? Double standard.
They aren’t trying to find a way out of paying him. That’s the point.
They are trying to terminate contract hence what it says in article.
It doesn’t say that. They aren’t trying to terminate his contract. Read it again.
It says they are unlikely to pick up his option. Which they weren’t going to pick up anyway.
@curtisrowe thank you. It’s a contract year pretty much and Leonard’s injury already had done him in there.
@tatsumaki your argument that lots of gamers talk like that is weak, and also why we still have racism problems. Making the “everyone does it” argument doesn’t make it right.
@courtside, I’m not wrong willing to bet you do it too. Woke culture won’t allow unless your a minority you get a slap on wrist.
@Tatsumaki no where in the article does it say Heat trying to terminate the contract.
Leonard most likely is going to be used in a trade to fill in for salary purposes. Regardless if he was injured or not.
He was never coming back on year 2 of the deal.
@Tatsu: the fact that you think everyone is using racial slurs in private says a LOT about you. Clown comment.
@tatsumaki
Nope don’t use slurs. I can be competitive without referring to race, religion, orientation.
It’s called being respectful which obviously your parents failed to teach you. Guess maybe we will all hope when you get to high school a teacher or coach will mentor you to do better.
That’s a lie. It just wasn’t caught on camera. There’s a difference
Courtside maybe some people use logic unlike you who expects people to not make mistakes. The difference between now and 20 years ago is there’s a camera in our face at all times. I also know many on here lie about the use of slurs to act tough and noble but quietly do it including you. Your blunders just aren’t on camera yet.
Meyers Leonard is a big (literally) idiot.
Idk what he said but this world too soft
youre saying youd rather slurs werent real symbols of hate, its ok sweetie, reality isnt always fun
@bloodysox – Says the anonymous commenter.
Why do you hide your identity? Is it because you’re soft?
What does anonymous have to do with being soft? The correct term would be scared. Soft and scared different, but you wouldn’t know because you’re both. Who cares about my opinion? I only give it to annoy ppl like you.
@bloodysox – Don’t sell yourself short – all your friends think you’re one of the smartest sophomores in high school.
“I’m not soft or scared, I just troll on the internet about racism”
-bloody sock aka keyboard warrior aka coward
Courtside aka woke one aka never makes mistakes. Blast your name on here brother or your just the pot calling the kettle black.
Why would i put my identity on here? None of you are going to pull up. You’ll just call my employer 10 times a day.
I agree with Jason. If you’re going to troll people on racism, be an adult and put your name on it.
Why didn’t Heat trade for John Collins via third team?
Herro and Achiuwa to third team
Third team offers players to Hawks
Maybe you can help Riley find the 3rd team.
On the other notes, how odd would it be if Duncan Robinson signed with San Antonio
I Wonder if there’s a dude out there named Parker Ginobilli. That would be cool.
Nearly a starting five out of two guys lol
Meyers Leonard has to have the record for most money made in the league despite never actually being good at basketball.
Google Micheal “Yogi” Stewart… would be a close call
Michael Stewart made 25M over his whole career. Leonard has made 59M. Not a close call at all.
Very close, Curtis Rowe… for a couple reasons:
$25 mil (undrafted, even) back at that time would be equivalent to how much today?
And, and with terrible stats… Leonard’s bad stats are even better than Stewart’s!
So, yes, it’s definitely a good comparison.
Thanks for the monitor tho!
No, it wasn’t a good comparison. At all.
Jerome James made $47 million and was only good for what, one playoff series? Classic Knicks blunder.
I will be shocked – shocked, I tell you – if the Spurs do any trades during the season. They are on a roll and looking like a team that could squeak into the playoffs.
As a Heat fan, and technically a Jew, I honestly dont care about what he said. It was just really, really stupid. Also F the person that clipped that in his chat. That being said, he should know that dumb*** trash people sit in peoples chat waiting for any moment they can clip and post on reddit or whatever. Still, in my opinion, 1 action doesnt define a person. People make mistakes. 1 thing shouldnt ruin peoples lives or careers, and I’m sick of stuff like this being a thing. Again, he was super dumb for doing it in this “society” we live in, but I dont know Meyers Leonard personally, so I dont make judgements on his character. The only thing I can say is I had a good interaction with him last year, people in Miami and Portland seem to love him and his wife, I never thought Portland should sign him to the deal he got, and I’ve been wanting him traded for over a year. So with all that being said, hopefully they can still move his expiring. He wanted to stay here, likely for less money, but I dont think that happens, at this point, regardless of what happens with Olynyk, b/c that’s just how this world is now…
And on that note, one option that could have been interesting if they moved their floor spacing bigs in a multiplayer deal for a defender at the 4/3, was Ersan ilyasova, who has killed the Heat over the years, but that option is off the table now…
I jokingly called Duncan Robinson “Klay Thompson” ever since his first summer league game, and last year when I met him at an event, I told him he doesnt even know how good he is. The next night, he made 7 3s against New Orleans (might have been more than that). Every year he has grown. He cha fed his body before last season, he has continued to improve defensively, playmaking, and can get to the rim at times. Those 2 things, and the midrange are the 3 things I would say he needs to continue to grow with. What is crazy is how similar his numbers are to actual Klay Thompson as his career grew, although Klay hasnt been nearly as good as he was his last 3 healthy seasons
OK so moving on from racism today. I think Gay, Bjelica, Barnes would all be good additions for Heat. PJ not so much. PJ to me fits better with Bucks, Jazz.
Racism may take another 50 yrs or more to rid. Doesn’t mean we have to accept or deal with any forms of it today. NBA is inclusive worldwide. It’s not a Monarchy.
For purely basketball reasons, Leonard (and Harkless) is very unlikely to be retained by the HEAT past this season or even the trade deadline.
As for the issue at hand, I’ve heard much worst from many others, but that doesn’t spare Leonard from whatever repercussions he gets the next few days.
I’m black and game from time to time, mainly The Division 2, Playgrounds 2. No game is that serious to get antisemitic/racist over a freaking game. Those who take it that seriously to the point that you spaz out, should find another hobby!