Meyers Leonard hasn't played an NBA game in over two years. His exile from the league came swiftly after uttering an anti-semitic slur during a video game live stream when he was still a member of the Miami Heat.
Fast-forward to 2023 and Leonard is vying for another shot at playing in the NBA. His combination of size and shooting ability have always made him a valuable role player on the court, but it's his reputation that's the bigger question mark as teams potentially weigh whether or not to give him a shot.
Leonard recently opened up in an interview with reporter Jeremy Schaap. An emotional Leonard gave “no excuses” for what he had done and detailed how his experience has been in trying to learn from the moment since then.
Asked if he knew what the slur actually meant, he claims that despite using it during the live stream, he had zero understanding of where it came from. He asserted that it was just a term he picked up from others using it during online game communication.
“Absolutely not,” emphasized Meyers Leonard on whether he knew what the slur meant when he used it. “There are absolutely no excuses for what happened that day. Ignorance, sadly, is a very real thing – and that's what I was. I'm not running from this, but I did not know that it happened. … I believe that over the years there's less-than-ideal language used in a large portion of video gaming.”
At one point, Leonard was brought to tears when asked to relive what went through his mind during those moments, being traded away from the Heat and eventual cut with no NBA prospects left.
“That I felt like I had just destroyed my life and everything that I worked for, to be honest.”
Our interview with @MeyersLeonard, the former Portland and Miami center who is hoping to return to the NBA. Nearly two years ago, he used an antisemitic slur while playing Call of Duty on Twitch. A warning–this story includes offensive language. pic.twitter.com/rWmt48Y8ID
— Jeremy Schaap (@JeremySchaap) February 1, 2023
Meyers Leonard has reportedly been active in trying to connect with the Jewish community in his area. In the interview, he detailed seeking the help of a Rabbi just days after the incident.
The circumstances may have been different, we've seen players bounce back from an anti-semitic controversy as recently as this year with Kyrie Irving. But the Nets star is a far superior talent on the court, one critical for Brooklyn's success. The reality of it is he was getting another shot no matter what.
Whether Meyers Leonard is afforded that opportunity remains to be seen.
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