The NBA’s Miami Heat distanced itself from a player who earlier this week used an anti-Semitic insult while playing a live video game over the Internet.
Meyers Leonard, a seven-foot center at the Heat, called another “k —” player Monday during a “Call of Duty” game that was streamed by online game streaming service Twitch.
“The Miami Heat vehemently condemns the use of any form of hate speech,” the Heat said in a statement.
“The words used by Meyers Leonard were incorrect and we will not tolerate the hateful language of anyone associated with our franchise,” the team added. “Hearing it from a Miami Heat player is especially disappointing and detrimental to everyone who works here, as well as the larger communities of South Florida, the Miami Heat and the NBA.”
On Tuesday, in a post on social media, Leonard acknowledged his use of slang, stated that he was unaware that the term was offensive to Jews, and apologized.
“I acknowledge and own my mistake and there is no escape from something so it is so detrimental to another person,” Leonard said. “My ignorance of its history and its offensive to the Jewish community is absolutely not an excuse and I was wrong.”
The NBA said it is investigating the incident and suspended possible punishment for the seventh-year player.
“The NBA unequivocally condemns all forms of hate speech,” league spokesman Mike Bass told the Associated Press.
The Heat said Leonard will spend time away from the team, which will begin its second half of the season after the All-Star Break this week.
Leonard could become a free agent this summer, the AP noted, and the Heat maintain an option for his contract for the 2021-2022 season for a total of about $ 10 million. This year he has played in just three games in Miami.