OFF COURT FOUL
Miami Heat’s Meyers Leonard apologizes for using anti-Semitic slur as NFL’s Julian Edelman invites him to Shabbat dinner
MIAMI Heat star Meyers Leonard has apologized for using an anti-Semitic slur – and has since received a Shabbat dinner invite from an NFL player.
The sportsman – and though he issued an apology for his "ignorance," his team announced today he won't be playing "indefinitely."
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Footage recorded apparently saying: "F**king coward.
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"Don’t f**king snipe me, you f**king k**e b***h."
Leonard said on Wednesday in a statement posted to Instagram: "I'm deeply sorry for using an anti-Semitic slur during a livestream yesterday.
"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.
"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."
But less than 24 hours later, chiefs at hit out at the player in a social media post of their own – and say they "vehemently condemn the use of any form of hate speech."
" will be away from the team indefinitely," they said.
"The Miami Heat will cooperate with the NBA while it conducts its investigation."
An NBA spokesman said the league "unequivocally condemns" hate speech and said they were gathering information.
Controversy over the comments grew on Tuesday after a clip from the Call Of Duty: Warzone Twitch stream began to widely circulate on social media.
Today, Julian Edelman an open letter to Leonard on Twitter.
He said: "I get the sense that you didn't use that word out of hate, more out of ignorance.
"Most likely, you weren't trying to hurt anyone or even profile Jews in your comment.
"That's what makes it so destructive. When someone intends to be hateful, it's usually met with great resistance.
"Casual ignorance is harder to combat and has greater reach, especially when you command influence.
"Hate is like a virus. Even accidentally, it can rapidly spread," Edelman wrote, before inviting him to "Shabbat dinner with some friends" the next time he's in .
Leonard made his NBA debut in 2012, after being drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers.
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He was traded to the Miami Heat in 2019 and is currently out injured after undergoing shoulder surgery last month.
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He is known to be an avid online gamer and has tens of thousands of followers on the Twitch platform.
Some of his sponsors have announced they'll 'cut ties' with him since the scandal, including e-sports organisation FaZe Clan and a number of other gaming companies, including Astro Gaming and Origin PC.
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