Miami Heat center Meyers Leonard will be separated from the team indefinitely, the organization said in a statement Tuesday night as the NBA investigates its anti-Semitic insult during a recent live video game broadcast.
In the video that came out on Tuesday, Leonard can be heard saying: “Damn cowards; Don’t shoot me, damn it. “
“We just heard about the video and we’re in the process of gathering more information,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement. “The NBA unequivocally condemns all forms of hate speech.”
Leonard did not immediately respond to ESPN’s request for comment, although he later apologized, noting that the mistake “is not an adequate representation of who I am,” while promising to do better.
“I deeply regret that I used an anti-Semite yesterday during a live broadcast yesterday,” Leonard wrote in a statement posted on Instagram. “Although I did not know what the word meant at the time, my ignorance of its history and how offensive it is to the Jewish community is not an excuse at all, and I was wrong. I am now more aware of its significance and I am committed to properly looking at the people who can help me educate myself about this type of hatred and how we can combat it.
“I admit and hold my mistake and there is no escape from something that is so painful for someone else. This is not a proper representation of who I am and I want to apologize to Arison, my colleagues, coaches, headquarters and all those associated with the Miami Heat, my family, our loyal fans, and other members of the Jewish community I have hurt, I promise to do better, and I know that my future actions will be stronger than the use of this word.
A passionate player, Leonard has repeatedly discussed over the years how much he enjoys having exchanges with fans on his Twitch feed.
Leonard left on January 9 after suffering a shoulder injury that required surgery and ended the season for him.