Meyers Leonard Does Segment on ESPN About Him Using an Antisemitic Slur

[ArtMorte]

How long ago was this? 2-3 years? This dude is still having to do pieces on how sorry and stuff he is. What he said was stupid, 100%. I had a great grandparent survive the holocaust (I dont consider myself Jewish though), so ya I totally get what he said was really stupid.

But damn sometimes we get to a level where it seems like the media and parts of the society just enjoy to drag people along for their mistakes. And ya I think this was an honest mistake. I dont think Meyers is some anti-semitic.

There are so many slurs flying around in online games that if we cast everyone out of society who's said one, we'd probably be kicking millions of people out of their jobs etc., and that's even if you don't include the underage gamers.

[hippesthippo]

If he was a talent like Kyrie or Edwards he would still be in the league.

Thats the hold up...not what he said.

Should go make a nice living overseas and forget about the whole thing.

Quite true.

I remember hearing this story a long time ago, and whatever word he said... it was a word that I did not know was an antisemitic slur until I was well into my 20s. (Maybe because I don't hang out with anti-semites to ever hear the word?) I didn't hear the word often, but for a long time I thought it was just a harsher word that meant "jerk".

I didn't learn the word until I watched Barton Fink when I was somewhere around 16 years old. In the film, there's a movie studio executive that proclaims himself to be in charge because he's "the loudest **** in the room!" It was used in a self-deprecating, half-comedic / half-serious manner, but it was clear to me that it was a derogatory term he decided to take ownership of. However, it was only after the Leonard situation some 25 years later that I realized how hateful it was. Satire runs deep throughout the entire film.

I was shocked at how harsh the NBA community was on Leonard. A LOT of people know of the word, but not the history of hatred behind it. Hell, I didn't even know how to spell the word. It should have been used as a learning experience for everyone involved in the NBA, including those who simply watch the games, not an opportunity to tar and feather somebody. Unfortunately, that's social media for you in a nutshell.

Now, Leonard was already starting to play himself out of the league. He only received the last contract he had signed because the Heat wanted some salary ballast to make use of in trades further down the line [they did the exact same thing with Goran Dragic]. He also had a history of injury issues which were quickly mounting.

Having said all that, if he can still ball he should be given a second chance... but that's a big "if."

SIDE NOTE: The scene in Barton Fink where John Goodman is walking with a shotgun in hand and a fury of flames behind him is still one of my favorite movie scenes of all time. Brilliant film.

[Ayt]

Staged incident.

We're almost at that point in America where saying literally anything is offensive.

Hopefully paul pierce doesnt accidentally go live again. Disney can EAD

What the **** are you talking about?

[BBallFreak]

I’m sure there will be a similar outcry when drops n bombs, right?

Their will be worse outcry if he drops the N bomb.

[brutalitops]

He should get a vet min from someone that needs a big body to eat 15-20 mins

Not Really, he was alright 2017 but after that was a 5-10MPG guy untill 2020 when Miami needed some big men minutes, hurt his ankle, Went out of the rotation, Miami played a lot better, he didnt get back, then destroyed his shoulder

he was almost washed before the anti-semetic remark, Unfair but hes just, wasnt any good anymore

[Fencer reregistered]

It's an old slur. I was shocked to learn from the incident that people still use it.

[Fencer reregistered]

Most slurs don't seem to be all that controversial. It's agreed that they're bad; some people do the bad things deliberately; others do them out of ignorance; others do so fairly rarely with calculated irony; most debates end around there.

One of the exceptions is the infamous N word, because it both is:
-- Said to be the worst of the worst.
-- Something frequently used casually by the group slurred.
Confusion ensues.

Another is anti-semitism in general. Reasons for that, I think, include:
-- Historical ignorance about anti-semitism.
-- False or exaggerated claims of anti-semitism made in defense of Israel.
Both bother me, although as a Holocaust descendant I'm struck more deeply by the first.

[The Real Dalic]

Why is Harrell still in the League even after he called Luka a "Bitch Ass White Boy?"

You know why, racism is only okay against White People to certain people.

[JRoy]

I’m sure there will be a similar outcry when drops n bombs, right?

Their will be worse outcry if he drops the N bomb.

I don’t mean Meyers Leonard, I mean anyone.

[JN61]

Would still be in the league without this. And Kyrie is still in the league so we see the double standards.

[JN61]

Kobe walked away from using a gay slur with a simple apology. If youre talented, you get breaks. The more talented you are, the more breaks you get

To be fair that was in a time when a great number of people in America thought gays shouldn't have the right to be married. I'm pretty sure if a player in the 90s did what Meyers did they would just laugh it off completely.

Kobe said it 10 years ago... Not 30 years ago...

[celtics543]

I kind of feel like this is similar to when Jason Collins came out as gay and then never got re-signed by a team. The media ran with the idea he wasn't signed because he was gay but it wasn't that he was gay that kept him from getting signed, it was that he wasn't that good at basketball anymore. Meyers Leonard isn't on a team because he's not that good at basketball anymore even if the media wants to say it's because of what he said. Kyrie might get a 200 million dollar contract this offseason after what he did this year.

Basically the league doesn't care what you do as long as you're good. If Javaris Crittenton had the skills of Chris Paul there would've been teams lined up to pay his defense attorney fees.

[hauntedcomputer]

People need thicker skins.

Thicker skins are proven to repel the intense flames of crematoria.

[Duffman100]

a) Thicker skins? Words cause harm. Mental harm. Studies have shown they lead to higher rates physical violence.
b) Most of the kids in these games don't understand (really understand) the significance of these words. Education is key.
c) For some reason, whenever times are tough, Jews are always in the line of fire. Anti-semitism has spiked the last few years.
d) Meyers Leonard is an idiot.

That being said,

Leonard has done everything right in my opinion. He's educated himself, he's fully embraced the community to understand. He used a bad moment to become empathetic and has made every attempt to make up for a mistake. He's an idiot, not a racist. And hopefully because of his attempts to educate himself, he's less of an idiot now.

[JayMKE]

Leonard not being in the league has more to do with him not being a good player than getting blackballed from the league

[CIN-C-STAR]

i think this is one of those enes kanter situation. guy thinks he's being blackballed when in reality he just sucks.

I’m not even talking about the him not being on a roster. Because I agree if he was a better player he would be on one. I’m just talking about I think it’s ridiculous this is still being talked about 2-3 years later and ESPN is still doing video pieces on it.

because "antiracism" is a profitable industry hence why companies who keep getting caught for using actual slave labor are at the forefront of it.

In fairness, using slave labor doesn't make those companies racist.
They would enslave literally anyone if it improved their bottomline. They are truly equal opportunity, as we are all just potential sources of revenue to them and nothing more!

[BBallFreak]

I’m sure there will be a similar outcry when drops n bombs, right?

Their will be worse outcry if he drops the N bomb.

I don’t mean Meyers Leonard, I mean anyone.

So do I. The N word is an awful word and, in the NBA in particular, will get you kicked out of the league for real. Their is no coming back from that.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said with antisemitism. You can come back from that.

[CIN-C-STAR]

How long ago was this? 2-3 years? This dude is still having to do pieces on how sorry and stuff he is. What he said was stupid, 100%. I had a great grandparent survive the holocaust (I dont consider myself Jewish though), so ya I totally get what he said was really stupid.

But damn sometimes we get to a level where it seems like the media and parts of the society just enjoy to drag people along for their mistakes. And ya I think this was an honest mistake. I dont think Meyers is some anti-semitic.

There are so many slurs flying around in online games that if we cast everyone out of society who's said one, we'd probably be kicking millions of people out of their jobs etc., and that's even if you don't include the underage gamers.

Sounds like a pretty scummy, awful community tbh.
Count me as someone who won't lose any sleep if millions of aholes in the gaming community have to be accountable for their words. It's really not that hard to avoid using racist slurs.

[Jadoogar]

Do you guys think any teams will take a chance on him? Anti semetic rhetoric has gotten ridiculous lately and unfortunately, enforcing whatever penalties it is due always result in backlash against the Jewish community. Very sad times. Good to see Meyers not making excuses for himself though, that in itself is a boon.


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If he was a better player, i could see a team taking a chance on him but for the level of player he is, it's probably not worth the headache.

We'll see how the league reacts to Miles Bridges who's a much better player but also committed a far worse offense.

[cupcakesnake]

I remember hearing very quickly after the event that Meyers Leonard was already going to rabbis and making the positive assumption that he was pretty serious about acknowledging the mistake and trying to make it right. The video is very touching and it's hard not to think this is a good guy. I just watched this video with my jewish girlfriend and she's rooting for him.

Like many have said, Meyers Leonard was a marginal NBA player. He has great size and a bit of shooting, so he was (at the time) useful for unlocking lineups for teams. If he can still do that, there are definitely some NBA teams that could use that size and shooting. If he's lost a step at age 30, or just hasn't kept up as the NBA keeps advancing, I think he'll have a hard time making a roster.