“I felt like I just destroyed my life and everything that I worked for,” Emotional Meyers Leonard breaks silence about the ANTISEMITIC controversy that got him suspended from the NBA
Meyers Leonard said in an interview that he was apologetic for his antisemitic slur which he was unaware of. After the suspension and fulfilling all his conditions put by the league, the NBA player is willing to make his return to the NBA.
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Meyers Leonard
Meyers Leonard was suspended by the NBA for expressing antisemitic sentiment in an interview. Leonard discussed his use of an antisemitic slur in an interview with ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap for Outside the Lines. He used the same word that was used primarily by Jewish Americans to put down Jewish immigrants in the country. The NBA fined him $50,000, suspended him for a week, and made him take part in a program promoting ethnic diversity. Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported this month that he worked out with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Meyers hopes to return to the NBA and opened up during an interview with ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap for Outside the Lines about his use of an antisemitic slur. He told the reporter that he is not a hateful person and he was aware that it was a big mistake. “I feel like I’m living in a bad dream,” he said of the 2021 incident in which he used an antisemitic slur during a video game live stream. “There’s not a hateful cell in my body. And I know that I made a huge, huge mistake,” he added.
Leonard said he didn’t “know the history or meaning” of the word. “There are absolutely no excuses for what happened that day,” Leonard said. He also added that he was aware of his ignorance and he is not running away from admitting to his guilt. “And ignorance, sadly, is a very real thing. … I am not running from this, but I did not know that it happened,” Leonard added. He added that visiting Jewish organizations and getting therapy from two rabbis were among his efforts after using the slur.
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After having ankle surgery in 2021, Leonard said in an April message that the complications had harmed his nerves. The surgery had cast doubt on his ability to play basketball in the future. He claimed that the nerves suddenly began to “miraculously” regenerate, which is why he is considering a comeback. The former Illinois star hasn’t played professionally in a while. He has just not played in the last two seasons for a variety of reasons, including his use of an antisemitic slur.
The big man now hopes to return to the NBA. The Miami Heat had the big man at the moment, but they later traded him to the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was cut by OKC before he had even been on the court, and since January 2021, he hasn’t participated in an NBA match. The player turns 31 in February. Although they might have used frontcourt depth with Anthony Davis’ durability being a constant concern, Los Angeles chose not to sign him. Leonard was selected in the first round of the NBA Draft in 2012. He never played more than a supporting role in a team, averaging 5.6 points and 3.9 rebounds a game.
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