meyers leonard slur anti-semetic miami heat

Miami Heat’s Meyers Leonard fined and penalized after anti-Semitic slur

The Heat could take notes from our very own Alouettes, who dealt with a Holocaust denier on the team in 2015.

This week, Miami Heat power forward Meyers Leonard came under controversy for calling someone a “kike” while livestreaming a game of Call of Duty on Twitch.

Meyers Leonard of the Miami Heat is in hot water following his choice of words in this livestream video

Leonard released an apology following the incident. “I am deeply sorry for using an anti-Semetic slur during a livestream yesteday…I didn’t know what the word meant at the time,” he confessed.

Today, the NBA has announced penalizing actions towards Leonard. The player is being fined $50,000 and will be suspended for a week. He must also attend a cultural diversity program, in order to educate himself.

While Leonard’s apology is a good first step, his words need to be met with actions. Perhaps the Miami Heat organization could take notes from our very own Montreal Alouettes. Following lineman Khalif Mitchell saying he was a Holocaust denier in 2015, the CFL fined the player the maximum amount possible. He also received an invitation to the Montreal Holocaust Museum.

Miami has one of largest Jewish populations in North America. It should be important for Meyers Leonard to maintain respect for the community in his team’s city.


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