Almost two years after uttering an anti-Semitic slur, Meyers Leonard is again within the NBA.
The 30-year-old free-agent large man signed a 10-day contract with the Bucks, in line with ESPN. The Bucks had been monitoring Leonard for over a 12 months, and he labored out for the group final month, per the report. Milwaukee had an open roster spot to fill.
Leonard has been out of the NBA since March 2021, and hasn’t appeared in an NBA sport since January 2021.
Whereas taking part in the favored online game “Name of Responsibility” throughout a livestream in March 2021, Leonard used the recognized anti-Semitic slur “okay–e” to deal with one other participant.
“F–ing coward, Leonard mentioned on the livestream. “Don’t f–king snipe me, you f–king okay–e b—h.”
Moments later, Leonard ended the livestream, and issued an apology later within the night. He claimed he didn’t know what the phrase meant.
The NBA suspended Leonard for 10 days and fined him $50,000 for the slur, though he was not taking part in on the time attributable to an damage. Leonard was dropped by a number of sponsors as properly.
Barely one week after the suspension, the Warmth traded Leonard to the Thunder, who instantly waived him. He had not discovered one other NBA suitor since.
“There are completely no excuses for what occurred that day,” Leonard not too long ago mentioned on ESPN’s “Outdoors the Strains.” “And ignorance, sadly, is a really actual factor. I’m not working from this, however I didn’t know that it occurred.
“I felt like I had simply destroyed my life and all the things that I labored for, to be trustworthy… Individuals had each proper to, I suppose, make assumptions about me. Individuals have been going to should, within the media, touch upon this. And I perceive, I do.”
Shoulder and ankle rehab delayed Leonard’s comeback try, and it wasn’t till earlier this season that he started to once more pursue NBA contracts.
Leonard spent the primary seven years of his profession with the Path Blazers, who chosen him with the No. 11 select of Illinois within the 2012 draft, earlier than taking part in two seasons with the Warmth. He averaged 5.9 factors and three.2 rebounds a sport in his 9 seasons.
“Since his use of a derogatory and unacceptable time period in 2021, Meyers Leonard has been held accountable and has devoted appreciable effort and time to grasp the affect of his remark,” NBA spokesman Mike Bass not too long ago mentioned in an announcement, as Leonard started figuring out for groups. “He has met with quite a few leaders within the Jewish neighborhood and took part in neighborhood applications to teach himself and use his platform to share his learnings with others.”
