Yahoo Finance Miami Heat player benched indefinitely after using offensive term during Twitch stream: 'He even pauses before'
Miami Heat player Meyers Leonard is under fire after using an anti-Semitic slur during his Twitch stream.
Leonard was taking part in a Call of Duty match on March 9 when he used the offending term, as reported by USA Today. A clip of the scene in question was tweeted by Main Team Sports.
Reddit users on /r/NBA and /r/LivestreamFail forums took turns calling out Leonard’s foul language.
“Imagine your career ending by a 12-year-old stream sniper,” another user wrote. A stream sniper is someone who hunts down a streamer to join their games, typically with the intent to troll them.
“Relax guys, he was just having a heated gamer moment,” yet another user joked. A “heated gamer moment” is a popular phrase used to lampoon streamers who apologize for their use of slurs by claiming it was an emotional reaction. Since Leonard’s own heated gamer moment went viral, brands associated with the athlete moved swiftly.
“He even pauses before he says it,” another Redditor observed. “IQ of a walnut.”
FaZe Clan has since announced that it was “cutting ties” with the player. The esports company is one of the best known brands in gaming. FaZe has dozens of pro gamers competing in various games and a strong stable of content creators such as future NBA prospect Bronny James, son of LeBron James.
While Leonard was not a formal member of FaZe Clan, he was a content creator for the organization under the alias FaZe Hammer.
A statement from FaZe Clan. pic.twitter.com/ePo1NGEaN5
— FaZe Clan (@FaZeClan) March 9, 2021
The Miami Heat also announced that Leonard will be “away from the team indefinitely.”
Statement from the Miami Heat on center Meyers Leonard: pic.twitter.com/RmRaLZ1bxR
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 10, 2021
Leonard responded to the backlash with his own statement through Instagram. He apologized for the slur and claimed that he did not know what it meant.
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