The Meyers Leonard anti-semitic slur has now seriously jeopardized the 29-year-old's NBA career, with the league investigating . With his first major minutes at the power forward spot, he performed admirably, tallying 12 rebounds and hitting a three-pointer. Meyers Leonard gained a surrogate family when he was in 2nd grade and Brian Siler, an insurance agent in Robinson who had a son of the same age, eventually became a father figure. Updated Jan 16, 2023 at 2:52pm. All eyes seemed to be on him, and anticipation filled in the arena. Meyers Patrick Leonard (born February 27, 1992) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). ???????????? Portlands superstar was glorious, but Denver has one too. this "The Oklahoma City Thunder has waived forward/center Meyers Leonard, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti," the Thunder's statement read. Meyers Leonard video: Moving video captures moment brothers devastated by father's death are reunited on basketball court after older sibling flies home from Afghanistan | Daily Mail Online. Meyers Leonard could be returning to the NBA two years after he was suspended for using an antisemitic slur. Im very happy I did it. And youre right". "[2], Leonard entered high school as a guard, but was converted to center after a six-inch (15cm) growth spurt between his freshman and sophomore years. Meyers was 6 when his dad died. Leonard explained that he stood in support of his brother and the military, though he also supports the BLM movement, wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt while he stood with two kneeling teammates embracing his legs with their arms. [32] The NBA suspended him for one week and fined him $50,000. Leonard was apart of the Heat roster that played in the 2020 NBA Finals against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers. var container = document.getElementById(slotId); There used to be a time in America where standing was what was expected to happen during the national anthem. The 29-year-old, who has over 69,000 followers on Twitch and more than 550K between Twitter and Instagram, took a phone call early Tuesday afternoon while streaming. Statement from the Miami Heat on center Meyers Leonard: pic.twitter.com/RmRaLZ1bxR. His mother Tracie was an athlete and his father James was a golf pro. var ins = document.createElement('ins'); The video which was republished by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and. Trail Blazers - Game Recap - October 31, 2012 - ESPN", "Trail Blazers vs. Suns - Game Recap - November 21, 2012 - ESPN", "You be the GM: Trail Blazers center Meyers Leonard", "Meyers Leonard Goes From Afterthought to Folk Hero", Westbrook scores 36; Thunder beat Trail Blazers 101-90, "Matthews returns and Mavs defeat Trail Blazers 115-112 in OT", "Meyers Leonard to Undergo Shoulder Surgery", "Trail Blazers, Meyers Leonard agree to 4-year, $41 million free agent deal", "LEONARD CLEARED FOR FULL PRACTICE, EXPECTED TO PLAY VERSUS LAKERS", "Leonard has 33 and Spurs beat Blazers 110-90", "Warriors beat Blazers 119-117 in OT for NBA Finals berth", "Miami Heat's Meyers Leonard In Good Spirits After Season-Ending Surgery", "Miami Heat say Meyers Leonard will be away from team indefinitely while NBA probes use of anti-Semitic slur", "Miami Heat's Meyers Leonard fined $50,000, suspended for week for using anti-Semitic slur", "Thunder Acquires 2027 Second-Round Draft Pick, Meyers Leonard and Generates Trade Exception", "Thunder make it official, waive Meyers Leonard", "Former Heat center Meyers Leonard working his way back into the NBA", "Reports: Centres Cousins and Leonard to workout for Lakers on Friday", "Marine surprises brother after not seeing him for 2 years", "NBA Player Meyers Leonard Announces Investment In FaZe Clan", "The Heat's Meyers Leonard said an anti-Semitic slur during a Twitch stream", "FaZe Clan 'cutting ties' with NBA player Meyers Leonard over use of anti-Semitic slur during Warzone stream", "Meyers Leonard slur incident prompts a question: What's a FaZe 'member'? He eventually underwent season-ending surgery and remained away from the Miami Heat to complete his rehab. Don't be surprised if a team in need of depth signs Leonard late into next season. Meyers whose father died in a bicycle accident when he was 6 and Bailey was 8 called his brothers enlistment one of the hardest days of my life., Im already an emotional human being. "Having been around African-American culture for many, many years because of the AAU circuit all the way through high school into college and in the NBA, Ive seen teammates be impacted by this. Meyers Leonard was born on 27 February 1992 in Woodridge, Virginia. He was born in Virginia and grew up in Robinson, Illinois. Now, if you stand during the national anthem, then you better be ready to defend that decision to the media and the mob. There was a video of Bailey and Meyers in 2012 that practically brought the internet to a standstill. In January, Meyers Leonard stepped away from basketball after 9 years in the NBA. He carries a military-themed backpack, wears combat boots, and has a phone loaded with Navy SEALs who are his friends. Thats the impact it had on me. After his fathers death, an old horse injury that resulted in a disc surgery for his mother began to show up, virtually incapacitating her. Born Meyers Patrick Leonard on February 27, 1992 in Woodbridge, Virginia, to parents Tracie and Jim Leonard, he has two older brothers named Bailey and Chris.Leonard was educated at Robinson High School and University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. How sad is it that were now at a point in America where standing for the national anthem requires an explanation and a defense. Could the Trail Blazers Engineer a Cam Reddish Resurrection? But also I will continue to use my platform to bring awareness to these situations because I truly know that silence is compliance and I do need to speak up. He had his first career start against the Phoenix Suns, and he finished the game with 12 points and 5 rebounds. Thats who I am. Dansgaming Biography, Girlfriend, Is He Gay, Why Is He Popular? I am with the Black Lives Matter movement and I love and support the military and my brother and the people who have fought to defend our rights in . My little brother, I tell you what, he may be about eight inches taller than me, bigger than me, but I respect my younger brother more than almost anybody else who walks on this planet, Bailey said. The two brothers shared. February 11, 2022 Watch: NBA Star Breaks Down on the Court Coming Face-to-Face With His Marine Brother Inspirational Bailey and Meyers Leonard are two brothers who share an unbreakable bond. Marc J. Spears (@MarcJSpears) August 1, 2020. I will continue to use my voice, my platform and my familys resources to commit to helping make a change. Miami Heat center Meyers Leonard has no regrets about standing for the national anthem before a Saturday game. Leonard stood alone before the Heat played the Denver Nuggets, and hes been blowing up all over social media ever since. Meyers Leonard last played in an NBA game on Jan. 9, 2021, against the Wizards. Their mother also faced health problems as well as . Ill leave you with this its OKAY to be BOTH. Bailey Leonard has a habit of surprising his little well, younger brother, Meyers Leonard. Eight years ago, Bailey who served two tours in Afghanistan with the United States Marine Corps surprised Meyers at an Illinois basketball practiceafter the brothers hadn't seen each other in two years. He grew up in Southern Illinois in a town called Robinson. Meyers Leonard is 28 years old and was born on February 27, 1992. He carries a military-themed backpack, wears combat boots and has a phone loaded with Navy SEALs who are his . His mother Tracie, once an athlete who would run upwards of 10 miles a day, had been largely housebound since her husband's death, due to an old horseback injury and subsequent disc surgery that left her with crippling pain.[2]. Leonard was the lone Heat player to stand during the playing of the national anthem at the NBAs resumption of last season in the quarantine bubble at Disney World. The terrorist attacks on the United States which happened when Bailey was 11 and Meyers was nine inspired Bailey to eventually enlist in the Marine Corps. The terrorist attacks on the United States which happened when Bailey was 11 and Meyers was nine . Please logout and login again. [8] Following the season, Leonard was named Honorable Mention All Big-10. Meyers Leonard took to live streaming during that period and in March, he uttered an anti-Semitic slur while playing a game of Call of Duty online. But the former Illini made news when he stood for the national anthem despite most NBA players kneeling in support of the Black Lives Matter protest. Meyers Leonard, a seven-foot-tall center who at the time was a player for the Miami Heat, described his regret and his efforts to repent during an appearance at University of Illinois, his alma. When the rest of the NBA took a knee, Isaac stood with pride for America. Meyers Leonard lit up when telling a room full of service members about his older brother, Bailey, during a special visit to the Trail Blazers' practice facility coordinated by the team and USO . The Thunder announced on March 25 that they waived Leonard after the trade deadline. In his freshman year, Leonard averaged 2.1 points and 1.2 rebounds per game in 8.2 minutes per game. More from @bytimreynolds >> https://t.co/MpmqqwrBkO pic.twitter.com/wTlXdkF1pa, Leonard also tweeted that the BLM movement means a hell of a lot to him, and that his brother, and many close friends have sworn to protect this country at all costs, and that means something to me, as does the flag and our nation., Today, I listened to my heart. After spending his first seven seasons with the Trail Blazers, he was traded to the Heat in the 2019 offseason. In the following two seasons, Leonard had a tough time in terms of on-court time, performance, and injury. Meyers Leonard is a young American basketball center for the Portland Trail Blazers. ins.style.height = container.attributes.ezah.value + 'px'; How many more NBA players will have the courage to stand during the national anthem? On the contrary, Tracie loves her son, loves him so much that she was willing to accept help. "I know that some days it feels like we have a business partnership. As a freshman at the University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign in 201011, Leonard averaged 2.1 points and 1.2 rebounds per game in 8.2 minutes per game for the Fighting Illini. Meyers and Elle were introduced by a mutual friend, Mike Davis. On Friday, Bailey surprised Meyers on national television, joining Meyers during an NBA on TNT interview with Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley(video below). Miami Heat power forward Meyers Leonard, who has over 69,000 followers on Twitch, decided to shout an anti-Semitic slur while streaming 'Call of Duty.' . Copyright 2022 All Rights Reserved FamousMarried. It also took us to war. I had never not had my brother.. By James Dator Mar 9, 2021, 3:50pm EST Meyers Leonard has. container.appendChild(ins); Featured Image by Frenchieinportland / Wikimedia / CC BY-SA 4.0. The two had become inseparable after the death of their father. By J.R. De Groote. "And I have felt connected to this city immediately, and that was something that we felt we could do to help a place that clearly needed it., 2020 THE SUN, US, INC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | TERMS OF USE | PRIVACY | YOUR AD CHOICES | SITEMAP, Leonard was filmed saying a racial slur on his Twitch streaming service, Leonard apologized for his rant and claimed he did not understand the true meaning of the word, Professional esports organization FaZe Clan said they're cutting ties with Leonard following his Twitch incident, Leonard was the lone Heat player to stand during the playing of the national anthem during the NBAs resumption of last season. The people I met, the places I went, some of the best friends I have today I was with whenever I was in the United States Marine Corps. This site uses cookies to serve you better. It has to be the smoke, because my eyes are watering. Leonard regularly attended the Silers' church and went on family vacations. Since being waived by the Oklahoma City Thunder, Meyers Leonard has remained without a contract. Leonard, whose brother Bailey served in Afghanistan with the U.S. Marines, was the only Heat player who stood for the national anthem during games in the Orlando bubble. Props to Leonard for not backing down. O'Neil called him "something of a basketball anomaly", adding that Leonard "gained all that height without losing his coordination or his fast-twitch muscles."[2]. The Blazers lost the series 41. According to ESPN.com writer Dana O'Neil: "Looking to shoehorn the relationship into a convenient box, outsiders have called this Meyers' version of The Blind Side, but the comparison is inaccurate.
