Miami Heat vet Udonis Haslem didn’t mince words when it came to addressing his teammate Meyers Leonard and the anti-Semitic slur that Leonard said on a Twitch stream earlier this week (which he then apologized for).
“We can’t tolerate that here,” Haslem said, per the Sun Sentinel’s Ira Winderman, “and right is right and wrong is wrong.”
Haslem — who added a little levity by saying he has Jewish friends who call him “Udonis Haslem-berg at times” — wasn’t the only one to address it. Coach Eric Spoelstra added, “There’s just so much more that needs to be done,” and that “there are consequences to words.”
Udonis Haslem, on Meyers Leonard's comment, "We can't tolerate that here and right is right and wrong is wrong."
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) March 11, 2021
Haslem says he has never heard Leonard utter such a comment around the team or otherwise. "He's never said anything of any nature like that around me." https://t.co/qBtbI3ZX7k
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) March 11, 2021
Udonis Haslem on the impact of Meyers Leonard's words on the Jewish community, "We apologize. That won't tolerated here. I felt that. I have a lot of Jewish friends. They call me Udonis Haslem-berg at times."
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) March 11, 2021
Erik Spoelstra, on Meyers Leonard, "A lot of emotions. Very disappointed. Those words are extremely hurtful. We don't condone that. There's just so much more that needs to be done." And, "He said something that was extremely distasteful and hurtful."
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) March 11, 2021
More Spoelstra, "I've spoke to Meyers. He feels really bad about it. It doesn't matter the intent. It's just not right." And, "There are consequences to words." https://t.co/4VrdBmkXLd
— Ira Winderman (@IraHeatBeat) March 11, 2021
That’s exactly what they should be saying. Nice to see no one is taking this lightly on the Heat.
