NBA Player Notorious For Uttering Slur On Gaming Livestream Gets New Contract

An NBA player who was effectively ousted from the league after saying an antisemitic slur on a gaming livestream has signed a new contract with the Milwaukee Bucks.

Meyers Leonard was suspended and fined by the Miami Heat after uttering the slur during a Call of Duty: Warzone stream in March 2021. After serving the week-long suspension, Leonard was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder and waived. Leonard has since reportedly met with several Jewish organizations "on a frequent basis" in an attempt to make amends, as well as participating in community programs. He admitted in a recent interview that he didn't know the meaning or history of the word he used.

"There are absolutely no excuses for what happened that day," Leonard told ESPN. "And ignorance, sadly, is a very real thing. I am not running from this, but I did not know that it happened."

Leonard's new deal with the Milwaukee Bucks is a 10-day contract, which is common for unproven players, especially those returning from injury. His return was slowed by post-surgical nerve damage in his right leg. Some NBA fans and pundits have revisited Leonard's ouster from the league following star player Kyrie Irving's eight-game suspension last year for posting links to antisemitic conspiracy materials on social media. Irving was recently traded to the Mavericks after a controversial tenure on the Brooklyn Nets that fell short of expectations.