Julian Edelman Writes Open Letter After Meyers Leonard Used Anti-Semitic Slur
March 10, 2021
New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman offered to take Meyers Leonard out for a Shabbat dinner to discuss Jewish heritage after the Miami Heat center used an anti-Semitic slur during a Twitch live stream Monday.
Edelman, who's Jewish, explained the "causal ignorance" Leonard showed with his comment is "harder to combat" than a hateful remark, so he'd like to help educate the NBA player:
Leonard said, "f--king cowards; don't f--king snipe me, you f--king k--e b---h" while he played a Call of Duty game, per ESPN's Nick Friedell.
The Heat announced the 29-year-old post player would be "away from the team indefinitely" while the NBA conducts an investigation into the matter:
"We just became aware of the video and are in the process of gathering more information. The NBA unequivocally condemns all forms of hate speech," league spokesperson Mike Bass said in a statement.
Leonard is in his second season with the Heat after seven years with the Portland Trail Blazers. He's out for the remainder of the 2020-21 campaign because of shoulder surgery.
Edelman has spent all 12 of his NFL seasons with the Patriots, winning three Super Bowls.
