Twitch has banned Miami Heat forward Meyers Leonard after the NBA player used an anti-Semitic slur during a Call of Duty: Warzone stream today.
A Twitch spokesperson gave a statement to Dot Esports regarding Leonard’s ban from the platform.
“We do not allow the use of hateful slurs on Twitch. The safety of our community is our top priority, and per our guidelines we reserve the right to suspend any account for conduct that we determine to be inappropriate, harmful, or puts our community at risk,” the spokesperson said.
During the stream, Leonard directed a slur at an opposing player.
“Fucking cowards, don’t fucking snipe at me you… k*ke bitch,” Leonard said while streaming.
In the hours since Leonard used the slur, FaZe Clan announced it was “cutting ties” with him despite the organization claiming he was not a “member” of FaZe. ASTRO Gaming, as well as Corsair Gaming subsidiaries Origin PC and Scuf Gaming, ended their partnerships with Leonard.
The Heat also issued a statement in which the team said it “will not tolerate hateful language from anyone associated with [the] franchise,” and that Leonard would “be away from the team indefinitely.”
NBA spokesperson Mike Bass told ESPN the league is looking into this incident, and in the Heat’s statement, the team said it would cooperate with the league as it conducts an investigation.
In a statement, Leonard apologized for using the slur, although he claimed he “didn’t know what the word meant at the time.” He said he will reach out to “people who can help educate [him] about this type of hate and how we can fight it.”
Leonard was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2012 with the 11th overall pick in the NBA Draft. He was traded to the Heat in the 2019 offseason. He has been an active streamer and gamer, particularly in batle royale titles such as Warzone.
Update March 9 8:59pm CT: This article has been updated to include a statement from the Heat.
Published: Mar 9, 2021 09:34 pm