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Meyers coach Leonard and Miami Heat teammates offered no apologies on Wednesday for Leonard’s use of an anti-Semitic slur during a recent video game live broadcast, and they failed made an effort to hide their disappointment with him in their first public comments on the incident.
“He said something extremely nasty and hurtful,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “And we have the consequences of that left.”
In a video that surfaced on social media Tuesday, Leonard can be heard saying, “Fuck cowards; don’t f — ing snipe, you f — ing k — b —-.” Leonard apologized in an Instagram post, and he will be out of the Heat indefinitely, according to the organization, while the NBA investigates.
Leonard’s season was already over with a shoulder injury.
“There are consequences to words,” Spoelstra said. “And those were extremely hurtful words.
The Heat returned to work on Wednesday to end their All-Star break. The team opens its second half schedule Thursday against Orlando. Spoelstra spoke to Leonard, as did other team officials.
“We cannot tolerate that here,” Heat captain and 18-year-old veteran Udonis Haslem said of the use of the insult. “Good is good, and bad is wrong. And since I’ve been here in this organization, until the day I leave this organization and beyond, we’re going to try to be on the safe side of everything, especially issues like this. “
Haslem was asked if Leonard had ever used offensive language around him.
“No, sir,” Haslem said. “I never heard him use language that made me uncomfortable at all.”
Spoelstra praised Leonard’s work ethic and effort several times during the 7-foot center’s year and a half with the team.
Those days seem far away now.
“It doesn’t matter what the intention is,” Spoelstra said. “It is not fair.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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